Downtown Norfolk Council and The NEON District are thrilled to announce the return of the NEON Festival for its tenth year, taking place on October 16 and 17. For its milestone year, the Festival is adding to the celebration by inviting local event producers and art curators to craft unique experiences for the community. Through the festival grant program, individual producers will have the opportunity to design and implement their own programming under the festival’s umbrella.
Project Overview:
- Event Name: The 10th Annual NEON Festival
- Event Date: October 17, 2025
- Time: 6pm – 10pm
- Location: Various spaces in the NEON District (listed below)
Proposal Submission Deadline: Sunday, July 6, 2025, 11:59pm
Grant Funding: Selected proposals are eligible to receive a grant starting at $500 and up to $2,500. Grant awards will be determined based on the scope and impact of the proposed activities, as well as the specific needs outlined in each proposal.
Guidelines on Funding:
- Provide a detailed budget for your proposed activities below.
- Clearly outline how you plan to use any funding provided by the festival.
- Be realistic in your funding request, considering the scale and impact of your proposed programming. Submitters may want to include two budget scenarios for a lower versus higher impact event.
- One producer per venue will be allocated a programming grant. The producer assumes responsibility for allocating funding to cover all event-related expenses, which may include performer or artist stipends, equipment rentals and their own honorarium as producer.
- We encourage you to consider additional sources of funding or in-kind contributions to supplement the festival’s support.
- The committee reserves the right to adjust the funding amounts based on the overall budget and the number of proposals received.
Eligible Programs: Any kind! Potential ideas include an outdoor soccer competition, a fashion catwalk, indoor or outdoor vendor market, curated or juried art exhibition, DJ showcase, vintage clothing pop-up shop, bands on the main stage, spoken word or poetry readings, small theatrical performances, immersive art installations, artist panel or talk, pottery and sculpture sale. Producers or curators should submit a block of programming to suit the timeframe and space or venue.
Selection Process: We will be selecting 5-8 producers. Event producers will be expected to work with the NEON Festival Planning Committee on the execution of their proposed event. Proposals will be reviewed by the Committee, which includes the NEON Festival chair, performing artists, visual artists and experienced event producers.
Selected producers will be notified by Friday, July 18.
Questions: Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the RFP, including budget, venues, programming, logistics and more. Further questions can be directed to neonnfk@downtownnorfolk.org.
APPLY: Applications can be submitted here.
If you’re interested in participating in the festival but don’t feel the grant program is the right fit, please fill out our general interest form. We’d love to hear from you and explore other ways you might get involved.