How the Vibrancy Grant is Lighting Up Downtown This Holiday Season

Last Updated 12/2/2024Posted in News


We’ve got some exciting news to share that will make this holiday season extra magical in downtown Saline! Thanks to the generous support of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Michigan Main Street, we’ve received a Vibrancy Grant that’s helping us expand our beloved Cocoa Crawl event and sprinkle some extra holiday cheer throughout 2024.

This grant is a game-changer for our community, allowing us to dream bigger and brighter than ever before. Here’s how:

  1. A Three-Day Holiday Extravaganza:
    What started as a one-day Cocoa Crawl is now a full weekend celebration of community and cheer!

    • Friday, December 6 kicks off with a Punk Rock Christmas Concert featuring Darnell Don’t Like Citrus. With pop-punk covers and reimagined holiday classics, this event is perfect for music lovers, teens, and adults alike.
    • Saturday, December 7 brings our expanded Cocoa Crawl from 12 pm to 6 pm, where you can sip your way through 17 participating downtown businesses, collecting stamps to enter for a chance to win a Grand Prize Gift Basket valued at over $1,000! Stick around for the evening’s grand finale—the Holiday Parade, a twinkling spectacle you won’t want to miss (organized by the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce).
    • Sunday, December 8 rounds out the festivities with an Adults-Only Brunch featuring none other than the Rude Grinch. Enjoy food, laughs, and light roasting alongside your favorite adult beverages.
  2. Holiday Lighting for 2024:
    Part of the Vibrancy Grant also enhanced our downtown holiday lighting displays in 2024, making this year’s celebrations even more warm and bright. .

We are beyond grateful to MEDC and Michigan Main Street for this opportunity to grow our events and bring more vibrancy to downtown Saline. These festivities wouldn’t be possible without their support—and without YOU, our amazing community. Special thanks also go out to Joanne Dence of Whitepine Studios and Celia Fellin of Yogacentric for organizing and promoting the Cocoa Crawl this year!!!

As an added bonus, the Social District will be open until 10 pm this weekend, so you can enjoy an adult beverage from one of the four participating businesses on the South Side of Michigan Ave while you shop during the Cocoa Crawl and watch the parade that evening! 

So, mark your calendars and bundle up! This weekend promises fun, laughter, and plenty of holiday magic. Let’s fill the streets of Saline with warmth and good cheer as we celebrate together.

We can’t wait to see you downtown! Let’s make this a weekend to remember.

🎄 Happy Holidays, Saline!
Your Saline Main Street Team


Click an image below to display the larger version.

Salty Summer Sounds Returns on June 25! One of the best ways to enjoy summer is listening to LIVE Music in downtown Saline. A regular tradition, this family-friendly event is k...
Be Bloomin': Sponsor a Basket. Show Your Pride. Help Dow... There’s something special about downtown Saline in the summer—the color, the charm, the feeling that this place is truly cared for. This...
Ladies’ Night Out: A Throwback Slumber PartyBreak out the pjs, fuzzy socks, scrunchies, and butterfly clips — because this year’s Ladies’ Night Out is turning downtown Saline into ...
Downtown Saline Celebrates Its Veterans: Banner Program ... Each year, the streets of downtown Saline tell a story — one of service, sacrifice, and community pride. Our Veteran's Banner Program is...
Salty Summer Sounds Kicks off the Summer with Stealin Co...
Jun 25, 2026
7:00 PM EDT
100 S Ann Arbor
Saline, MI 48176
Read More 
Ferrario at Salty Summer Sounds July 2
Jul 02, 2026
6:00 PM EDT
109 W Michigan Ave
Saline, MI 48176
Read More 
Johnny LIttle at Salty Summer Sounds July 9
Jul 09, 2026
7:00 PM EDT
109 W Michigan Ave
Saline, MI 48176
Read More 
Salty Summer Sounds with the Saline Fiddlers
Jul 16, 2026
7:00 PM EDT
100 S Ann Arbor
Saline, MI 48176
Read More