Four blocks of downtown Saline will be transformed into a jam-packed free winter festival of fun when the Saline Winterfest returns on Jan. 28, 2017.
The free family-friendly festival boasts more than 35 indoor and 10 outdoor activities, so whether you’re cold-averse or totally winterized, there’s something for everyone.
The outdoor activities include the cold butt euchre tournament and outdoor bowling for adults only. The outdoor bowling is billed as “Saline’s Most Die-Hard Winterfest Activity.” Players will bowl no matter the weather at Salt Springs Brewery patio where alcoholic drinks will be served.
Dave Eberlein, chairman of Winterfest, says this year is the first the organizers have included an outdoor bowling event, and the “bowling alley” will be makeshift, forcing bowlers to use uneven, frozen ground. “It should be pretty exciting,” he says.
For those with little ones looking to stay out of the cold, Workout1, a fitness center downtown, will have an inflatable bounce castle and obstacle course available for children.
If shopping is more your style, take a detour into Maureen’s Designs, Pineapple House or Perry’s Tuxedo. Foodies are also in luck, as Carrigan Cafe and Smoke BBQ will be operating during the festival.
One of the cornerstones of the festival is the medallion hunt. The Winterfest medallion is hidden somewhere within the perimeter of the Saline Main Street borders on public property. Clues are released each day beginning a week from the start of the festival on Saline Main Street’s Facebook page, and will be continued until Jan. 28. The person who finds the medallion will be awarded a $50 gift certificate to a Saline Main Street business.
This will be the third annual medallion hunt, and Eberlein says the organizers get creative when hiding the medallion – it was once hidden inside a hollowed out book inside a library box.
“It’s amazing how many people are running around downtown looking for it,” he adds.
Parking is also a breeze with two-hour street parking and free four-hour and all-day parking in five central lots.
See the Metro Parent listing for basic details on the 2017 Saline Winterfest.