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 delayed some approvals. Carnival wristbands will be sold for set hours only (Saturday and Sunday, noon–4 p.m.), and the beer trailer and vendor electrical hookups are scheduled to arrive during the set‑up window. The health department will inspect food vendors on the day of the event, roughly between 3 and 5 p.m., organizers said.

Volunteers remain a top concern. The committee reported 54 volunteers currently listed but numerous open shifts across July 3–5, including multiple ticket‑booth and main tent shifts that still need fill. Volunteer tickets were listed at $1 each and regular drink tickets at $2; organizers discussed changing volunteer incentives (for example, higher-value tickets or name badges instead of a T‑shirt) to attract younger helpers. The committee circulated a shift sheet and urged members to recruit additional volunteers.

Parade plans remain active: a kids' parade is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on July 4, followed by the main parade at 11 a.m. Organizers estimated about 45 parade units signed so far and said marching bands and visiting units may arrive late because many groups will come from other communities; placement requests from visiting officials were noted as a recurring logistics issue. Committee members asked for patience from participants who travel from Greenville, Greenfield, New Berlin and other towns.

Logistics and site work: the main tent installation is planned in stages (large tents arrive early in the week and smaller elements are set the day before the festival), DPW will deliver the ticket booth and set site furnishings, and organizers will mark vendor spaces and power‑box locations the week before the festival. Committee members noted construction in and near the festival area could complicate vendor access and directed vendors to approach from alternate routes.

Sponsorships and signage remained largely on track: the committee expected sponsorship revenue to be roughly on par with last year and said sponsor banners and yard signs (including pickleball signage) were ordered; several members said they would follow up with vendors who had not returned proofs. Longtime volunteer Tony, who said he has served since the early 1960s, announced his planned retirement: "This is my last year," he said, and committee members thanked him for decades of service.

Discussion versus decisions: committee members treated many items as confirmed (entertainment roster, carnival hours, fireworks permit and insurance, health inspection timing, tent and trailer delivery windows) while leaving recruitment, vendor finalization and some signage delivery as open tasks for follow up. The committee scheduled a setup meeting during the week before the event and a full check-in on July 2 (the scheduled setup day).

The meeting concluded with reminders to contact staff with vendor or logistics questions; members said they would continue active outreach to recruit volunteers and confirm pending vendor paperwork ahead of July setup.