Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and the Department of Community and Economic Development recently announced Northampton County Council approved $1,020,299 for 51 hotel tax grants. Hotel tax grants are funded through the county’s tax on hotels and Airbnbs. For a project to be eligible, it must enhance tourism and/or promote community development and be completed within the 2022 calendar year.

“Northampton County’s hotel tax grants promote culture and increase tourism to our area,” McClure said. “Municipal festivals, our park and trail system, art organizations, living history exhibitions and events like Musikfest are instrumental in bringing art, theater and music to our communities.”

Hotel tax grants are awarded through a competitive process. Applications are screened by the hotel tax review committee, which forwards its recommendations to the county executive. The grants are distributed at the discretion of county council. Applicants must either be a federally registered nonprofit entity, 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) or a municipal entity located within Northampton County.

Hotel tax grants recipients include:

• NorthamptonBorough’s landscaping, marking plans targeting trail users, 2022-25: $22,000

• Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Northampton Uptown Street Fair: $3,400

• Horner’s Cemetery Historical Society’s signs and stones: $3,000

• Moore Township’s Community Days: $5,000

• North Catasauqua Borough’s Community Day: $2,100

• North Catasauqua’s summer concert series: $4,000

• Hanover Township, 2021-22 tree lightings: $2,200

• ArtsQuest Christkindlmarkt 2021/Musikfest 2022: $100,000

• Bach Choir of Bethlehem: $33,500

• Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley’s “The Nutcracker”: $ 15,000

• Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation’s Southside Ambassadors program: $50,000

• Bethlehem Township’s Johnston Mansion open house and tours: $3,000

• Bethlehem Township’s Community Days Festival: $5,000

• Blue Valley Farm Show: $15,000

• Hellertown Borough’s Music in the Park: $4,000

• Bushkill Township Volunteer Fire Company’s carnival funding assistance: $5,000

• Celtic Cultural Alliance’s Celtic Classic Highland Games and Festival: $75,000

• Easton’s Delaware Canal Park improvements: $25,000

• Easton’s Winter Village 2021: $50,000

• Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley’s Slate Belt marketing and promotion: $10,000

• Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s Beyond Rosie and Rivets exhibition and D&L digital marketing campaign: $7,500

• Greater Easton Development Partnership’s Easton Ambassadors: $50,000

• Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Christmas City Citizen’s Committee decor expansion: $50,000

• Historic Bangor Business Association’s HBBA downtown events and summer concert series: $5,000

• Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites’ blacksmith program: $10,000

• Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites’ heritage tours: $12,000

• Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites’ marketing: $50,000

• Iron Pigs Charities, continuation of charitable and tourism events: $100,000

• Jacobsburg Historical Society’s annual Living History events, 2021-22: $8,600

• Karl Stirner Arts Trail Inc.’s interactive trail map and visitors’ guide: $7,500

• Kellyn Foundation VegStock, 2022: $4,500

• Lehigh Valley Community Broadcasters Association’s WDIY arts, cultural and educational marketing/promotion: $10,000

• Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications PBS39’s summer series and Summer Jam: $15,000

• Lower Mt. Bethel Township’s Community Day, 2022: $5,000

• Moravian Historical Society’s community events and tourism: $20,000

• Moravian University Docents on Main: $20,000

• National Museum of Industrial History’s steel weekend and steelworkers reunion, 2022: $7,600

• National Museum of Industrial History’s vertical access project: $40,000

• Nazareth Center for the Arts Concert’s operations and advertising: $5,500

• Nazareth Economic Development Commission’s advertising: $7,500

• Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society’s Passport to History marketing support: $11,000

• Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society’s support of its mission: $35,800

• Nurture Nature Center’s promoting agro-tourism in Northampton County: $13,100

• Palmer Township’s Palmer Community Weekend: $10,000

• Slate Belt Heritage Center’s Beyond the Museum: $6,900

• State Theatre Center for the Arts’ reopening and recovery plan: $50,000

• Steelworkers’ Archives Steeples and Steel: $5,800

• Touchstone Theatre Christmas Follies, 2021: $3,500

• Touchstone Theatre Christmas Follies, 2022: $3,500

• Upper Nazareth Township’s Community Days: $7,799

• Wilson Borough’s annual celebration: $5,000