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For a community of any size, a realistic budget is $500 to $2,000 CAD.

Here is what Jocelyn and I spent to make the 2026 event happen in Nanaimo.

Total: $1,353

Where the money comes from

The most obvious source for these funds are from your local tourism association — you’re helping them do their job! 😉 Your municipal or regional governments probably have small grants you can use to rent space or pay for insurance. If your city has a community foundation they may have Neighbourhood Small Grants, your Chamber of Commerce or Downtown Business Associations, local service clubs like the Lions, Soroptomists, or 100 Men/100 Women fundraising groups.

Crowdfunding might work, though that adds an administrative burden. If you have a secure place to leave it, your visitors might want to support the work you put in to show them a memorable visit in your city by dropping a donation in your bucket. So many are cashless these days so digital donation systems like Paypal or Buy Me A Coffee may also work if you can provide a link or QR code on site and in your discord and website.

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Jocelyn and I personally fronted the costs for both Infusion years, but some incredibly generous person stuffed an envelope in my hand at the event. I didn’t open the envelope until a couple of days later, and it was enough to cover the costs.

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Where the money does not come from

Avoid Complexity - Don’t charge admission or sell tickets. The moment you start collecting money from visitors, you become an event business with all the regulatory baggage that comes with it.

This event is a free public gathering. Keep it that way. 🙂