City approves $500,000 to support summer event series called Experience Windsor

Riverfront train on a hot day in Windsor, Ont., on Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

The city wants to give people cancelling summer road trips in exchange for more staycations due to the rising price of gas something to do in Windsor.

Council approved $500,000 during Monday’s meeting to support Experience Windsor, with nearly 40 community special events and programs being planned to provide affordable opportunities to showcase Windsor’s assets, amenities, parks, and greenspaces.

Mayor Drew Dilkens says they know costs are extremely expensive right now when it comes to getting in the car and driving around.

“A lot of folks are going to make the decision to stay home, and we want to make sure they have a good summer and fall here in Windsor,” he says.

The plan is to focus on three main event streams:

- Riverfront Summer Series Programming: A curated series of outdoor waterfront experiences hosted at approximately six riverfront locations throughout June, July, and August.

- Civic and Cultural Facilities Programming: A curated series of community-focused events that transform Windsor’s civic spaces into vibrant destinations for culture, entertainment, activations, and shared experiences.

- Community and Neighbourhood Programming: A curated series of community-focused activations hosted throughout Windsor neighbourhoods, including at least one park in each city ward.

Dilkens says there will be programs that run through June, July, August, and September.

“That allows residents an outlet to stay here, to still have a lot of fun in the community and sort of get through this period of time,“ he says.

Dilkens says there are a number of things they can do in different wards across the city.

“Council said they want to move forward with that; they want to take the hotel tax dollars and make a spend to help make this community even more interesting this summer. We know gas prices are high; people are going to be challenged to do the long road trip this summer. But if they do stay here, there’s going to be a lot of fun things to do, and it’s going to help augment some of the other great things other people are doing in the community as well,” he says.

The $500,000 for the effort will be pulled from the Tourism Development, Infrastructure, and Program Reserve fund.

Money in that reserve comes from the Municipal Accommodation Tax, the four per cent rate charged on the bill of users of hotel rooms in the city.

City staff are still compiling all the events being planned, but a full schedule will be delivered back to city council for approval in the next few weeks.