Event Details

Founded in 2015 and incorporated in 2019, Cultivate Community Non-Profit Services (CCNPS) exists to help residents of Port Hope and Northumberland County culturally connect with their community. Cultivate 2021 will mark the first presentation of the Festival by Cultivate Community Non-Profit Services (CCNPS), after previously being incubated by the Local Food for Local Good charity under whose auspices the Festival began in 2015. The organization presents a three-day Cultivate Festival on the third weekend of September and are also planning a 10-week free summer series called “Road to Cultivate” which will culminate with the Festival. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the 6th annual Cultivate Festival 2021 will return and continue to develop the caliber and diversity of its musical programming as well as its geographic audience reach. The Festival is in a strong financial position, having achieved a surplus of over $12,000 in 2019, $7,500 of which is being reinvested back into the 2021 festival as seed funding with rest being held as a prudent reserve. CCNPS’ current board members have all been with the Festival from its beginning, and have experience programming, marketing and producing successful Cultivate events. Most act on a volunteer basis although the Chair receives payment as Artistic Director. The organization is incorporated not for profit and is not yet charitable. The Festival has been supported in the past through Celebrate Ontario.

This application is for Cultivate Festival 2026, a three-day celebration of Canadian music, food, and community taking place September 25 to 27, 2026, at Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope, Ontario. Entering its tenth edition, Cultivate has grown from a grassroots gathering into a flagship rural arts festival that attracts over 2,500 attendees annually and presents twenty-five to thirty musical ensembles representing more than a hundred Canadian artists across three professional stages. Programming includes: (1) Mainstage music programming: a vibrant mix of folk, indie, world, jazz, roots, and pop music, the Festival will present both nationally recognized headliners and emerging Ontario artists. Three professional stages will showcase twenty to thirty ensembles, providing opportunities for discovery and audience engagement throughout the weekend; (2) Cultivate Academy Stage: an expanded mentorship platform pairing professional musicians with emerging Ontario artists. The program includes workshops, hands-on performance opportunities, and collaborative sessions, fostering talent development and creative exchange within the local and regional music community; (3) Family and community engagement: Cultivate Kids offers curriculum-aligned creative programming for children and families, providing free participatory arts experiences. The Locally Grown Young Artist Showcase, presented with Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG), gives young musicians professional performance opportunities and strengthens connections between education and the live music industry; and (4) Interactive arts and workshops: The Festival curates workshops, songwriting circles, and art installations that invite audience participation and collaboration, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to inclusivity, creativity, and community connection.