Markham wins Festivals & Events awards

The City of Markham has received the 2025 Municipality of the Year with a population of more than 150,000 by Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO).

“Our festival and events represent the heart and soul of what Markham is all about: our history, our commitment to reconciliation, our local talent, our world class athletes and our beautiful diversity,” says Mayor Frank Scarpitti.

It’s also winner of four of the Top 100 Events Awards for 2025 for Canada Day, Markham Milliken Children’s Festival, Markham Museum Applefest and Jazzlicious, the latter of which was awarded to Destination Markham. Additionally, the City received the FEO Impact Award for hosting the Little Native Hockey League Tournament in 2024. That award was also presented to Destination Markham.

“These six awards from FEO, especially the Municipality of Year Award, are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our community, volunteers and event organizers,” Scarpitti says. “We know how important these events are to enriching our shared cultural experiences, and we look forward to continuing to create memorable and impactful events for our residents and visitors.”

“Our team at Destination Markham is committed to showcasing the best of what our city has to offer, and these accolades are a reflection of our collective efforts,” says Destination Markham Chair Andrew Keyes. “We are honored to have played a role in these award-winning events, and we are excited to build on this success and bring even more outstanding events to our community.”

FEO is a non-profit organization that has been representing the festivals and events industry in Ontario since it was established in 1987.

From left: Austin Khan, Vance Kornobis, Julian Harjono, Andrew Baldwin, Renee Zhang, Koby Yung, Nizar Moosa and Randy Snape at the FEO Awards Gala in Kitchener, Ontario on February 26. Photo courtesy of the City of Markham.