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Franklin to host regional World Cup watch parties with $120,000 grant; town details safety and ticketing plans
Summary
The Economic Development Subcommittee heard a presentation on June 4 about two World Cup watch parties in Franklin (June 24–25) funded by a $120,000 regional grant and an additional $50,000 public-safety allocation; organizers described layouts, a 5,000-per-day ticket cap for planning, a 21+ beer garden with wristbands and ADA viewing.
Corey Sheay, identified at the meeting as Franklin’s director of arts, culture and the creative economy, told the Economic Development Subcommittee on June 4 that Franklin will host World Cup watch parties on June 24 and 25, with activities running roughly 3 to 9 p.m. both days. Sheay described jumbotron match broadcasts, live music, family activities, vendor stalls and soccer-activation programming intended to draw visitors and support local businesses.
Sheay said the program received a $120,000 grant split among Franklin, Marboro and the MetroWest Visitors Bureau and that an additional $50,000 dedicated to public safety would be announced in a press release. “They offered — we got $120,000 for this program to take place,” Sheay said during his presentation. Staff said the public-safety funds will be used to underwrite policing and crowd-management resources.
Organizers will publish detailed maps, road-closure notices and vendor FAQs on the town website on June 22. Sheay described the planned layout: a jumbotron placed near Hayward Manor, a community beer garden adjacent to the jumbotron area and food and artisan vendors on the common; a section of Main Street between St. Mary’s Church and the Federated Church will be closed to create a pedestrian walkway.
Ticketing will be free and primarily used for planning. Sheay said staff capped registration at 5,000 per day to match site capacity estimates and reported roughly 500 registrations for both evenings at the time of the meeting; staff clarified those without tickets would not be turned away but registration helps with crowd estimates. The event will provide ADA viewing at Hayward Manor.
The beer garden will be 21-and-over with ID checks, wristbands and vendor point-of-sale systems; organizers confirmed a two-drink limit and police presence inside the beer-garden perimeter. Vendors named during the meeting included La Cantina and a major beer brand; vendors will process their own sales. Staff said the beer garden will operate under a one-day liquor process rather than a long-term quota and that routine administrative permitting was expected to suffice.
Corey and recreation staff emphasized regional marketing tie-ins — billboards and placements in the MetroWest visitors guide were cited — and noted the event is part of a broader strategy to increase summer visitation and cross-promote other town events, including the Strawberry Stroll and Fourth of July festivities. Staff will collect zip-code data during registration to estimate local and regional attendance; staff noted international visitors may pose a data-collection gap because of differing address formats.
Next steps: staff will publish the detailed landing page on the town website on June 22, issue the public-safety press release, finalize vendor placements and continue outreach to volunteers and public-safety partners. No formal vote or council action was taken at the subcommittee meeting.
