Dauphin County approves 100+ tourism grants in effort to boost area visitors

Commissioner Justin Douglas

Dauphin County commissioners approved more than 100 annual grants on Wednesday for initiatives designed to support tourism.

This year, they will distribute more than $2.5 million between 116 cultural, arts, sports and other programs. The county’s chief clerk, Eric Hagarty, said that Dauphin County received more than $9.4 million worth of requests for tourism funds from nearly 200 applicants.

“There’s clearly far greater demand for funding from this program than there are dollars available to award,” Hagarty said.

The grants are designed to help boost county tourism and are funded each year from a portion of the 5% hotel tax charged for room stays.

Notable awards included $343,000 to the Dauphin County Community Fund, which assists with events like BrewFest and Jazz & Wine Festival; $250,000 to Grand Rising Curations for the Riverfront Concert Series; $150,000 to the Dauphin County Economic Development Corporation for the Dauphin County Cultural Fest; and $100,000 to the National Rifle Association for the Great American Outdoor Show.

Commissioner Mike Pries thanked the county’s Economic Development Department for time spent on the tourism grants’ assembly. 

“I know there were a lot of tough decisions that had to be made,” he said.

Dauphin County Comissioners

A full list of projects and organizations awarded tourism grants can be found below:

• 717 ARTS – The 4th Annual Harrisburg Fringe Festival – $6,000 
• AKT Foundation – Soup Cook Off and Great Bake Off – $1,000 
• Appalachian Kayak – 2026 Season Advertising and Improvements – $4,800 
• Asian Refugees United (ARU), fiscally sponsored by Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), DBA Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) – 2026 Kalu Singh Memorial Football/Soccer Tournament (September) + 2026 Emerging Leaders Leadership Retreat (July/August) – $10,000 
• Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – BKFC # _ (TBD) – $58,000 
• Black & White Party Inc. – Pride Night @ DC Live – $10,000 
• Borough of Hummelstown – When you visit Central PA stop by Hummelstown along the way! – $40,000 
• Camp Hebron – Camp Hebron Campground Project – $7,500 
• CCDN1, LLC dba Grand Rising Curations / Mid-State Shows – Riverfront Concert Series – $250,000 
• Central Pennsylvania Figure Skating Club – 2026 Reflections Synchro Invitational – $15,000 
• Central Pennsylvania Film Commission – Central Pennsylvania Film Commission Industry Leadership Luncheon Featuring Mike Fantasia – $10,000 
• Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz, Inc. – Jazz Walk 2026 – $3,000 
• Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet – George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” – $10,000 
• Church World Service Inc. (CWS Harrisburg) – International Friendsgiving – $5,000 
• Coda Rouge – Passport to Coda Rouge – $10,000 
• Dauphin County Community Fund – The Dauphin County Community Fund assists the Dauphin County Department of Parks & Recreation in its administration of over 450 programs and special events each year, including BrewFest, Jazz & Wine Festival, ProudlyPA!, and more. – $343,000 
• Dauphin County Department of Parks & Recreation – Staff time and administration of festival programming. – $112,000 
• Dauphin County Economic Development Corporation – Dauphin County Cultural Fest – $150,000 
• Dauphin County Economic Development Corporation – Budget support for program administration – $150,000 
• Dauphin County Library System – Craig Family Cemetery Living History Project – $5,000 
• Eastern PA Hockey (Statie Grays Hockey) – Troopers Helping Troopers Hockey Tournament – $5,000 
• Elite Socker, LLC – Big22 Girls Soccer All-Star Game and Player Prospect IC Clinic Match – $15,000 
• Female Athlete News – Hockey5s Chocolate Cup – $15,000 
• Film Arts Culture & Tourism Specialist, Inc. – Central Pennsylvania Film Commission – $37,500 
• Friends of Midtown – 2026 Outdoor Film Series – $5,000 
• Friends of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Foundation, Inc. – Pennsylvania Farm Show – $50,000 *
• Future Stars Tournament Baseball, LLC – Future Stars Baseball Tournaments – $20,000 
• Gamut Theatre Group – Free Shakespeare in the Park 2026 – $1,000 
• Greater Harrisburg Area NAACP 22 – 72nd NAACP Greater Harrisburg Branch 2263 Annual Freedom Fund Dinner October 26, and ACT-SO Competition May 26 – $5,000 
• Greater Harrisburg Section of NCNW – Fall into Jazz – Celebrating Music, Cultural and Community – $5,000 
• Halifax Fire Department – Fireworks Display – $4,000 
• Halsky Entertainment, Inc. – 2026 Concert Series – $25,000 
• Handles Foundation – Edgemont Day – $8,000 
• Harrisburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. – 4th Annual Youth Symposium: Empowering the Next Generation – $1,000 
• Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society – Pride of the Susquehanna – $25,000 
• Harrisburg Area YMCA – Harrisburg Area YMCA Race Series – $10,000 
• Harrisburg Grassroots Summer League – Harrisburg Grassroots Summer Basketball League – $8,500 
• Harrisburg Green Alliance – Green Renaissance Project – $10,000 
• Harrisburg Heat Pro Soccer – Pro Soccer – $21,173 
• Harrisburg Kennel Club, Inc. – Blue & Gray Cluster Dog Shows: Harrisburg Kennel Club, Lebanon County Kennel Club, Mason & Dixon Kennel Club – $10,000 
• Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC – 2026 CREDC Campaign – $75,000 
• Harrisburg Symphony Association – The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra’s Free Summer Concert at Reservoir Park – $10,000 
• Harrisburg Young Professionals – Forster Street Clean-Up / Italian Lake Concert Series – $5,500 
• Harristown Development Corporation – Tiny Park Series @ Coronet Park; SoMa Block Party; SoMa PinFest; SoMa Christmas Market; Holiday Variety Show – $12,500 
• Hershey Aquatic Club – 2026–27 Fall/Winter HAC Swim Meet Series – $15,000 
• Hershey Bears Booster Club – 2026 American Hockey League Booster Club Convention – $5,000 
• Hershey E-Tours – Guided e-Bike Tours – $3,000 
• Hershey Eagles – Monthly Veterans Exhibition Hockey Game – $4,000 
• Hershey Figure Skating Club – Hershey Open and Neal Wood Memorial Open – $11,000 
• Hershey Harrisburg Sports & Events Authority – 2026 Big 26 Baseball Classic – $25,000 
• Hershey Jr. Bears Inc. – Hershey Jr. Bears Inc. – $10,000 
• Hershey Bears Inc. – Quebec Team – Hershey Jr. Bears Quebec Team – $10,000 
• Hershey Symphony Orchestra – “Carousel, In Concert” – $5,000 
• Historic Harrisburg Association – 53rd Annual Candlelight House Tour – $8,200 
• Historical Society of Dauphin County – John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion’s America’s 250th Celebrations – $8,200 
• Hummelstown Area Historical Society, Inc. – Hummelstown’s June 14 Celebration Honoring America’s 250th and the Society’s Old Glory Flag Display – $2,000 
• I.W. Abel Banquet Hall – U.S.W. #1688 – Musical Entertainment – $5,500 
• Invica, LLC – High School Football – $10,000 
• JKColeman Enterprises DBA MIK Restaurant & Lounge – Spring Fling Soirée at MIK – $5,000 
• Karma Entertainment Complex – Out Fest Pennsylvania 2026 – $20,000 
• Latino Connection – Latino Ball – $10,000 
• Latino Hispanic American Community Center – The 16th Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival – $10,000 
• Londonderry Township – Air Dot Show Tours – Central PA and Weekly Thursday Night Music Entertainment Events – $5,000 
• Lower Paxton Community Foundation – Independence Weekend Family Celebration – $1,500 
• Lower Paxton Community Foundation – Lower Paxton Christkindlmarkt – $5,000 
• Lykens Valley Children’s Museum – From Hidden Gem to Destination: Expanding Tourism at LVCM – $8,000 
• Market Square Concerts – Summermusic 2026 and Two 2026–27 Season Concerts – $4,500 
• Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Activities – $2,500 
• Metro’s of Tomorrow Youth Academy – Capital City Barber Battle – $7,500 
• Middletown Area Historical Society of Dauphin County, Inc. – 51st Annual Arts & Crafts Fair – $8,700 
• Millersburg Area Working Together – Cherry Blossom Festival – $5,000 
• Millersburg Borough – Tourism Brochure Update and Printing – $1,500 
• Millersburg Borough – Cherry Blossom Festival, Riverfront Fireworks, Christmas Tree Lighting – $1,500 
• Millersburg Ferry Boat Association – Millersburg Ferry Boat Tourism Project – $8,000 
• Moon Peak Productions, LLC – 2026 Event Year – $7,455 
• Motorama Productions Corp. – Motorama Races and Shows – $20,000 
• Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art – Troegs 5K Trail Run for Conservation – $3,000 
• National Rifle Association (NRA) – Great American Outdoor Show – $100,000 
• Open Stage – Open Stage Marketing Project (as part of Season 41) – $10,000 
• PA Air Show LLC – Air Dot Show Central PA – $25,000 
• Penn National Turf Club LLC – Penn National 2026 Outdoor Concert Series – $25,000 
• Penn State University Harrisburg Men’s Basketball Tip Off Classic – PSU Harrisburg Tip Off Classic – $7,500 
• Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling – 2026 PJW Youth State Championships – $20,000 
• Pennsylvania National Horse Show Foundation – Pennsylvania National Horse Show – $75,000 
• Pennsylvania Regional Ballet – “The Nutcracker” – $5,000 
• Pop’s House, Inc. – Jazz Under the Stars Concert and Rising Stars Youth Showcase – $35,000 
• PUSH Play Foundation – Central PA UNITY Cup – $5,000 
• Regional Arena Management, LLC – PIAA Sports-Basketball & Wrestling 2026 – $20,800 
• Robert M. Jackson Veterans Center, Inc. – AfroSoul/Latino Fest & Gospel Night Concerts – $30,000 
• Sankofa African American Theatre Company – Sankofa African American Theatre Company Cultural Tourism Marketing Initiative & Season Production Support – $10,000 
• South Central Pennsylvania Sickle Cell Council – Annual Stronger Together Sickle Cell Walk & Wellness Event – $2,000 
• Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Inc. – 2nd Annual SOPA Softball Championships – $20,000 
• St. Joan of Arc Parish and School Charitable Trust – St. Joan of Arc Parish Festival – $3,000 
• State YMCA of Pennsylvania, Inc. – YMCA Youth and Government – $5,000 
• Susquehanna Folk Music Society – The Susquehanna Folk Music Society 2025–26 Concert Series (Select Dauphin County Concerts) – $2,795 
• Swatara Township – Swatara Township Community Event Series – $10,000 
• The Civic Club of Harrisburg – The Women’s History Garden – Topiary Garden Goddess Tourist Attraction – $5,000 
• The Hershey Partnership – Hershey Adventour, Hershey Soup Cook-Off, Hershey Chicken BBQ – $5,100 
• The JT Dorsey Foundation – Count Her In – Female Sports Leadership & Participation Summit – $2,500 
• The Links Foundation, Inc. – Harrisburg Chapter – “Moonlight and Melodies Masquerade Gala” – $2,500 
• The Plant Witch – Repotting Events, Game Nights, Poetry Nights & More – $12,500 
• The Salvation Army Harrisburg – Shoe Strut 2026 – $1,000 
• The Singer’s Lounge – Lounge Fest – $25,000 
• The Vineyard at Hershey, LLC – 2026 Summer Concert Series – $12,500 
• Theatre Harrisburg – Follies in Concert – $10,000 
• TheBurg – 3rd in The Burg (a monthly event, every 3rd Friday of every month) – $10,000 
• Township of Derry Industrial and Commercial Development Authority – Hershey New Year’s Eve Celebration Event – $25,000 
• Travel Champs, Inc. – International PeeWee Cup and Tournaments – $40,000 
• Twin Valley Players – TVP Productions – $2,500 
• Unite Central PA – Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament – $10,000 
• Valley Flying Discs – Rally in the Valley/Berry Mountain Brawl – $2,500 
• Wesley Union African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church – Wesley Union AME Zion Church 210th Year Anniversary Celebration – $5,000 
• Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts – The Art of Science Benefit – $25,000 
• Yokl Inc. – Yokl Tourism Experience Program & Trolley Food Tours – $15,000 
• Young Professionals of Color Greater Harrisburg – Juneteenth HBG – $40,000 
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Nu Sigma Zeta Chapter – Lisa M. Waller Striving for Excellence Scholarship Brunch & Finer Womanhood Celebration – $5,000 

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