Eligibility Information for Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival Application and Funding

Applications will be received until April 21st, 2025 (5:00 p.m. AST).

What is the 2025 Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival?

The Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival, celebrating its 17th edition this September 25th – October 11th, is Prince Edward Island’s annual premiere celebration of local food and drink products, picturesque settings, and unforgettable experiences for guests from across the province, around the region, and beyond! Fall Flavours is hosted by Canada’s Food Island, and is an initiative of Food Island Partnership.

As part of the Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival application process, private sector entities, regional tourism associations, destination management organizations, and other not-for-profit organizations registered to operate on Prince Edward Island – with proven capacity to deliver on event concept – are invited to submit an application to develop and host an innovative, culinary-themed experience(s) as part of the Fall Flavours calendar of events.

All Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival event applications will be evaluated by their alignment with the Festival’s primary objectives:

Further enhance Prince Edward Island’s distinction as “Canada’s Food Island” through our premium, world-renowned local products and offerings including but not limited to mussels, oysters, lobster, beef, potatoes, dairy, and beverage.
Culinary events, experiences, and enhanced programming with culinary product offerings that showcase innovative, authentic, and representative events or experiences, which also drive critical mass and incremental visitation to Prince Edward Island.

Who is eligible to apply to host a Fall Flavours event in 2025?

Private sector entities, regional tourism associations, destination management organizations, and other not-for-profit groups with capacity to deliver on their proposed event concept are welcome to apply! Partnerships and collaborations are also welcome.

What type of events are you looking for?

The Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival is looking to hear your imaginative and innovative new ideas of how to best celebrate Prince Edward Island’s unique people, places, and plates! Past examples of successful Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival events have included curated wellness weekends at hospitality accommodations, the hosting of a culinary celebrity at a local food and drink establishment, and those that have integrated educational, recreational, or generational concepts into the experience.

Fall Flavours is seeking proposals for events of all types from intimate, hands-on experiences to larger events with the potential to draw significant off-Island visitation such as:

Workshops & Learning Events – hands-on demos, cooking classes, farm-to-table, intimate dinners, cocktail parties, brunches, walk-around tastings, culinary weekends, etc.
Communities & Cultures – locally-focused food & drink events, and/ or hospitality experiences, outdoor-wellness style programming, authentic hospitality experiences or tours. Community-focused culinary events or experiences must demonstrate the ability of partnerships with other organizations or accommodation partners.
Demand Generating Events – Large-scale events driving significant impact, visitation and overnight stays on PEI while exemplifying the key objectives for the Fall Flavours 2024 Food & Drink festival.

Unique Events & Experiences– New events, experiences or product offerings are encouraged to apply for Fall Flavours Funding.
Curated Overnight Stays – culinary-focused programming at a licensed accommodation. Multi-day culinary or culinary-experienced focus programming.

Do you want to workshop your idea? We’re here to help you be successful! Email info@fallflavours.ca to set up your creativity call!

Marketing Plan, What Attendees Can Expect From Your Event, Visitation Appeal

The Fall Flavours application form will include these requirements:

Organization/ Business Information and Important Contact Details
Core Food Island Ingredient(s) to be featured at event
Full Event Overview: Description, Date, Time, Location, Partners or Sponsors
Fully Developed Menu: Including any gluten-free or vegan-friendly notes
Ticket Information: Price(s) and Capacity
Brief Descriptions: Marketing Plan, Attendee Expectations, Visitation Appeal
Projected Revenue and Expense Details and Budgets

WHAT IS NEW for 2025?

New and important elements being introduced into the application process for 2025 – which will be prerequisites for consideration – include:

Fully-Formed Menu or Culinary Offering
Gluten-Free or Vegan-Friendly details, if applicable
Confirmed Event/ Ticket Sales Capacity and official Start Time
Brief explanation of why hosting is important to your operation, and how your proposed event/ experience will help to drive off-Island visitation.
Also new for 2025, Fall Flavours is offering a complimentary service, for applicants – an in-house Culinary Consultant, who will be available by appointment to any and all applicants that require assistance in menu development or event conceptualization. Please e-mail info@fallflavours.ca for full details!

Is the Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival responsible for marketing my event?

All approved Fall Flavours events will receive individualized marketing materials and promotional benefits as part of the Festival Marketing Strategy, including but not limited to social media graphics, full website listings, menu templates, and more. Successful applicants are also strongly encouraged to promote their event on-site and online using pre-approved marketing assets.

I have more than one idea in mind. May I enter more than one submission?

Absolutely! There’s no limit on the number of applications an organization can submit. In fact, both partnerships and the clustering of events are encouraged.

What is the funding model and how does it work?

The purpose of Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival funding is to mitigate event operator risk, and to encourage industry innovation.

The level of funding for events will be measured by their alignment with Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival priorities, the capacity to execute, marketability, economic impact to PEI, and the measurement to drive visitation to Prince Edward Island.

Applicants must demonstrate ability to generate additional revenue outside of Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival support. Revenue sources may include but are not necessarily limited to ticket sales, sponsorship, vendor partnerships, or merchandise.

While we appreciate all who express interest in the Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival and proceed with an application, not all submissions are guaranteed to receive funding and acceptance as an official Fall Flavours event.

My event idea doesn’t require funding support. May I still participate as an official Fall Flavours Food & Drink Festival event?

Yes! Financially self-sufficient concepts may still submit their concept for consideration as an official Fall Flavours Food & Drink Festival event, which will still come with full operational and marketing support from the festival.

What else do I need to know before preparing my event submission?

Successful applicants will be included in Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival marketing campaigns and initiatives, though applicants are certainly still encouraged to budget internally for any event-specific advertising expenses that will assist in the promotion of your concept.

Approved events are required to use the Fall Flavours Food & Drink Festival ticketing system. Any physical hardware or software for ticket scanning or support will be provided. Ticketing service fees will be added at time of purchase to cover administration expenses.

Event submissions shall demonstrate their proposed measurements of success to support the investment from Food Island Partnership. Metrics may include ticket sales, attendance, revenue, overnight stays, impact on the tourism economy, as well as brand recognition and reach.

When is the application deadline?

Applications will be accepted until April 21st, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. AST.

How will my application be reviewed? When will I hear back?

All eligible applications will be reviewed by a committee established by Food Island Partnership. The committee will make recommendations on funding allocations and develop the 2025 Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival event calendar. Applicants may be contacted following their initial submission for further details or context that will help to best inform the committee’s decisions and recommendations.

All applicants will be notified following the application review period.

What Commitments Do I Need to Make?

Events will enter a contract with Food Island Partnership outlining terms of support including:

Organizer shall be responsible for all expenses and required to produce the event.
Organizer agrees to adhere to the Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival code of conduct – ensuring the quality of Island food, drink, and hospitality experiences.
Organizer agrees to solely use approved festival brand and event materials provided by Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival for all marketing initiatives.
Organizer agrees to have core event information including event overview, programming, location and/ or venue, start and end time, fully-completed menu, entertainment talents including chefs, mixologists, musicians, comedian or host, and any other pertinent information that will help market the event.
Organizer will be responsible for obtaining required insurances, permits, and licenses, and abiding by all local regulations and requirements to operate their event.
Organizer agrees to submit satisfactory post-event activity and financial reports.

I still have questions. Who do I connect with to further discuss my event idea?

We’re here to help you be successful in your application and your event!

Please direct questions to Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival Management: info@fallflavours.ca

Apply Now