Franklin 4th Fireworks Are Back!

Missing those Fourth of July fireworks? Well, come on down to Franklin High School on Tuesday, July 3rd, at 9:30 p.m. where the Franklin July 4th Coalition will host the first Independence Day fireworks in the town for years.
“The biggest request we had from people was to bring back the fireworks,” says Joe Carmignani, who is co-chairing the Franklin July 4th Coalition for the second time in a row with Paul Kortick.
The fireworks will be set off from the ball fields behind the high school, and this is the first year that that area will be used to do so.
“People will be able to park in virtually every parking lot at Franklin High School and Horace Mann Middle School, but we won’t let anyone up on the hill or ball fields where the fireworks are being launched,” says Carmignani. Bystanders will also need to avoid sitting on the football field or artificial turf, he says.
The Fiesta Shows carnival on the Town Common that started on June 29th will run through Wednesday, July 4th. There will be food booths sponsored by local non-profit organizations, live music and other entertainment. There is no formal parade scheduled this year, only a children’s bike parade, sponsored by the Franklin Lions Club, on Saturday, June 30th.
“We’ve been working on this since last summer,” says Carmignani. Not only did the organizers have to get approval for fireworks from the State Marshall and local fire and police departments, but “we also had to raise enough money to be able to afford the fireworks and police and fire details that came with that,” says Carmignani. At the time of interview, the coalition had sent out a mailer asking local residents to help contribute to make the annual event a success.
Carmignani says the process has gone a lot more smoothly this year, as last year he and Kortick didn’t get started putting plans together until late May.
“We started a lot earlier than last year, planning and meeting since the first of the year. We feel we’ve got a better handle on how this is going. We want to keep building it, and we’re really excited about the entertainment this year. Each evening, we have a different band that’s playing for people that like different styles of music – rock and soul, reggae, a country rock band,” says Carmignani. Most of the bands were found through word of mouth, while some will be returning from last year.
“We’re going to have a lot of great things, and two additional booths,” says Carmignani. Local organizations will run the food booths, including
Franklin Rod & Gun Club
Franklin Democratic Town Committee
Temple Etz Chaim
Franklin 4th of July Coalition
Knights of Columbus
Franklin Republican Town Committee
“We’re hoping to get additional organizations to host booths next year,” says Carmignani, who adds that the groups do not pay a fee but are expected to participate in cleanup following the event.
Fourth of July events in Franklin are funded 100% by private contributions. In addition to the mailing, Carmignani says the group has reached out to a number of local businesses and has received support, and the group also has a little seed money it made from the carnival on the common last year. A partial list of business supporters, as of Local Town Pages’ deadline, included: Dean College, Dean Bank, Garelick Farms, Fiesta Shows, Keefe Insurance, Kelly’s Landscaping, Allegra Printing, Franklin Party Rentals, George’s Oil, Simon’s Furniture, Franklin Glass and Hillside Nurseries. (visit www.franklin4th.com for a more updated list). They can always use additional contributions, large and small.
“People can donate right online,” says Carmignani, at www.franklin4th.com. If anybody doesn’t feel comfortable donating online, the letter sent out to residents has a return envelope. They can make the check payable to
Franklin July 4th Coalition,
c/o Dean Bank
PO box 307
Franklin, MA 02038
In addition, volunteers are always welcome to help out on the town common. Visit the website and contact Joe or Paul to volunteer.