Festivals / events in Nova Scotia are classified into one of three categories: Signature Events, Community Experience or Hometown Pride. The criteria for each is as follows:

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

To be classified* a re-occurring Signature Event, the festival/event must:

• be 2 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);
• have at least 1 paid/full-time employee for a minimum of 24 weeks.

Benefits: Qualified festivals/events have the opportunity to have their event listed in the annual Festivals & Events Guides. Listing includes highlighted title, date, location, travelway, brief description of their event, phone number and website.

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

* To qualify as a Signature Event, please submit substantiated information relevant to the criteria for review to the Department of Tourism, Culture & Heritage.

Community Experiences
These festivals/events are of regional appeal that have the ability to attract visitation to their region specifically for their event from other parts of Nova Scotia or Atlantic Canada.

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;
• have at least 1 paid/full-time employee for a minimum of 16 weeks.

Benefits: Qualified festivals/events have the opportunity to have their event listed in the annual Festivals & Events Guides. Listing includes title, date, location, travelway and website.

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

Hometown Pride
These festivals/events are of local appeal whose 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/event, tourism is not the primary motive for having the event.

Benefits: Qualified festivals/events have the opportunity to have their event listed in the annual Festivals & Events Guides. Listing includes title, date, location and travelway.

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

Classification of Festivals and Events in Nova Scotia

Definition of Event Details

TIANS F&E Report