By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Events in Ruskin, Wimauma, Dover and Brandon have been selected to receive a small portion of a large chunk of special event partnership grants awarded by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
Overall, 37 groups, staging 45 events, have been chosen to receive a collective $1.46 million in grant funding, based on recommendations from the 11-member Cultural Assets Commission. Appointed by the BOCC, the group meets quarterly, the first Friday of the month, virtual and in person at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center in Tampa, at 2101 East Palm Ave. The next meeting is Dec. 6 at 9:30 a.m.
A call for applications occurs at least twice every fiscal year. The county’s fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. The current funding cycle opened July 15 and closed Aug. 2.
Overall, 2.81 percent of the $1,457,786.25 approved in the current cycle has been awarded to two groups responsible for four events in south Hillsborough County. Another 2.92 percent has been earmarked for events in Brandon and Plant City.
The Greater SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, formed after last year’s merging of the SouthShore and South Hillsborough chambers of commerce, received $25,151.56 for the 34th annual Ruskin Seafood Festival, Nov. 16-17, at E.G. Simmons Park.
The Ifi Heritage Center in Wimauma, for three events, received $15,828.52. The winning grant applications support the Gospel Cultural Explosion ($6,336.89), Multi-Cultural Food and Arts Festival ($5,071.84) and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration ($4,419.79). The center’s vision is “to preserve and celebrate the rich, authentic cultural history of Wimauma and the wider Tampa Bay area for generations to come.”
Meanwhile, two grants have been awarded for major events in east Hillsborough County, including $15,248.25 for a night Christmas parade in Brandon, and $22,646.86 for a Fourth of July festival in Dover. Another $4,695.30 is earmarked for the Plant City Faith Focus Community Development Corporation, now known as Faith Fellowship CDC, which supports a food pantry.
The Brandon Parade of Lights, presented by the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Valrico/FishHawk Chamber of Commerce, is set to start at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 14, at the corner of South Parsons Avenue and Oakfield Drive. Drawing united interest from both the Greater Brandon and Greater Riverview areas, the parade marks a long-awaited return to a seasonal night parade in Brandon.
The July 4th festival grant is for “Catch the Spirit and Celebrate America,” presented by the Greater Hillsborough County Fair Association, at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds in Dover at 215 Sydney Washer Road.
The grounds are used also for a myriad of rentals and events, including the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village, running now through Dec. 29; the Back Porch Jam in March, featuring music, family activities and KCBS-sanctioned contests in professional and backyard BBQ; and the Hillsborough County Fair, a 12-day fall event.
The Special Events Partnership Grant program is a matching-grant program for Micro events with a budget of less than $50,000 to qualify for a 1:1 match.
Events with a budget between $50,001 and $100,000 have a 2:1 match, while events with a budget between $100,001 and $500,000, a 3:1 match, and events with a budget of $500,001 or higher receive a 4:1 match.
Eligible are such thing as art, local food, film and music festivals, as well as historic, local community and river celebration events. Ineligible are such things as sporting events, beauty pageants, charitable fundraisers and events organized around political or religious purposes.
Top awards in the current grant cycle amount to $731,000 for nine events. On the list are the 55th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts ($96,000), Gasparilla Music Festival ($96,000), Tampa Bay Wine and Food Festival ($85,330), Gasparilla International Film Festival ($84,440), OnBikes Winter Wonder Ride ($78,600), Tampa Riverfest ($76,329.12), PhilFest 2025 ($73,683.95), India Festival Tampa ($70,900) and Tampa Pride 2025 ($69,708.95). The PhilFest is presented by the Philippine Cultural Foundation.
The Greater SouthShore Chamber of Commerce received a grant to help with the 34th annual Ruskin Seafood Festival.
Among the additional event grants are those for Tampa Taco Fest ($45,500.54), Sabor Cubano Fest ($35,197.34), Temple Terrace Community Arts Festival ($11,113), the 14th Annual Ford International Cuban Sandwich Festival ($28,061.40) and the 6th Annual Ford Taste of Latino Festival ($25,164.09).
Friends of the Riverwalk Inc. received four grants, including for the Riverwalk Holiday Spectacular, now through Jan. 2 ($33,339.06); the Tampa Riverfest, May 2-3 ($76,329.12); Riverwalk Trick or Treat Award ($19,483.72); and July 4th Boat Parade Award ($19,809.60). The Riverwalk event features family-friendly activities and events showcasing Tampa’s cultural institutions, local musicians and restaurants.
For more, including updated application information and a full list of 2025 grant recipients, visit www.HCFL.gov and search for “Special Events Partnership Grants.”