City of Markham named 2025 Municipality of the Year by Festivals & Events Ontario

MARKHAM, ON – Feburary 27, 2025 – The City of Markham is thrilled to announce its recognition as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Municipality of the Year Award with a population of more than 150,000 by Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO). This accolade highlights the City's exceptional commitment to fostering vibrant community events and festivals.

In addition to this esteemed honour, the City of Markham has also been awarded four of the Top 100 Events Awards for 2025. The celebrated events include Canada Day, Markham Milliken Children's Festival, Markham Museum Applefest, and Jazzlicious, the latter of which was awarded to Destination Markham.

Furthermore, the City of Markham received the FEO Impact Award for hosting the Little Native Hockey League Tournament in 2024, recognizing the significant positive impact this event has had on the community. This award was also presented to Destination Markham.

"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,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “These six awards from Festivals & Events Ontario, especially the Municipality of Year Award, are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our community, volunteers, and event organizers. 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,” said Andrew Keyes, Chair of Destination Markham. "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."

The City of Markham extends its gratitude to all those who contributed to these achievements and looks forward to another year of exceptional festivals and events.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office: 
At mayorscarpitti@markham.ca. 

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:   
media@markham.ca.  

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 366,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy.  

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