The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Celtic festival gets blessing to continue
City will pick up financial losses totalling $18,000 for event
By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: November 20, 2008
Organizers of one of the Saline's banner events, the Saline Celtic Festival, are already planning for July 11, 2009, scheduling performers and figuring out how to cut costs while increasing attendance at the Mill Pond Park event, culminating the weeklong celebration.
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City Council voted Monday to continue to financially support the festival, even after a third consecutive year of losses.
The cost to put on the Saline Celtic Festival was just under $100,000 this year, and though expenses came in $7,000 under budget, revenue was down by 25 percent and left the city with an $18,000 bill to cover.
Still, organizers were pleased with the success of the event, which was four times larger this year than past festivals in the event's 13-year history, with the addition of the Masters World Championship Highland Athletics Games.
According to the treasurer's report presented to council Monday, donations were down $20,000 from projected numbers and ticket sales were $5,000 less than budgeted.
"We fell victim to a couple of hours of rain, but that was not as bad as the inaccurate weather forecasts all day long that scared people away from attending," the festival's chairman, Patrick Little, stated in a memo to council members.
Little's committee spent four months reviewing the logistics, finances and a new survey from the July event and have made some early decisions for 2009.
After experiencing problems with the postal service, dollars will be saved by the cutting direct mail campaign. Public service announcements will be sent to Detroit network television stations to attract out-of-town visitors with free calendar mentions.
Visitors may be charged for shuttle transportation and vendors may be asked to pay a percentage of profits rather than a flat lot rental.
"Most importantly, we will continue to apply for grants and donations from national companies and foundations," Little wrote. "There are other things we will do to reduce costs and increase revenues, but we cannot lose focus on what we are doing that cannot be measured in dollars and cents.
"The festival has brought recognition to Saline. It brings thousands of people here who may come back to shop and utilize services they didn't know existed prior to the festival visit. Most importantly, it provides a better quality of lie in Saline," Little said.
One of the largest expenses are tents, toilets, tables, chairs, stages, fans, generators, hay and other facility supplies totaling 28 percent of the budget.
"We cut back on many items this year, but are walking a fine line between reducing expenses and not providing for our attendees," Little said.
The good news is that food and beer sales brought in $7,000, more than predicted with a 60 percent increase from last year in the beer tent. The better news is that volunteers continue to flock to help plan and manage the Saline Celtic Festival, and entertainers and athletes rave about the excellent quality of the event.
Little brought council dozens of e-mails and letters from participants and performers, and four committee members provided personal testimony to encourage council members to continue to financially support the festival.
"You guys did an absolutely fantastic job of putting on the games. The athletes were more than pleased; they were very impressed," stated Bill Scruggs of the Masters World Championships.
"How do you put a price tag on the experience the (high school) boys had when, after a full day of playing, the (professional) musicians who were jamming together allowed the boys to jam with them in the Green Room?" stated longtime volunteers Mary Nehls-Frumkin and Jeff Frumkin.
"We had a ball at Saline! Every single one of my kids and their family members thoroughly enjoyed the day - rain and all! We are hoping that the Highland Dance competition was a success for the festival and we'll be back," wrote Dachiel Thistle Highland dance group Director Heather Allen.
Staff Writer Sue G. Collins can be reached at 429-7380 or scollins@heritage.com.
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