UnderCurrent

A new celebration series in the heart of Downtown, both for and from the community.

Downtown's newest street festival

Imagine a night market, block party or street festival! UnderCurrent is a new event series in 2024 occurring underneath Janet Echleman’s “Current” sculpture at the intersection of Gay & High Streets.

Downtown Columbus, Inc. is seeking the community’s big ideas to provide unique, accessible and creative programming to bolster the vibrancy of Downtown Columbus.

In 2024, Downtown Columbus, Inc. will support the planning efforts of up to five events through a new grant program. The program will provide an exciting opportunity for event organizers, creatives and artists to receive support to facilitate a community event in the heart of Downtown.

Events will be community and culture-focused, drawing folks to Gay & High and surrounding businesses. They will receive logistical assistance from Downtown Columbus, Inc.

When UnderCurrent events are chosen, they will be posted here.

Want to lead an event? Read on and apply below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many total grants are available?

Up to five grants of $10,000 each are available.

What support will Downtown Columbus, Inc. provide to event organizers?

In addition to grant funding, DCI will provide base level support to event organizers, including:

Permit process assistance: DCI will cover special event permit fee and street closure costs ($200 value)
Road closure infrastructure ($1,500 value)
Event promotion through Downtown Columbus, Inc. marketing channels
Event plan review

What can grant funds be used for?

Grant funds can be used for the following (but not limited to):

Equipment rentals
Marketing and promotion
Entertainment and performers
Permits and licenses
Security and general liability insurance

They cannot be used for the following (list may not be inclusive):

Alcohol
Food and drink

What is the timeframe and deadline for grant applications?

Events will occur between June 1 and October 31, 2024. . Applications will go live on March 11, 2024. Applications are due by April 1, 2024 at 5 pm. Successful applicants will be notified by April 15, 2024 at 5 pm.

Applicants may request preferred month and dates that suit their event type and audience. However, these are not guaranteed. DCI will work with organizers to determine the optimal time for the event to take place based on the other programs in the series, community event conflicts, and road closure restrictions.

What are the program criteria?

To be supported by this program, an event must have the following characteristics:

Unique or special from everyday occurrences
Be a draw for Downtown
Open and accessible to the public
Free to the public to attend (can include minimal low cost programming, i.e. food trucks, face painting, etc.)

Applicants must agree to the following restrictions:

Must obtain all necessary permits and approvals.
Event must be free to the public (retail and food and beverages sales are permitted)
Event type, audience, and content may vary, but should generally fall in the “PG-13” category
Event size and location must include, at a minimum, West Gay from High to Wall Streets
Event must conclude by 10:30 PM (not including tear down time)
Event organizer must provide security in accordance the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department Special Event Permit process
Event organizer is responsible for providing and/or hiring staff and volunteers to set up, execute and tear down event
Event organizer must provide a post-event recap, on the template provided by DCI.

What events are eligible?

Applications will not be accepted from the following types of organizations and events:

Political, religious or trade union organizations;
Degree and diploma granting educational institutes
Festivals and events that are ticketed or have an entrance fee;

Applications will not be accepted from the following types of activities:

Festivals and events that are ticketed or have an entrance fee
Festivals and events that are fundraisers
Festivals and events that are private (members or invite-only) or not easily accessible to the general public.

What are the selection criteria?

Selection of applications to recommend for funding will be primarily based on the following criteria:

Creativity in event purpose, content, entertainment, and/or audience in a way that adds to the vibrancy of Downtown Columbus.
The event should support (not harm) outdoor dining for establishments in the vicinity.
Economic impact the event will create for Downtown through spending by attendees and other factors.
Demonstration of financial need, explaining how grant funding will impact the event.

UnderCurrent Grant Application

Thanks for your interest in UnderCurrent! Please fill out this form to be considered. Please note that filling out this form does not guarantee the grant. If your application is considered for further review, you will be contacted by a member of our team.

Name of Event(Required)

Working title okay.

Applicant Name(Required)

First Last

Applicant company/affiliation (if applicable)

Applicant title (if applicable)

Applicant Email(Required)

Applicant Address

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Applicant Phone(Required)

Preferred event date (choose up to 3)

Date selections are not guaranteed and will be determined in conjunction with the Downtown Columbus Inc. team.

Date

If you have no date preference, please check this box.

No date preference

You are willing to work with Downtown Columbus, Inc. to determine optimal timing for this event.

Total Grant Funding Request(Required)

Please enter a number less than or equal to 10000.

Cannot exceed $10,000 per applicant.

Estimated total cost of event(Required)

Provide a brief description of the event.(Required)

List partners involved with the event and how they are contributing (monetary, in-kind), if applicable

Will the event generate revenue? If so, provide the sources of revenue.(Required)

If the event was held previously, please provide its location and actual attendance (estimate if unknown). What was the impact on the community and local businesses? For the 2024 event, what is the projected attendance? Provide as much supporting documentation and context as possible either in this application or as an attachment.(Required)

For previous question, attach file as needed.

Max. file size: 50 MB.

Describe with specificity how the event will support local vendors and businesses. Will the event have local vendors on site?(Required)

Your Guide to Downtown Happy Hours