Show Review of the Month Saline Spring Craft Show

December 2025, by Sunshine Artist Editor

Saline Spring Craft Show 
Location: Saline, MI 
Date: March 8, 2025 
Contact: Saline Area Schools & Hoeft Promotions, LLC 
Website: www.salineschools.org 
Email: cheryl.hoeft@gmail.com 
Phone: 734-429-5922 
Venue: 100% indoors 
Exhibitors: 150 
Attendance estimate: 4,000 

COMPILED FROM FASTAUDIT REVIEWS  

The Saline Spring Craft Show ranked CC10 in 2024’s 200 Best list. All the artists who reviewed 2025’s and 2022’s shows said they would exhibit in it again. 

An artist whose medium was painting made $2,500 and said, “Great show! Great experience! Great variety. Easy load-in/-out. Well attended.” 

A ceramicist who reported $2,000 in sales would return because the event is well-run and advertised — a great show for the return on investment. 

An arts and crafts artist who had $2,400 in sales said, “One of my favorite shows! Cheryl (Hoeft) is there every minute to help with any questions or concerns you may have.” The artist said Hoeft “does an amazing job at organizing, promoting, and coordinating every detail of her shows! Attendance is amazing.” 

A sales total was not reported by one ceramicist who would return due to the show being well-managed, organized, and professional, with talented artists. 

Another ceramicist also wants to return. This one made $1,850 and described it as an “easy and lucrative show to do at this time of year.” This artist noted Hoeft was especially good ahead of the show. 

A wood artist who had $2,600 in sales said it is the best spring show of the year and known for having high-quality art in a variety of mediums. The artist said the show is well-managed, with great attendance and support for crafters. 

Sales totaled $2,200 for another wood artist who said the show was well-run and organized. “Helpers were great,” the artist noted. 

Well-Run Show 

A jewelry artist who made $3,400 said, “This show is one of the best run shows I have ever been in. I have been doing shows for 25 years. The communication is top-notch, along with the advertising and attendance. Artists are treated with respect and are given the opportunity to advertise their art on the Facebook posts they do daily. I have so much respect for the organizers of this show, and I know it will run smoothly, and there will be excellent attendance no matter what the weather is. It is a highlight of our year to participate here both in the spring and fall.” The artist also said, “Our sales are significantly higher here than at most shows we do. We have repeat and new customers who are so happy to shop here due to the high quality of artists selected. 

An artist whose mediums are mixed media, wood, and fiber/textile/leather had $900 in sales. “Cheryl (Hoeft) and her crew are phenomenal!” the artist said. “Even a (slower) spring show is well-run and fun!” 

A fiber/textile/leather artist said, “The Saline shows are very well-organized and attended. I look forward to them every year! They are usually my highest in sales.” This artist reported sales of around $1,250. 

Sales totaled $2,400 for a fiber/textile/leather artist who said, “Advertising is excellent — includes social media, local flyers, and posting, as well as billboards, radio shows, and newspaper. The whole team is so helpful and nice. Booths are spaced so similar crafts are not next to each other. Extra help from students on unloading vehicles.” 

A jewelry artist who made $2,300 said it was a great show. “The communication and organization were phenomenal. You can tell Cheryl (Hoeft) works really hard to make this a successful show for her artists. She also makes an effort to speak with every artist. If you weren't able to make it to the lounge to chat during setup in the morning (like me), she still made the effort to come and introduce herself during the show. She's very personable and kind to everyone! She also responds in a timely manner to any questions or concerns we have, which is really nice. Overall, I had a successful show and appreciate everything Cheryl has done to make that happen,” said this artist who is looking forward to November’s show and hopefully, next year’s shows. 

An artist whose mediums are jewelry and art glass reported $2,800 in sales. “The organization, promotion, and artist appreciation are outstanding! This show has the highest attention to detail of all the shows I participate in,” the artist said. “The communication is also top-notch. I could not say enough good things about the Saline show and Cheryl Hoeft and her crew.” 

Sales totaled $1,200 for an artist whose mediums include wood and arts and crafts. “Awesome show! I was a bit skeptical about the early start time — considering most events I do start at 10 a.m. and are slow at the start,” the artist said. “However, Saline had a line waiting and was consistently busy until about an hour or two before close.” 

A wood artist also commented on the show’s hours. This artist suggested hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the spring show due to it being quiet for the last 90 minutes. This artist made $1,850 at 2025’s show. 

A jewelry artist who had $770 in sales said the show was organized, promoted, and supportive of the artists. “One of my best shows of the year,” the artist said. “The only one better is the fall version of this same show.” 

A wood artist did not report how much was made at 2025’s show. “It was a great spring show. The organizer did a fantastic job with communication both prior to and during the show. All of the staff were kind and considerate, as were all of the volunteers. Everyone helping out was extremely supportive of the artists,” this artist said. “It was a very well-run, well-advertised show. I do not think the decrease in sales or attendance was due to the organizers but instead due to the economy and concerns regarding the future of the economy.” 

A mixed-media artist who also did not say how much was made said, “Best-run show we’ve ever participated in. Everything from a billboard advertising the show, to the quality of vendors’ items for sales. Lots of student helpers to help set up and take down. Food, booth help, excellent communication leading up to the event. Amazing attendance. Such nice people all around.” 

SHOW PROMOTER’S SELF‑REVIEW 

Cheryl Hoeft said the Saline Spring Craft Show went well, with increased and enthusiastic customers. She said there was excitement around the variety and uniqueness of crafters. 

“Even with the snow on show day, customers were enthusiastic about shopping for spring-themed items. Many crafters reported that this was their best spring ever. There was some consumer sentiment that concerns about the economy resulted in fewer purchases,” said Hoeft, the show’s director. 

She estimated attendance at 4,000, which was a 3% increase over last year’s show. 

What Artists Said 

Hoeft said crafters reported sales were similar to or up from last year’s show. “Food, jewelry, and seasonal items (spring, Easter, outdoor products) in particular had record sales, and many sold out of product,” she said. “Many crafters noted that they noticed the increase in publicity for the show, and their sales positively reflected that.” 

What the Promoter Learned 

“We continue to stay in touch with customers and crafters, through evaluations and real time conversations on the day of the show. Dialogue with crafters took place at the Crafter Cafe and in their booths,” Hoeft said. 

She said they encourage crafters to communicate with customers about what they need and want, so they can tailor their product lines for the best sales results. Saline strives to meet crafters’ needs and exceed their expectations and provides numerous amenities for its crafters. 

Hoeft said their increased publicity this year for the March show paid off, with greater attendance. “Most people are familiar with our November show, so we put extra effort into pushing out news of the spring show,” she said. 

Their Best Improvements 

Hoeft recommends publicizing a show over many platforms. “Do it early, and do it often,” she advises.  

The promotional efforts include social media, radio, postcards, billboards, and flyers. “We spend aggressively to promote the event,” she said. “We’re always looking for new ways to promote our shows. We do not rest on the fact we have been doing this for nearly three decades.” 

They have different contests prior to the show and offer free passes to the winners. Hoeft said that builds excitement for the show and engagement before it even happens. 

She said they are always looking for new twists in their crafter selections. “This year, some of the new offerings were watercolor with wire and blue resin application,” Hoeft said. 

New for 2025 was moving the application fully online to simply the process for crafters. “They do not have to deal with mailing checks and hard copy photographs,” Hoeft said. “The online application also speeds up the jurying process.” 

Her message to those considering this show is, “Most important — be mindful of important dates. Put in your calendar when an application is due, as it could be six to nine months before the show.  

“Have a clear description of your product line: what materials are used and how you are creating it from start to finish. Build a customer base. Take every opportunity to establish customer relationships. We strongly suggest using social media channels to grow a following. 

“Be cognizant of how to set up your booth, so the traffic can flow easily through your booth for payment, etc. You want to make sure it’s easy to come and go from your booth, so customers don’t pass you by because it’s not accessible. While at the show, establish future contact with your customers: capture their email or have them sign up to follow your social media. 

“If you’re a repeat crafter, strive to be a favorite booth. On our social media, we ask customers what crafter are they most likely to visit first.”