In 2023 the GWTIDA Special Events department awarded $505,975 in event support funding to more than 40 new and returning special events in the Tourism District. The GWTIDA Special Events Committee funds a multitude of events throughout the entire year including the Annual Polar Plunge in January, the Wildwoods International Kite Festival in May, Friday Night Fireworks, the Olde Time Italian Festival in October, the Holiday on the Plaza in December, and many more.
The GWTIDA Event Funding Program’s goal is to promote the Wildwoods as a travel destination and to extend the traditional tourism season in the shoulder months of April to June and September to December. Our mission is to “promote, advertise and otherwise enhance the attractiveness of the Wildwoods to existing tourists and visitors and to encourage new visitations to the Wildwoods.” In addition to special event funding, the GWTIDA Special Events Committee provides funding for the North Wildwood and Wildwood SLEO Class II Boardwalk Officers, the Boardwalk bathrooms upkeep, and the connecting Wildwood Crest Bike Path upkeep totaling $340,000 annually.
The GWTIDA Special Events Committee has already approved $505,975 in new event funding for over 45 events for the 2024 season and is still in the process of reviewing additional funding applications for events to run in 2024.
