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Parks and Recreation Director Sunshine Lambert presented to the Saline City Council at their meeting on Monday, March 4, 2024.
At their March 4, 2024 meeting, the Saline City Council approved an event application by Parks and Recreation Director Sunshine Lambert to host a carnival in the Tefft Park South Parking Lot, just south of the Saline Rec Center. The carnival is set to take place Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2.
With an anticipated peak attendance of approximately 300 people, several council members expressed concern about parking limitations. With the south lot closed to house the carnival itself and the Rec Center being open, parking could pose a problem for traffic in the industrial park and residents in nearby neighborhoods.
Lambert reiterated that the Rec Center has experience hosting large events and will work to ensure there are parking options for guests of both the Rec Center and the carnival. She plans to notify the neighborhood HOAs in advance and also speak with the neighboring businesses about the use of their parking spaces.
Costs to the city will be minimal and will be covered out of the Parks and Rec budget. Those costs include provisions for trash, recycling, bathroom facilities, and a small amount of staff time, all of which amount to approximately $2,000. Additionally, the city is set to receive some amount of revenue from the event, calculated as a percentage of the overall sales.
Lambert told STN, “The Saline Parks & Recreation staff is excited to bring a new event to our community. This carnival is a fantastic way to kick off the summer with families, neighbors, and friends. We are thankful for the support from City Council and are looking forward to a fun-filled weekend.”
Lambert also said that more information about the event is included in the Saline Parks & Recreation Summer Program Guide and residents can expect that to arrive in early April. Sponsorships are available and interested parties can contact Stephanie Ferguson for more information: sferguson@cityofsaline.org
The carnival is owned and operated by Skerbeck Entertainment Group, the same vendor that operates the carnival during the Milan Community Fair, which is scheduled for the same weekend.
