Franklin committee reviews July 3–6 Independence Celebration; volunteers and vendor signups lag

The Franklin Civic Celebration Committee on June 16 reviewed and confirmed logistics for Franklin City's Independence Celebration, scheduled for July 3–6, 2025, while identifying gaps in volunteers, vendor approvals and parking access that organizers said must be resolved before setup.

Committee members said the entertainment lineup is set and the carnival will run during the festival with wristband hours on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.; the committee also confirmed a band shell schedule, a pickleball tournament and a golf simulator activity. "We're all set with fireworks. We're all set with the permit," said John Bergner, a committee member, reporting that the fireworks permit and insurance policy have been issued.

The committee emphasized vendor and licensing issues. Organizers reported 11 food vendors signed and roughly three non-food vendors processed so far; members described the application process as cumbersome and said last-minute documentation requests have…