• Event preview: Saline's Summerfest is many events in one

Saline's Summerfest got underway Friday evening with arts and crafts vendors lining Ann Arbor Street south of Michigan Avenue. Summerfest runs all day Saturday, and visitors can also enjoy music, food and more, along with activities for kids.

"We sell ice cream at Summerfest and use the money to buy prescription glasses for people," said Rob Bender, a member of the Saline Lions' Club, adding that the money also goes to Project Kidsight, which pays for preschool children to get referral to optometrists. "It's nice to be out at the festival with everybody."

"Saline is such a quaint town," said Annette Betley from Ypsilanti, who was attending Summerfest for the first time.

Sharon Graf-Horning has had a booth for a number of years at Summerfest. She works at the 212 Arts Center and sells pottery.

"We love it here and want to be part of everything that's happening in Saline," she said.

"The Bag Lady," the booth that Liz Kerstens runs is adjacent to her sister Sue Paulin's booth where she sells dishtowels, scarves and other items that she sews.

"We've been very successful at Summerfast," said Kerstens, who specializes in little girls' purses. "The people of Saline embrace this festival, and we get a lot of returning customers."

Festival coordinator Art Trapp, who is also the director of the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, is hoping for more than 6,000 visitors during both days of the event. He says the festival, which began in 2006, grew out of Picnic in the Park, which was much smaller.

There will be music all day Saturday as well as more than 40 artists and craftspeople with booths open from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. History buffs can learn the history of Saline by going on the Historic Trolley Tour put on by the Saline Historical Society.

From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday is the 31st annual Saline Street Machines Car Show, which will include an Electric Car Show from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. with test drives.

There will be a Casino Night Saturday including a Blackjack Challenge using play money with all proceeds going toward Saline High School Rotary Scholarships.

For Saturday's complete schedule at Saline's Summerfest, go to http://salinesummerfest.org/schedule.html.

Lisa Carolin is a freelance reporter. Contact the AnnArbor.com news desk at news@annarbor.com.