BANGOR – After reviewing donations received at this year’s American Folk Festival, its board has decided to continue free admission in 2008.

“We’ve turned the corner as far as creating an event that can support itself with the public’s contributions,” Heather McCarthy, the festival’s executive director, said Wednesday.

The budgeted expenses for the festival total about $980,000. So far, organizers have tallied $1.008 million in donations.

“We got another seven donations in the mail today, so I don’t think we’re quite done counting yet,” McCarthy said.

The board had set a fundraising target of $1.03 million for this year. That included additional money aimed at reducing by 20 percent debt incurred during past festivals.

So far, about $28,000 could be put toward decreasing debt.

“The message that people heard about donating was not a one-year thing,” McCarthy said. “They’re going to continue to hear that.”

The festival relies heavily on contributions from a variety of sources, including government, corporate, foundation and individual donors and that support needs to continue if the festival is to go on free-of-charge, McCarthy said.

Past years’ fundraising has fallen short of goals, and extra effort was put into raising public awareness of the fundraising need.