Up to $50,000 from the city is going to help the Wake the Giant music festival.

The festival is happening September 18th, following a two-day orientation for Indigenous students coming to Thunder Bay to attend Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School.

John Cameron is the Tourism Development Officer with Tourism Thunder Bay and the Community Economic Development Commission, and explains the funding is coming from the hotel tax the city collects.

“That’s how we fund events that bring visitors and out-of-town folks to Thunder Bay, and hopefully creating an economic impact in our community,” he says.

It will be given out after the event is over, up to a maximum of $50,000 depending on how many people attend the festival.

Cameron says organizers estimated it would bring in between 1,000 and 1,100 people.

The funding will help cover the costs of production, sound and lighting for the event.

Cameron is hopeful that the city’s first major in-person event in over a year will be a big success.

“It’s definitely a jump-start to events, and getting people back into some normalcy [like] going to concerts, socializing and entertainment,” he says.

Wake the Giant was established in 2019, but was shelved in 2020 because of the pandemic.

“Live music is just what the world needs this fall. Wake the Giant Music Fest will revive the music scene and give people an experience where they can make memories and reconnect with their community. It will be filled with culture and good vibes,” says Wake the Giant organizer Sean Spenrath in a statement.

The lineup this year includes Jessie Reyez, Loud Luxury, Third Eye Blind, Iskwe, DJ Shub together with Northern Cree, William Prince, and Nick Sherman.

It will also feature celebrity appearances, a live art installation, cultural performances, an Indigenous Craft Market, and local food vendors.