By: Dean Vaglia | C&G Newspapers | Published April 2, 2026
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The annual Festival of the Senses may be a bit more tingly this year, as the Clinton Township Board of Trustees has approved a policy and ordinance that would allow the sale of alcoholic beverages at township events.
Passed as two items on the March 30 meeting agenda — both by 5-2 votes with trustees Bruce Wade and Dan Kress in opposition — the policy allows for alcohol vendors at Clinton Township events. Alcohol may only be served by a nonprofit vendor that is responsible for purchasing the beverages to be served; securing liquor liability and general liability insurance, and all appropriate permits and fees; and renting any tents, tables and barricades. Alcohol sales allowed at events will require approval from the Board of Trustees.
“The goal of what we wrote with the policy was to create the framework. Most of the regulations and stuff comes from the state,” said Tami Letcavage, director of the township’s Senior & Family Recreation Department. “Everything we’re doing internally is mostly just setting up the framework to make sure the right people are involved in the right decisions. This is going to involve my department maybe putting an event on, but it involves the Department of Public Services doing the setup and making sure those vendors know what they’re doing, police and fire, potentially the Building Department. It involves a lot of pieces, so we wanted to make sure the accountability was laid out so everyone is going to the right spots along the way.”
While the ordinance for the alcohol sales followed the usual two-meeting introduction and adoption process by being first read at the March 16 meeting, the policies surrounding the ordinance were not introduced until March 30.
The annual Festival of the Senses event, held on the township’s 40700 Romeo Plank Road campus, is the primary focus of the ordinance and policy. Trustee Julie Matuzak said the event was getting stale, which permitting the sale of beer and wine could somewhat remedy.
Letcavage provided an idea of where a drinks tent at Festival of the Senses would be located.
“With the Festival of the Senses in particular, the goal would be to have (the tent) back by the food trucks in a sectioned off area, and then we’re keeping the kids activities … up closer by the playground on opposite ends of the event,” Letcavage said.
Wade provided his rationale for opposition during the discussion of the policy.
“Personally, I don’t see the need for us to be peddling alcohol at a daytime event where I think it’s more family-structured,” Wade said. “If there was a band and bingo games I might change my opinion, but I just think it’s a bad idea.”
Matuzak said there are plans to move Festival of the Senses to be a Friday night/Saturday event rather than a Saturday/Sunday event.