Fun, Food, Music, Memories and Mystery at Saline Summerfest

You’ve heard the phrase “something for everyone”?  Saline’s Summerfest 2012 will more than deliver on that promise. 

On Friday and Saturday, August 10-11 – on the streets of downtown Saline – this year’s Summerfest schedule will offer a wider-than-ever assortment of activities, attractions, and amusements in one super hometown celebration.

Summerfest builds on the traditional festivities of Saline’s “Picnic in the Park,” which was held each summer for nearly two decades in the city’s Mill Pond Park along the banks of the Saline River. In 2006, Picnic in the Park became part of a new, bigger event, called Saline’s Summerfest, and moved to downtown Saline for the first time.

By all accounts, Saline’s Summerfest events of the past half-dozen years have been smash hits, drawing enthusiastic crowds to the city’s quaint and inviting downtown.

This August the events will be held downtown for the seventh consecutive year.  They promise to deliver even more fun, food, music, and memories for those who join in.

And there’ll even be a little mystery for our community’s youngest sleuths to solve.

New this Year: “Mystery at the Paradise Resort”

The Saline Parks and Recreation Department has something new and special – and just a wee bit sinister – in the works for Saline’s Summerfest2012. They’ll host “Mystery at the Paradise Resort,” an open swim for the whole family – with an intriguing twist. 

This cool and refreshing fun will happen on Friday, August 10, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, at the Aquatic Center in the Saline Rec Center. Children will be invited to puzzle out why odd things have been happening – and why certain items have gone missing – in and around the pool. 

Was that really a pirate spotted on the beach?  The kids will have a water-logged blast unraveling the strange and silly goings-on.

A small fee per family member will cover swim time, a notebook with clues, and light snacks. Get the details at www.salinesummerfest.org.

From Music and Art to Games of Chance and Hot Cars

Entertainment at Saline’s Summerfest 2012 will again include musical and dance performances practically all through Friday evening and Saturday from morning to night.

Friday night’s musical headliner will be the Dan Rafferty Band. 56 Daze, a popular returning act, will take center stage on Saturday night.  Fiddlers Restrung and several other area youth dance and musical troupes will be among the other entertainers.

Adults can test Lady Luck in the Saline Rotary Club’s Friday Night Casino and Saturday evening’s Blackjack Challenge. New this year: euchre tournaments on Saturday afternoon.

The athletic-minded will have a 5K run/walk and a volleyball tournament to choose from.

For family fun there will be remote-control car racing, a youth fishing contest, a rubber duck race, and other children’s games and activities. “Touch a Truck” will allow kids – and kids at heart – to get up close and personal with fire trucks, dump trucks, ambulances, tractors, and more.

Another Summerfest 2012 highlight: a juried art and craft fair sponsored by Saline’s Downtown Merchants Association. There will be a teen block party on Saturday night. “Saline Street Machines” will put 100+ classic cars on proud display.

Tour the Town, Feast on Treats – Then Shop ‘til You Drop

As in past years, the Saline Area Historical Society will conduct tours by trolley car of many of Saline’s oldest and most notable buildings throughout the day on Saturday.

On Saturday from noon to 6:00 pm, the Saline Area Fire Department will be cooking up a storm, offering full chicken dinners, with all the fixin’s, for the hungry crowds.

Summerfest 2012 attendees can also snack on ice cream, soft drinks, bottled water, and more. There will be a beer and wine tent on Friday from 6:00 pm to 11:30 pm, and on Saturday from 2:00 pm to 11:30 pm.

Also during Saline’s Summerfest 2012, attendees can browse the downtown stores and check out the city’s selection of fine restaurants and taverns.

Fun for All Ages and Interests – Check the Schedule Online

Saline-area families – along with everyone else looking for great eating, great shopping, great history, and great fun – are urged to keep August 10-11 open for Saline’s Summerfest 2012, a sure-to-be-memorable event.

A continually updated schedule of Saline’s Summerfest 2012 activities is found at www.salinesummerfest.org.