Forward for Fun

Approved for a 2nd year by City Council in March of 2023, the Forward for Fun initiative allocates money in each ward to create a new, free events for the spring, summer, and fall of 2023.

After two years of a pandemic, which isolated many people in our community and across the globe, the goal of the initiative is to bring together residents for new, fun events while supporting local small businesses and entrepreneurs. The initiative is funded by City of Rockford American Rescue Plan Act. Residents or organizations who wish to create new events and want to apply for the grant funding should follow these steps:

Talk to the Alderman of the Ward. Applications will need to be endorsed by the Alderman of the Ward before being submitted to the City for approval.

Fill out the application, which can be found at www.rockfordil.gov/forward-for-fun.

Include with the application a budget breakdown, including the amount requested from the City.

Submit the application to corspecialevents@rockfordil.gov.

Since events need to be held in 2023 and applications are reviewed as they are received, early application submittal is encouraged.

Forward for Fun Application