Saline Celtic Festival Makes Estimated $3,000 Profit, Plans Begin for 25th Annual Event

Organizers of the Saline Celtic Festival say the annual event was a success. Jeff Ulrich spoke about the 2019 edition of the city-owned festival to Saline City Council at the Oct. 7 meeting.

Ulrich said the event was attended by 4,300 people. There were 32 merchants.

The event is fueled by volunteers. Ulrich said there were 1,200 volunteer hours.

The Saline Celtic Festival continues to expose out-of-towners who visit Saline, Ulrich said.

“There were a lot of first-time visitors from Southeast Michigan,” he told council.

In addition, because the festival was featured on a local radio station and the PBS show Under the Radar, even more people are seeing Saline.

The festival’s marketing apparatus continues to improve. The festival’s social media following continues to grow.

Ulrich thanked the festival’s sponsors, the city, and city employees for their continued support of the event.

Asked by Mayor Brian Marl how much money the festival made, Ulrich said it cleared about $3,000.

Marl said that was important progress.

“Keep putting money away and one day the festival will be autonomous of the city. Every year it turns a profit, we are closer to the goal,” Marl said.

Ulrich said planning has begun for the 25th annual festival. Marl said he hopes organizers are sure to celebrate Saline’s connection with Brecon, Wales. It was Saline’s sister-city city relationship with Brecon that led to the creation of the festival. Marl said he hoped counterparts from Brecon would attend the festival.

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