The Downtown Development Authority for the City of Flint has received a $250,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The funds will go towards eight new festivals and will help some of the existing events like Bikes on the Bricks.

According to MLive, the grant period for the award started on Friday. Gerard Burnash, executive director of the DDA, says the funds will continue to bring people to the downtown area in fall, winter and early spring. Burnash told MLive "the idea is to draw people in the months we don't have events scheduled."

The Mott Foundation's web site says the grant is designed to ensure the economic health of the downtown business district by increasing and maintaining "a significant level of patronage, both form local residents and out of town visitors."

While this year's Independence Day fireworks will receive a portion of the grant, Burnash said the DDA is still developing a rough outline of new events which will include an International Festival in the fall and Fire and Ice Festival in the winter.

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