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Middleborough tourism committee reviews Harry Monroe Festival logistics; vendors, parking and permits discussed
Summary
Committee members reviewed vendor counts, budget balance, parking arrangements and permits for the upcoming Harry Monroe Festival and assigned follow-ups for Select Board and MassDOT signoffs.
The Town of Middleborough Tourism Committee on March 5 reviewed logistics, vendor counts and funding arrangements for the Harry Monroe Festival and set next steps for permits, parking and volunteer staffing.
Committee members heard a treasurer's report showing a most recent balance of $54,052.89 and discussed vendor and food-vendor recruitment, vendor-space mapping, and the schedule for marking spaces before the event. The committee reported about 50 paid or confirmed vendors so far, with other applicants still pending; organizers said last year—s event had roughly eight0 participants in the vendor field (documented in planning records from the prior year).
Why it matters: The festival is one of the committee—s largest annual events and requires coordinated approvals from town departments and the Select Board for road closures, plus vendor logistics including electrical access, vendor permits, and paid parking collection.
Committee discussion and action items
- Permits and road closures: Committee members said the event notification/road-closure form has been submitted for state sign-off and requires local police, fire and MassDOT approval; the Select Board must vote to finalize the road-closure request before MassDOT processing can proceed. The committee estimated they are about a week behind last year—s schedule and expect the Select Board to consider the item at its next meeting.
- Vendor counts and logistics: Organizers reported roughly 50 vendors confirmed, with additional applications still outstanding. Food vendors listed included Wild Game Sausage, Wicked Good Kettle Corn, J & J Seafood, Mad Good Cookies, Bartending School of New England, BF Kitchen and DL Concessions; a small number of food vendors require electrical or propane hookups. The committee plans to use last year—s field map to place returning vendors in familiar spots and to slot new vendors into remaining spaces.
- Parking and payments: The committee agreed to use a volunteer parking coordinator, Gary Stanley, to collect vendor parking fees on the day of the event (cash). Organizers said vendors will be directed to park at the site on North Street rather than in the COA lot to preserve turnover in the COA lot.
- Shuttle and accessibility: The committee reported an arrangement with the Council on Aging (COA) to operate shuttle buses between COA parking and the festival site for attendees with mobility needs; organizers will confirm the COA parking agreement when the agency responds.
- Volunteers and operations: Committee members outlined pre-event tasks (brush trimming, field clean-up, marking vendor spaces with spray paint), volunteer shifts for setup and on-site assistance, and responsibilities for tables/chairs pickup the day before. A volunteer roster and a more detailed day-of checklist will be circulated before the next meeting.
No final policy votes were taken on the festival during the meeting; the committee assigned follow-ups to confirm Select Board timing, finalize the COA parking agreement, and continue vendor outreach.
Ending: Committee members said they expect to reconvene before the festival to confirm road-closure approvals and finalize remaining vendor and volunteer details.
