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Shambhala Music Festival to receive $250,000 in provincial funding

Seven events around Nelson have received grants
27540755_web1_Shambhala
Shambhala Music Festival has received $250,000 in provincial funding. File photo

Shambhala Music Festival and Tiny Lights Festival are among the recipients of provincial funding announced for community events.

Shambhala Music Festival, which was among the events cancelled by COVID-19 in 2020 and returned this year for a handful of smaller dates at its venue near Salmo, will receive $250,000 from the province.

Jimmy Bundschuh, Shambhala’s founder, said in a statement the funds will help the event recover from the pandemic.

“This grant will support us with the tremendous challenge of returning after two years of postponed programming. We look forward to creating unforgettable experiences for our guests, as well as getting our staff back to work doing the job they love to do after a very difficult two years.”

Other local recipients include the Nelson International Mural Festival ($41,528), Crawford Bay’s Starbelly Jam Music Festival ($40,000), Ymir’s Tiny Lights Festival ($35,060), the Kootenay Open Sky Film Festival ($18,440), the Nelson Harvest Festival ($7,260), and Nelson’s Elephant Mountain Literary Festival ($6,000).

“Arts and culture festivals are such a huge part of our Kootenay lifestyle,” said Nelson-Creston MLA Brittny Anderson in a release.

“The pandemic and the uncertainty it brings has been incredibly difficult for many of us, especially for event organizers. I know many of us are craving a big ol’ Kootenay party, and I’m so excited to see that our government is supporting these events so they are able to come back strong and bring us all the joy that we’ve been missing out on.”

The funds were part of an increase from $12.9 million to $30 million in grants from the tourism ministry for over 680 events across B.C.