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The festival was the brainchild of a former Saginaw Rotarian, Red Hawkins, who is himself a professional musician, as an opportunity to showcase Saginaw's tremendous and diverse musical talent. The first year's event at the Temple Theatre in downtown Saginaw was a smashing success, but the festival quickly outgrew the limitations of a single-stage theater venue. Since then, we have held the event at various local venues such as Horizons Conference Center, Apple Mountain and most recently, The Saginaw Club. The festival has provided exposure for bands and local musical artists of nearly every genre, while raising funds for local projects and programs that benefit our community.
*Locally: All Music is Power (AMP), Major Chords for Minors, Saginaw Bay Youth Orchestra, A Place for Grace, Mustard Seed Shelter, Saginaw Rescue Mission, Underground Railroad, Scouting, Child Abuse and Neglect Council, Child and Family Services, Mid-Michigan Children's Museum, Community Prescription Support Program, Covenant Kids, Pit and Balcony Community Theater, Riverfront Development, Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, Saginaw Choral Society, Saginaw County Business and Education Partnership, Saginaw Family Care Network, Saginaw City Police Department technology, Saginaw City Fire Department heat sensors, Sam Merrill Memorial Pavilion at a Little League park, Y-Kids Pavilion, Crayola Park on Fordney Street, The Dictionary Project for kids, Boys & Girls Club, Youth Leadership Camp at Camp Rotary, The SleepSack Project, and our mural of Saginaw County’s history in the atrium of the Dow Event Center. Globally: Sanitation & Clean Water Initiatives, Polio Eradication, Japanese Tsunami Relief, Guatemala Literacy Project.
Saginaw on Stage won the 2013 All Area Arts Award from the Saginaw Arts and Enrichment Commission. Visit the saginawonstage.com home page, for additional information about this event.
After celebrating our 20th event in 2025, (we missed some Covid years), it was determined by our Rotary Board, this would be the last year for Saginaw on Stage. Due to rising costs of renting venues, drum equipment and sound equipment, the event stopped generating the necessary revenue to continue. It was a hard decision and was not taken lightly.
Thank you to all who supported Saginaw on Stage, our patrons and our sponsors, and to all of the talented artists who donated their time to help make this a fun filled event! We will miss all of you...
