Tricentennial committee sets Southborough house tour for Sept. 18, 2027

The Town of Southborough Tricentennial Committee voted Nov. 12 to schedule the tricentennial house tour for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2027, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Kate Battles, the volunteer leading the house-tour working group, told the committee she and volunteers prefer a September date because many residents travel in summer and the weather is typically favorable. "We thought 09/18/2027 was gonna be an ideal date," Battles said, adding that the shorter 12–3 p.m. window addresses homeowner and volunteer feedback about previous four-hour tours.

Battles said the working group plans to feature 10 to 12 properties representing a range of historic and contemporary homes and deliberately to spread sites across the town to reflect different neighborhoods. She said the working group will begin brainstorming candidate homes the following week and will reach out to homeowners individually; some homes will display locally donated items from businesses to highlight community partners.

Committee members asked about ticketing and crowd control; Battles said tickets will be required to limit the number of people permitted inside each house, with staggered suggested routes and one to two volunteers at most homes to check tickets and encourage respectful visitor behavior. "It'll be set up so that when you get your ticket, you're given a suggested route," she said.

A committee member made the motion to put the house tour on the calendar for Sept. 18, 2027, 12–3 p.m.; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Battles said the working group expects to return with a more detailed status update in the first quarter of 2026 after homeowner outreach.

Next steps include finalizing the list of properties, confirming parking and access plans for each site, and working with the marketing volunteers to prepare ticketing details and a suggested route for participants.