Franklin City finalizes July 2'4 dates, lineup and logistics for 2026 Civic Celebration

The Franklin Civic Celebration Committee confirmed the 2026 event will run Thursday through Saturday, July 2'4, with tear-down scheduled for Sunday, July 5. The common council has already approved the dates, committee members said during the meeting.

Committee members outlined hours of operation (generally 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on July 2 and July 3, with programming on July 4 beginning in the morning), a kids parade at 10:30 a.m. on July 4 and a children's show earlier that morning. The committee invited the carnival to operate four days (noon'4) and to run a wristband day; the carnival would be the only operation on Sunday, July 5, if the vendor accepts the contract.

Entertainment bookings were reviewed: Bella Kane and the Glam Band (from Appleton) are scheduled for July 3, 5 Card Studs is scheduled to perform in the afternoon on July 4 (2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), and Road Crew is booked for the evening country set. Committee members noted the Glam Band's lead singer is undergoing cancer treatment, which has affected availability for other community shows.

The committee discussed volunteer management and agreed to pursue a low-cost online sign-up platform for scheduling volunteers. The committee described a package that costs about $26 per month for the level of administrator access they need; members noted the subscription can be paused outside the event months and gives up to 10 administrators, built-in reminders and a limited number of form questions.

Committee members also reviewed rental equipment quotes for tents, tables and chairs and acknowledged increased rental costs versus the previous year. Members proposed reducing the number of chairs and shirts ordered for volunteers to reduce expenses and discussed selling a smaller number of event T-shirts on-site as a revenue offset.

Fireworks pricing remained uncertain. Vendors told the committee their pricing decisions are being affected by international tariffs; vendors place orders several months in advance, so the committee expects a clearer cost in January. Committee members referenced funding approval from the common council but gave inconsistent statements in the meeting record: one member said the committee had been 'approved for $40,000,' while others said the council approved $30,000 and asked the committee to return with a precise request when the vendor cost is known. The committee said it will report exact figures once vendors set prices in January.

Security and sanitation from past events factored into planning: members praised police presence for de-escalating last year's incidents but said coordination with the Department of Public Works (DPW) must improve to prevent overflowing trash and to ensure porta-potty and handwashing stations are serviced during the event. The committee asked staff to convene DPW and committee contacts before next year's event to agree responsibilities and on-site points of contact.

No formal vote took place at the meeting to change event dates or funding; the committee recorded that council approval of the dates has already occurred. The meeting concluded with a routine adjournment motion that received a second and no opposition.

What to watch next: the committee will ask vendors for final fireworks pricing in January and will finalize volunteer sign-up details and vendor invitations in the spring. Budget details and any additional council requests will be reported back to the committee when available.