September 26–28, 2024

The 50th Annual Salt Festival

Half a century of salt! The golden anniversary festival filled Frank Street shoulder to shoulder for two nights of street dancing under the lights of historic downtown Grand Saline.

Cover of the 50th Annual Grand Saline Salt Festival 2024 magazine

The 2024 Magazine

50th Anniversary Edition

The commemorative golden-anniversary magazine celebrated fifty years of festival history, honoring the volunteers and traditions that have kept the Salt Festival going strong since 1975.

Read the 2024 Magazine (coming soon)

Photo Gallery

Scenes from 2024

Click any photo to view it full size.

Wide view of the packed street dance crowd on Frank Street at night — Frank Street packed end to end for the Saturday night street dance

Crowd in lawn chairs at the nighttime street dance in downtown Grand Saline — Lawn chairs, cowboy hats, and funnel cakes — a Salt Festival tradition

Musician performing on stage with an acoustic guitar at the street dance — Live music kept the crowd on their feet late into the night

T-shirt reading Virginia Milam's Tradition Lives On In Our Hearts — Virginia Milam's tradition lives on in our hearts — and in the Southern Luncheon that bears her name

Panoramic view of the huge crowd filling Frank Street for the 50th anniversary street dance — Fifty years in, and the street has never been fuller

Wide view of the street dance crowd seated in lawn chairs at night — Chairs out, lights on, Frank Street closed to everything but music

The street dance crowd seen from beside the stage with food vendors glowing behind — Funnel cakes and lemonade glowing at the far end

Full band performing under stage lights at the Saturday night street dance — The main stage in full swing

Singer in a stars-and-stripes bandana pointing skyward while performing at sunset — Golden hour on the main stage

Group of festival organizers and friends gathered on stage under blue lights — Up on stage for the last song of the night

Band members signing 50th anniversary t-shirts on the edge of the stage after the show — Autographs on the 50th anniversary shirts after the encore

Couples two-stepping on the street in front of the stage — Two-stepping under the stage lights

A young boy dancing with his mom in front of the stage banner — First dance of the night, and the best one

Two young children dancing together in front of the stage — The dance floor belongs to the little ones early on

Two children holding hands and spinning as they dance by the stage — Spinning to the music on Frank Street

Two young sisters hugging and smiling at the Pavilion — All smiles at the Pavilion

Two volunteers at the merchandise table with 50th anniversary shirts and koozies — Fiftieth anniversary shirts and koozies at the merch table

Two young women posing in front of blooming crepe myrtles downtown — Festival weather and crepe myrtles in bloom

Two friends smiling in front of the street dance crowd at sunset — Golden hour on Frank Street, with the crowd settling in

Wide view of the packed street dance crowd at sunset — Every chair full as the sun goes down

Singer in a cowboy hat with arms outstretched on the Salt Festival stage — Playing to a hometown crowd

Band performing beneath the Welcome to the Grand Saline Salt Festival banner — Under the welcome banner, right where it belongs

Festival organizer with a performer beside the tour bus after the show — A minute with the band after the set

Festival organizers with performers aboard the tour bus — Backstage on the bus — 50 years of pull gets you an invite

Two women holding a guitar signed by the performers — A signed guitar to remember the golden anniversary

Kids dancing near City Hall during the evening street dance — The little ones find the dance floor first

Girl winding up to throw a water balloon during the Saturday kids' games — Wind-up and release at the water balloon toss