September 2023

The 49th Annual Salt Festival

Horse-drawn wagons, downtown vendors, and small-town Texas hospitality — the 49th festival set the stage for the golden anniversary to come.

The 2023 Magazine

49th Annual Edition

The 2023 festival magazine will be posted here.

Read the 2023 Magazine (coming soon)

Photo Gallery

Scenes from 2023

Click any photo to view it full size.

Two men driving a horse-drawn wagon down Main Street during the 2023 parade — Wagons rolling past the historic downtown storefronts in the parade

Frank Street packed for the Saturday night street dance — The street dance crowd stretching down Frank Street under the lights

Wagon rolling through downtown in the parade — Rolling through downtown in the Saturday parade

Salt Queen and Salt Girl beside the Athena Club's Morton Salt umbrella girl display downtown — The Athena Club's Morton Salt display — when it rains, it pours

Virginia Milam Luncheon volunteers with the Salt Festival Queen at the serving line — The Virginia Milam Luncheon crew, with the Salt Festival Queen lending a hand

Volunteer wearing a Virginia Milam's Tradition Lives On In Our Hearts shirt — Virginia Milam's tradition lives on in our hearts — and our volunteers

Volunteer at the stove preparing the Southern Luncheon — Pots on every burner for the Old Fashioned Southern Luncheon

Volunteer stirring a roaster full of food for the luncheon — Stirring up seconds in the luncheon kitchen

A plate of chicken and dressing, corn, and green beans from the luncheon — Chicken and dressing, done right — the $10 plate that sells out every year

Volunteer cooking on a commercial range for the Southern Luncheon — Every plate starts here, on the big range out back

Guests eating at long tables while a duo performs on stage at the Pavilion — Dinner and a show at the Pavilion

Wide view of the Pavilion hall full of tables, string lights, and a prize table — The Pavilion filling up under the string lights

Long tables of players at Community Bingo in the Pavilion — Cards down and daubers ready at Community Bingo

Friends smiling for a selfie at bingo in the Pavilion — All smiles between rounds at the Pavilion

Collage of scenes from Community Bingo at the Pavilion — Bingo ready — scenes from the Pavilion

Duo performing on the Pavilion stage with pumpkins and hay bales — Live music on the Pavilion stage

Kids hula hooping in front of the main stage with the Salt Festival Queen — Hula hoop contest by the main stage — royalty included

Kids gathered in front of City Hall for water balloon games — Squaring up for the water balloon toss at City Hall

Two long lines of kids tossing water balloons down the middle of the street — The great water balloon toss, stretching down the block

A young festival-goer in overalls enjoying the kids' events downtown — Dressed for a day at the festival

Volunteers setting up the big tent downtown before the festival — The tent goes up days before anyone else arrives

Volunteer posing with a Grand Saline Salt Festival poster — Spreading the word, one poster at a time

Historic photo inside the Grand Saline salt mine — Deep in the salt mine that started it all