County approves $1 million-plus in tourism grants for Blink, Music Festival and Flying Pig
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Summary
Hamilton County commissioners approved a resolution authorizing more than $1 million in agreements to support three large events — Blink, the Cincinnati Music Festival and the Flying Pig Marathon — drawing both support and a caution about how long the county should subsidize such events.
Hamilton County commissioners on March 5 approved a resolution to fund large tourist events, directing the administration to enter agreements that together total about $1 million to support Blink, the Cincinnati Music Festival and the Flying Pig Marathon. The administration described the package as a continuation of pandemic-era support to boost regional events.
Jeff Aludo, county administrator, summarized the proposal: “This would be $450,000 to the Cincinnati Regional Chamber Foundation for Blink, $500,000 to the Santangelo Group for the Cincinnati Music Festival, and $50,000 to PigWorks for the flying pig marathon.” The board considered the request after a presentation and brief discussion of the economic returns of supporting regional events.
President Stephanie Summer O'Dumas questioned how long the county should subsidize large events, saying, “I also believe that the economic impact will happen without our million dollars,” and urging caution about using reserve funds for recurring supplements. Vice President Alicia Reese and Commissioner Denise Treehouse said they had discussed the matter previously with staff and supported moving forward in the near term.
The public comment period included a request for support from Flying Pig organizers. Dave Oberding told the board the Flying Pig weekend draws large crowds and brings visitors from beyond the region: “Nearly 60% of our marathon participants … are from outside of the Greater Cincinnati area, filling our hotels, packing our restaurants, and contributing more than $45,000,000 in economic impact.”
On the resolution, the board adopted the measure by roll call: two commissioners voted in favor and one abstained. The administration will now negotiate and execute the funding agreements with the named recipients.
The board’s action continues a pattern of targeted event support the county started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials said they will track staff reports on these agreements and continue periodic review of economic returns and program terms.