Franklin committee finalizes festival schedule, flags volunteer, vendor and ticketing issues ahead of July events

The Franklin Civic Celebration Committee spent most of its latest meeting finalizing logistics for the city’s July festival, including entertainment schedules, vendor placements, electrical hookups, ticketing and volunteer assignments, and raised outstanding questions about funding, vendor revenue splits and the fireworks contract.

Committee members said most major festival elements are in place but warned that volunteer shortages, pending permits and unresolved sponsorships could affect operations. Committee member John Bergner said the city’s electrical hookups are complete: “All electrical is done,” and organizers favor using that power rather than generators. Bergner also summarized printed materials and promotions the committee will insert into the June Franklin newsletter.

The discussion matters because the festival spans multiple days and revenue/expense choices affect the event’s budget and staffing. Committee members said the event includes ticketed attractions (camel rides, a golf simulator) and vendor sales that need distinct ticketing and clear signage so attendees and volunteers know which tickets buy which goods or activities.

Committee members walked through a day-by-day schedule and operational details. Highlights they confirmed include: the main-tent entertainment on July 3 with local performers and a headliner band in the evening; a children’s parade and carnival hours on July 4 with fireworks slated for 9:30 p.m.; and a pickleball tournament and clinics beginning at 8 a.m. on July 5 run in partnership with the Southeastern Wisconsin Association of Pickleball. Pat McCurdy, Next Step Dance Studio, Kings of Radio, Drive E Box (mobile golf simulator), Bruce City Wrestling, Bella Caine and other performers were named on the schedule.

Organizers said the pickleball event will include multiple brackets (including a first-time players’ category) and on-site instruction. Food and non-food vendors are being placed around the grounds; the committee reported 11 food vendors this year (up from 10 last year) and named new or returning vendors including Marco’s Pizza, Cream City ice cream and Azteca Mexican food. Marlin Printing will produce a full-color flyer inserted in the city newsletter; committee members said that separate flyer insertion costs about $1,300.

On tickets and concessions, the committee agreed to use separate, color-coded tickets for different activities — for example, the golf simulator and camel rides will use a separate ticket color from food and beverage tickets — and to post prominent signage explaining ticket use. Ticketing details noted in discussion: the committee’s general ticket denomination is $2 per ticket; a carnival wristband for unlimited rides on Saturday noon–4 p.m. will be $25; and the golf simulator charge will be $10 per play. Beer will be sold using the committee’s ticket system; committee members reported the public beer price will be $6.

The committee discussed a proposal from a local wine vendor who will use the city tickets and operate independently. Committee members described that vendor’s arrangement as receiving 80% of his gross sales while remitting 20% back to the city; members raised monitoring concerns and suggested using separate tickets or controls to verify sales. The committee also reviewed the beer-service revenue-sharing arrangement in place with other vendors: beer sales are run through an established system in which net profit sharing and supplier billing are accounted for after expenses.

Budget and funding items were discussed but no new appropriations were made. The committee reported an approved festival budget of $115,000 and said current documented spending leaves the committee “about $105,000 under” that approved amount, per the chair’s summary. Sponsorship and fundraising remain in progress: committee members said roughly half of expected sponsorship dollars are in hand, with more pledged funds still outstanding and some donors awaiting follow-up.

Permits and operations issues remain. Organizers said Marlin Printing is printing the flyer and the health department paperwork for vendors has been submitted. The fireworks permit application was received recently and committee members said they are coordinating with the fire chief and mayor; committee members also asked whether a contract with the fireworks provider (Schneider) would allow additional charges tied to tariffs and discussed a referenced possible cost range of $30,000–$60,000 for fireworks but said they had not received a tariff notice from the vendor.

Volunteer recruitment and staffing were a persistent concern. Committee members reported difficulty filling slots for July 4, when many regular volunteers have family plans. Anne Damske and others said they were using social media and neighborhood pages to recruit more volunteers and planned one more meeting before the event to finalize assignments. The committee also assigned tasking for parade logistics: a participant list will be shared with the police chief, DPW and fire department so emergency access and staging can be coordinated.

On operational logistics, members confirmed: electrical hookups on the grounds include multiple 50-amp and 20/30-amp boxes and should reduce generator use; tents and bars are rented on a flat fee (not per-day) so extending the festival schedule does not necessarily increase rental cost; and ticket booths will use numbered tickets so sales tracking is possible. The committee asked staff to prepare distinct signage at ticket booths and ticketed attractions to minimize confusion.

The meeting closed with a housekeeping motion to adjourn. No formal votes on new spending or policy changes were recorded during the meeting; remaining open items (final sponsor receipts, vendor placement, fireworks permitting and volunteer fill-rate) will be addressed in the next committee meeting.

The committee combined updates on parade routing, volunteer lists and logistics with operational checks for electricity, ticketing and printed materials to present organizers with a near-final operational plan while flagging several outstanding administrative tasks.