Patio Lanterns Festival spans the province

A new Nova Scotia wide festival is officially underway.

The Patio Lanterns Festival will bring musical activity and live performances to patios, streets, and indoor or outdoor public spaces across the province throughout the summer and fall. The festival, which runs until Oct. 11 also aims to support local musicians and artists by providing them access to performance venues throughout the province.

Businesses in Nova Scotia can sign up to have a listing on the Patio Lanterns Festival site and share their festival offer and performance information. The festival includes multiple pop-up stages where people can enjoy performances for free at participating outdoor venues.

“No matter what day of the week, we hope that visitors and locals alike will be able to find live music, a fun food or drink special, or an interactive activity whenever they choose to venture out throughout Nova Scotia,” said Ross Jefferson, president and CEO of Discover Halifax, in a recent news release.

The Patio Lanterns Festival was created by a partnership between Develop Nova Scotia, Events East, the Halifax Regional Municipality and Discover Halifax. Funding support for grants has been made possible through the Nova Scotia COVID Response Council and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). These grants will be available through partner destination marketing organizations and chambers directly to bars and restaurants.

Conversations with business, government and community leaders around the province during the last several months, facilitated by the Nova Scotia Business and Labour Economic Coalition (NSBLEC) table convened by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, resulted in a tactical recovery plan. One part of that plan is the Patio Lanterns Festival.

For festival information, log onto https://discoverhalifaxns. com/patiolanternsfestival.