Hunterdon Commissioners Offer Municipal Grants To Boost Tourism

‘Rediscover Hunterdon’ Grants Will Support Covid Paused

Festivals and Local Events

Enacting a plan to boost tourism by encouraging and assisting local festivals and main street

events in Hunterdon County communities, the Hunterdon Board of Commissioners, at the May

3rd meeting, approved a new municipal grant program called ‘Rediscover Hunterdon’ grants

aimed at supporting local events.

The Board Director, John E. Lanza, stated, “This new municipal grant program, which we are

calling ‘Rediscover Hunterdon’ grants, is aimed at helping our municipalities to re-establish

festivals or main street events that have been pushed aside by the covid pandemic.

These events have always been popular in the past with both local residents and tourists, and the Board believes it is important to help get those activities back on their feet to help to spur the small business economy in the county.”

Lanza noted that all municipalities will be eligible for the grants which will be administered as

part of the new ‘Explore Hunterdon; The Other Side of Jersey’ tourism campaign by the

Economic Development and Tourism Department.

Lanza said, “The program will be organized along the lines of the Economic Development

municipal grant program already in existence. The maximum grant award is up to $5,000,

eligible uses include community days and downtown events and festivals that were paused

during the Covid-19 public health emergency. All grant funds must be requested by a host

municipality.”

In supporting the new program, Commissioner Susan J. Soloway, the Board’s liaison for the

Economic Development and Tourism Department, stated, “In the past there have been many

enjoyable and well attended events all around the County. Through this program the Board

wishes to help municipalities bring back those events that attract the public.”

Soloway noted, “The ‘Rediscover Hunterdon’ grants will be funded through the county’s

American Rescue allocation that has been made part of the Economic Development budget.”

The ‘Rediscover Hunterdon’ Communities Grant Program is available for all municipalities and

can be found online at: https://hunterdoncountyedc.com/about-us/rediscover-hunterdoncommunities-grant/

Municipal officials interested in finding out more about the program can contact the Economic

Development and Tourism Department at hced@co.hunterdon.nj.us

or call Department Director Marc Saluk at 908 399-1108.