August 5, 2021

Taste of Oakville
Taste organizing committee present MPP Stephen Crawford with Taste apron. From L to R: Tait McInnes (Visit Oakville), France Fournier (Oakville Chamber of Commerce), Rebecca Edgar (Visit Oakville), MPP Stephen Crawford, Adrienne Gordon (Downtown Oakville BIA). Missing: Doug Sams (Kerr Village BIA), Maureen Healey (Bronte Village BIA)

Yesterday, the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries announced that Visit Oakville will receive $63,000 for a Taste of Oakville in 2022. The funding is part of the province’s Reconnect Festival and Event Program.

Taste of Oakville will take place in winter of next year, with local restaurants offering prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus. The one-time funding will also allow organizers to include an entertainment element to the event.

“Taste supports local small businesses by attracting people into our restaurants and shopping districts,” said Sean O’Meara, chair of the Visit Oakville board. “We are thrilled to add elements to Taste that should increase the economic impact for businesses and the local tourism economy.”

“The tourism and hospitality sector was hit hard and fast by the pandemic. A bigger, better Taste event will help support our partners in recovery,” said O’Meara. “On behalf of Visit Oakville and the Taste organizers, we’d like to thank the province and, in particular, Stephen Crawford and his team for their support in securing the Reconnect funding,”

For the first time in 2021, Taste featured 33 restaurants from across Oakville. A number the organizing committee intends to build on in 2022.

Interested restaurateurs can get involved by emailing tasteofoakville@visitoakville.com or signing up for Visit Oakville’s industry newsletter.

The 2021 Reconnect Festival and Event Program (known as Celebrate Ontario prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) is providing $43 million in one-time funds to support 439 festivals and events across Ontario, to help organizers adapt to new public health measures with virtual, drive-through and other safe offerings.

Another Oakville event, The 27th Annual Kerr Village Christmas Tree Lighting & Holiday Market, will receive $55,100 in Reconnect funding.

To read more about the 2021 Reconnect Festival and Event Program recipients, click here: news.ontario.ca