FESTIVAL & EVENTS CLASSIFICATION

Festivals and events in Nova Scotia are classified into one of three categories:

• Signature Festivals and Events
• Community Experience Festivals and Events
• Hometown Pride Festivals and Events

Qualified festivals and events will have their event listed in the annual Festivals & Events Guide. Listing includes highlighted title, date, location, travelway, brief description of their event, phone number and website.

Signature Festivals and Events
These are one-time only, special festivals or events of interest to the province at large or those with national or international appeal that have the ability to attract visitors to Nova Scotia specifically for their festival or event.

Criteria: To be classified as a re-occurring Signature Festival or Event, it must:

• be two or more full, successive days in duration;
• have attendance levels greater than 10,000;
• market to Atlantic Canada (not just Nova Scotia) with a dedicated marketing budget of at least $5,000;
• obtain minimum sponsorship support of $5,000 from contributors other than government;
• have more than 25 volunteers (unpaid assistance); and
• have at least one paid, full-time employee for a minimum of 24 weeks.

Examples: Province-wide or multi-regional events, special sporting events, national championships, etc.

Community Experiences Festivals and Events
These festivals and events are of regional appeal. They have the ability to attract visitors from other parts of Nova Scotia or Atlantic Canada to their region specifically for their festival or event.

Criteria: To be classified a Community Experience, the festival/event must:

• be more than one full, successive day in duration;
• have attendance levels greater than 500;
• marketing to Nova Scotia (outside the geographic region, beyond 100 km radius) with a dedicated marketing budget of at least $1,000; and
• have at least one paid/full-time employee for a minimum of 16 weeks.

Examples: Community festivals, art exhibits, March Break events, museum programming, concert series, reunions, exhibitions, etc.

Hometown Pride Festivals and Events
These festivals and events are of local appeal. Their primary objective is to gather the community for a specific cause, reason or event that is generally held for a portion of a day or a full day. For these festivals and events, tourism is not the primary motive for having the event.

Examples: Canada Day celebrations, meetings, suppers, teas, bazaars, markets, commemorative ceremonies, fundraisers, etc.