I love community events. Big, small, neighborhood, all-city, multi-cultural, sports tournaments, art, music, parades, carnivals, food festivals, concerts, events to honor someone/something, civic anniversaries, military events, and everything else that towns and cities celebrate.

They are fun. Watching children play, running around, getting excited by the rides and a little hyped by the candy floss and ice cream cones brings us back to our own childhood. Of course, we were all well-behaved little darlings.

Experiencing the history and emotion in a Remembrance Day service to honor our veterans is always moving. The steady increase in the crowd sizes over the past several years is a telling example of the awareness by Canadians of the sacrifices made over the decades to protect our freedom.

Watching people from different ethnic groups come together at festivals is an important part of welcoming immigrants to your community. Over the years, I have observed that food is perhaps the most important part of that process. Sharing food is an act of love and respect. It is much harder to hate someone when you are sharing dinner.

Offering different cuisines also makes a city more vibrant. It opens the cultural door a little wider. Cities have discovered that offering a variety of cuisines and having innovative chefs feature fusion dishes elevates the local dining sceneand can be very appealing to visitors.

Which brings us to visitors. They are an important economic boost for local businesses. Tourists are frequently attracted by the festivals and events held in or by the city. When they come, they tend to spend lots of money in hotels, bars, restaurants, stores, and so on.

The local government has a critical role in all of this. First, by being a creative city, one that celebrates its culture and delivers a strong economy. I have been a proponent of creative cities for many years. They are good for the local economy, good for the health and spirit of a city, make the community more vibrant and appealing, and attract talent and investment.

Local governments must lead by example to support the creative city concepts. Cities must be committed to arts and culture, to festivals and community celebrations, to welcome diverse populations, to assist organizers in permits and public venues, and to encourage the organizers through a minimum of red tape. Volunteers are critical to these efforts; they are a precious commodity and do not deserve sour treatment at city hall.

The evidence has been thoroughly researched and is clear: having vibrant cities celebrating local culture results in a wealthier, stronger, and more appealing community.

Attend these little festivals. Take your family. Support cultural events. Celebrate food from diverse cultures—I promise that you will discover new tastes that will excite your palate. Enjoy the energy and friendships in downtown bars and at live music events. Cheer for local sports teams in the big tournament. Get the kids involved at an early age and you will make them supporters of a vibrant arts and culture scene for the rest of their lives.