The city’s summer event schedule is expanding thanks to state funding.

On Wednesday, the Jamestown Local Development Corporation approved grants and a loan for five events, with four of them being new, that are scheduled to happen this summer.

The events will be occurring in a large part due to the development of the Fund for Downtown Programming grant program. The program was developed as part of the city’s $10 million state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. State officials approved for city officials to create the $600,000 programming fund to bring the “wow” factor to downtown events.

One of the events the JLDC board discussed was a $50,000 grant for the Robert H. Jackson Center to sponsor a nationally renowned journalist, TV personality and author to present a program at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Vince DeJoy, city development director, said he cannot disclose the name of the personality because contract negotiations are still ongoing. He said the speaker’s fee is $46,000. The event would take place Aug. 11, which is the Sunday following the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

Another event will be to bring in the band Guster to play at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts July 27. Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston. Crystal Surdyk, city principal planner, said Timothy Girts and his production company Spirit Animal will be promoting the band’s appearance. Girts, who also produced the Whirlybird Music & Arts Festival, had originally requested $27,500 for the event, but the subcommittee to JLDC that reviewed the application recommended $17,500. The cost for the band to play is $21,500.

“They have a good following,” Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, said about the band Guster.

Another grant for an event included $5,000 for the second year of the Whirlybird Music & Arts Festival. Surdyk said as one of the bylaws for grants from the downtown programming fund is for the event to be either new or to be elevated from its previous level. She said this year’s event will be different than last year’s because Girts is bringing in three headlining bands, which will play with local bands. The headliners include Tropidelic, Lespecial and After Funk plus more.

Surdyk said this year the event will also be three days instead of just one. The bands will be playing both outdoors and indoors. The grant funding will go toward the use of the indoor facility, which is currently scheduled to be the not yet open Jamestown Brewing Company. The event will take place the weekend of July 20.

Event tickets presale will be $20 and $25 the days of the concerts.

Another grant approved was $35,000 for the inaugural Third Street Beer and Wine Festival to happen outside the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, which will take place in the similar location as the block parties during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. The event will be held Sept. 14 with the event to end at 6 p.m. with the hopes that people will visit downtown restaurants, said Kathleen Eads, Reg Lenna Center for the Arts executive director.

The VIP tickets for the event will be $70, with general presale tickets for $35 and $40 the day of the event. Eads said the headliner has not been selected yet, but bands will be playing outside on the street similar to past block parties.

The fifth event approved for a $25,000 loan and $31,850 grant for the first Jamestown: Best Day Ever event. DeJoy said Doug Sitler of Sitler HQ will be promoting the event that is scheduled to take place June 29. DeJoy said it will be free to attend and will take place throughout the downtown. He said the bands will be playing at the Piazza in front of the National Comedy Center, with beer, wine and food sales as well. Along the Greater Jamestown , there will be yoga and bike riding activities. Also, there will be Kayaks to rent from Evergreen Outfitters.

Like all grants approved by the JLDC from the Fund for Downtown Programming, state officials will have to approve before it’s finalized.