IGNITE Receives Grant to Kick off a New Event: IGNITE the Winter! 2012
IGNITE Cayuga County's Young Professionals was successful in securing another matching grant through the We Live New York Livable Communities Grant Program to kick off what is hoped to become an annual winter event.
IGNITE will partner with multiple local agencies to host IGNITE the Winter! - a winter festival organized in connection with the established "First Friday" event on March 2, 2012 from 5 to 10 pm. The event will take place on Exchange Street in the heart of Downtown Auburn. IGNITE hopes that this winter celebration will draw residents and visitors alike to Auburn and foster a greater appreciation of the Central New York winter.
IGNITE the Winter! includes a comford food cook-off, live bands, street performers, ice sculpture demonstration, wine/beer/hot beverage tastings and horse-drawn wagon rides.
IGNITE the Winter! aims to achieve the following goals:
- Establish a new annual winter event to attract residents and visitors to Downtown Auburn during the region's slowest season;
- Increase the collaboration among local organizations, businesses and the City of Auburn to create an anchor event that will strengthen Auburn's urban core;
- Connect "chefs" of local eateries and organizations with residents and visitors by showcasing their favorite chilis, soups or chowders.
- Support local businesses by providing opportunities for them to connect into the winter celebration activities.
Drawing on the expertise from the Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District and Auburn Historic and Cultural Sites Commission, who initiated Auburn’s First Fridays, IGNITE the Winter! Festival 2012 will build on the existing relations with the participating historic sites and invite visitors to circulate in the areas around downtown. The combination of the two events should encourage more downtown businesses to stay open into the evening, offer specials and provide opportunities to warm up indoors.
IGNITE has formed a planning committee comprised of representatives from the City of Auburn, Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District, Cayuga County Office of Tourism, Auburn's Historic & Cultural Sites, Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, Majorpalooza and Auburn Doubledays to roll out this event.
The We Live New York Livable Communities Capacity Grant is a matching grant program funded by Empire State Development Corporation and administered through the New York State Urban Council. In this third round of funding, IGNITE was again awarded the maximum of $2,000 and committed to raise the same amount to plan and execute the proposed event.
