FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL
The City of Saline managed the Saline Celtic Festival beginning in 1996, handling all finances and appointing a volunteer oversight committee to plan & present the Festival.
On April 26, 2011, a new nonprofit corporation was incorporated in the State of Michigan as Friends of the Festival. Friends of the Festival was recognized by the IRS as an organization described in Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) in 2013. The organization was formed by volunteers.
Friends of the Festival oversees all financial management of funds, secures and manages grant funding, enters into contract on behalf of the Michigan DBAs "Saline Celtic Festival" and "Saline Craft Beer Festival", secures and recognizes sponsors and other contributors, secures insurance and licensing for the Festival and establishes policy and protocol for a safe and engaging event.
Friends of the Festival assumes all financial liability for the Festival. Friends of the Festival has been operating with an asset surplus since its inception.
In January of 2023, The Saline Celtic Festival and the City of Saline officially parted ways, and the Executive Committee was dissolved. The Friends of the Festival took over as the official ruling body of the Saline Celtic Festival as a whole.
The Saline Celtic Festival is a member of the Association of Irish & Celtic Festivals and the Michigan Festivals & Events Association.