MetroWest Regional Fan Zones Announced; Yes, there is one in Franklin !!!

The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the City of Marlborough and the Town of Franklin, today announced plans for a coordinated MetroWest Regional Fan Zone initiative at two locations to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ and bring a major tournament viewing event to the region.

“The World Cup is a hugely unifying global event, and this initiative brings that energy directly to MetroWest,” said Stacey David, Executive Director of the MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau. “By working together across communities, we’re creating a regional hub where residents and visitors can experience the excitement of the tournament and celebrate together. It’s also an opportunity to showcase the region, encouraging visitors to stay, explore, and support local businesses while generating meaningful economic impact across MetroWest.”

Each Fan Zone will feature live match broadcasts on a jumbotron, surrounded by an outdoor festival with a beer garden, food trucks, arts & crafts and other vendors, and family-friendly activities. Organizers expect the events to draw thousands of attendees daily across the two locations. Together, the sites will serve as a regional gathering place for spectators, offering one of the state’s most significant organized opportunities to experience the excitement of the FIFA World Cup™ close to home.

Located just minutes from matches being played in Foxborough, the Fan Zones will provide an accessible and welcoming option for those looking to take part in the tournament atmosphere, whether attending a match at the stadium or not.

Marlborough’s Fan Zone will take place June 11–13 at Kelleher Field, with livestreams of:

• Mexico vs. South Africa (June 11)

• USA vs. Paraguay (June 12)

• Brazil vs. Morocco and Haiti vs. Scotland (June 13)

“Marlborough is proud to host a Fan Zone that reflects the diversity and international spirit of our community,” said Mayor J. Christian Dumais of Marlborough. “The World Cup brings together fans from all backgrounds, and our match lineup and festival atmosphere are designed to celebrate that energy—creating a space where people can share their passion for the game and experience the excitement in a way that feels both global and local.”

Meredith Harris, Executive Director for the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation that is partnering on the event shared, "We are excited to welcome local, regional and even international visitors to our community to support our small and local businesses while enjoying the festivities surrounding the World Cup. When presented with the opportunity to host a fan zone, we wanted to be at the forefront of encouraging increased foot traffic for our retailers, restaurants and hotels while also providing a safe and fun way for people to gather and watch the game with their family, friends & neighbors."

Franklin will host the second Fan Zone on June 24–25 at the Franklin Town Common and adjacent Hayward Manor, featuring:

• Switzerland vs Canada and Scotland vs. Brazil (June 24)

• Ecuador vs. Germany and Tunisia vs. Netherlands (June 25)

“As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Franklin is proud to ‘Welcome the World’ to our Town Common, which has long been a place where our community comes together,” said Cory Shea, Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy for the Town of Franklin. “This Fan Zone blends the excitement of a global event with the warmth and tradition of a New England town, offering a family-friendly gathering place where residents and visitors alike can share in a truly special experience.”

Match selections across both locations were curated to reflect the diverse and passionate soccer communities throughout MetroWest and the Greater Boston area, highlighting teams with strong local followings and broad international appeal.

Additional details, including other watch parties and soccer-related programming throughout the region, will be available in the official Fan Zone Guide, to be released in the coming weeks at www.metrowestvisitors.org/world-cup. The guide will be available in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.

Local retailers, arts and crafts vendors, and nonprofit organizations are invited to participate. Vendor applications are available at www.metrowestvisitors.org/fan-vendors. Businesses may also host interactive activity or brand activation booths; more information is available at www.metrowestvisitors.org/fan-activations. MetroWest businesses holding smaller watch parties and soccer-related events are encouraged to email their event details to info@metrowestvisitors.org for free inclusion in the Fan Zone Guide.

The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization focused on promoting travel and tourism throughout the 19 towns of the MetroWest region: Ashland, Bellingham, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, and Westborough. For more information, please visit the MBVB website at www.metrowestvisitors.org. 

Franklin TV schedule for Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (Your local Public, Education & Government "PEG" station)

• Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = TUESDAY

7:00 am ArtWeek: Theater in the Open

7:30 am     Once Upon A Town: Schools

9:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Festivals & Community Celebrations

10:00 am Frank Presents: Djuna Perkins

12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Taquitos

12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Italian Sausage

1:30 pm     Pizzapalooza: Margherita Pizza

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer '19 Show 2

3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 4

3:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Referee Shortage 2

5:30 pm Jon Mitchell & Randy LaRosa: 12-Tone Music

9:00 pm Metrowest Summit: World Cup 02-26-26

• Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel        (Comcast 8, Verizon 28) = TUESDAY

7:00 am Middle School Winter Music: 2025: Band

8:30 am FHS Concert Hour 02-25-26

10:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Festivals & Community Celebrations

1:00 pm FHS Varsity Softball v North Attleboro 04-08-26

3:00 pm MSTCA Track Meet Pt 1 04-28-24

7:00 pm All-Town Chorus & Orchestra 2026

8:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Referee Shortage 2

9:30 pm Franklin Footlighters: High School Musical Jr.

• Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 9, Verizon 29) = TUESDAY

8:00 am School Committee 04-14-26: School Committee 04-14-26

12:00 pm Joint Budget Subcommittee 04-16-26

2:00 pm School Committee 04-14-26: School Committee 04-14-26

6:00 pm Finance Committee 04-07-26

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

Franklin TV: SAFE, 10th GALA

SAFE Coalition Celebrates at Gillette Stadium

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 04/12/2026

When the SAFE Coalition began humbly in Wrentham who knew that its growth, and more importantly, its impact across the state would be so incredible? It’s staff and volunteers are amazing. It’s cause runs deep through every heart. When you understand the critical work they do there’s only one response. “How can we help?” 

Now, 10 years on – time to enjoy a moment to celebrate. The evening’s festivities were hosted (and serenaded) by Jim Derick and Jeff Roy. (Standing ovation.)

And – as always –

Thank you for watching. 

Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm,

and staying informed at Franklin●news.

You can watch the Gala  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Xby1B-lQM

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

Joint Budget Subcommittee - Thursday, April 16 at 6 PM

Joint Budget Subcommittee (Town Council, School Committee, & Finance Committee) — 

Thursday, April 16 at 6:00 PM | 3rd Floor Training Room, Municipal Building

Attend in-person, join via Zoom, or stream on Franklin Town Hall TV YouTube.

Meeting agenda - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-2252 

Franklin TV: Sports, Take 2

Giving voice to the action.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 04/12/2026

We’re watching football. Yes, we’re ‘Professional Football Watchers’

Now there’s a cool job title. Here you see Pete Royce and Jay Horrigan watching a game and calling the play action. They’re broadcast sports announcers. That’s the fancier way of saying, ‘Professional Football Watchers’. All they need here? Buffalo wings and beer.

This was one of the rare instances where they called the game from our studio rather than at the field. I might be disassembling a bit of ‘The Magic of Television’, but yes, this actually happens with some national and international sports.

Consider that almost all soccer games are called by announcers in a Miami studio.

“ Goalll ! ! ! ! ! !”

As the World Cup plays out across the U.S. this year there will be announcers hither and yon – in studios around the world. They’ll be calling the games in languages common to their respective national TV networks.

The “Tower of Babel” problem – solved. Not a towering task.

And – as always –

Thank you for watching. 

Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm,

and staying informed at Franklin●news.

 

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Monday, April 6, 2026 ???

Monday, April 6

For additional details on Library events -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

For additional details on Senior Center events ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

Note: Senior Center checking on why their events are suddenly being shown as "All Day". You can use the monthly newsletter for specific program/event times

***  Town Meetings today   ***

Finance Committee Meeting - Budget Hearing

Monday, April 6 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04062026-2219 

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, April 6 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04062026-2231 

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Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar

Franklin TV: MASSachusetts MEDIA - Should we charge for streaming sports?

Sports – & Tech – & Us

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 03/29/2026

Mass communication became a reality with the rise of radio after The Great War. Since then, sports coverage and technology have enjoyed a long, mutually beneficial relationship. Radio brought us the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the booth announcer’s excitement. After WW 2 we embraced TV. We could hear and see the action unfolding – live – as it happened.

Note: A baseball game was first ‘televised’ as early as 1926 by Hollis Baird via an experimental, 32 line TV system– from Fenway Park. The fact that you couldn’t see the ball at that low image resolution? Hey, he tried.

The de facto formation of a sports & media complex brought more energy and money to major leagues and major networks. The tech march continued with color TV in the late fifties, and eventually HDTV in 1997. (Now you could see the hockey puck.)

Along the way instant replays became common, and these days, even mission critical in validating the play action. From the batter’s box to the 1st down line, inches matter. Now computer graphics underscore details of the play action. During half-time NFL coaches use video to analyze the opposing team’s play and make adjustments.

Today, the only significant regular programming that remains truly live is sports. Almost everything else is recorded in advance. We at Franklin.TV know the power of sports at the local level. School sports is becoming part of the sports & media complex with licensing deals between schools, regional, state and national distributors – and as local community TV studios, we are slowly being forced off the field. First, for the big season playoff games – and eventually, the day may arrive where we can no longer carry school sports.

Where money is involved, what we’ve offered for years – for free – for everyone – may be constrained to those who can afford to subscribe to streaming services. Our own sports streams remain free – for now. Viewers who drop cable and ‘cut the cord’ can see our games, but we see no revenue as our annual budget continues to erode. Should we charge for streaming sports?

And – as always –

Thank you for watching.

Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm, 

and staying informed at Franklin●news. 

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Franklin TV: Computers – Lots of ‘em

Stacking ‘em up – to get it done.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 03/08/2026

Due to the inclement weather our Conservation Commission held their recent meeting via Zoom. Sooo, about a half-dozen souls tied their computers together over the internet via Zoom. That’s a computer for each person, and an ‘invisible’ computer at Zoom to connect them all and record the proceedings.

We also join the meeting in order to connect it to our Government channel. So, I fire up a computer at home and join the meeting in order to coordinate that connection. Then I fire up a second computer at home to control another computer at the studio that will also join their meeting and send it to yet another computer that will stream it to our YouTube channel. I also connect the meeting to another computer that plays the meeting on our government cable channel while also recording it.

We set up this computing cascade well in advance of the meeting’s start – because you just never know… Total computer count – 12. What could possibly go wrong?

And – as always –

Thank you for watching.

Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm, 

and staying informed at Franklin●news

 

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

Franklin Welcomes the World - June 25 & June 26 (part 2)

Community Engagement on the Town Common & Haywood Manor Beer Garden Overview

Geared towards community organizations and businesses. Tier 2 builds on Tier 1 by providing a physical presence at the festivities events on the Franklin Town Common and/or Haywood Manor Beer Garden; giving businesses and organizations the opportunity to host community-focused activities during the events, or sell their retail goodies on June 25–26. All Tier 1 benefits apply, including inclusion in the digital hub, print guide, and town-wide promotion.

Types of Community Engagement:

Vendors

•  Vendors participate to sell goods or services directly to the public at events on the Town Common or at Haywood Manor.
•  Examples include: food trucks, retail vendors, artisans selling handmade goods, or small businesses offering products.

Community Partners

•  Community partners pay for a space to host an activity, demonstrate their mission, or engage the public—not to sell products.
•  Examples include: local nonprofits, arts organizations, cultural associations, youth programs, educational groups, or civic clubs.

Fee Information

•  Vendor and community partner fees will vary based on the type of participation.
•  Fees and official registration will be published on the Town of Franklin website by March 1st.

Fee Purpose

Vendor and community partner fees help cover essential event costs; including the FIFA public viewing license required to stream the matches legally, as well as police/security details for the events.

Special Note – Farmers Market Vendors

Vendors already approved for the Franklin Farmers Market may participate in community engagement events without paying an additional fee. DACCE will coordinate with market staff to ensure vendor placement, setup times, and operations align with both market and watch party activities.

Participation & Submission for Vendor & Community Partners

Email Cory Shea, to be alerted of when the community engagement and vendor application officially opens on the Town of Franklin website.

Download the playbook for both Part 1 & Part 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Xa9h_6rTqvmZJ9dnASwz1y39m4rGPrn/view?usp=drive_link

Franklin Welcomes The World - June 25 & June 26

The Town of Franklin will host two days of festivities celebrating the international soccer games playing at neighboring Gillette Stadium. These events will take place on June 25 and June 26 on the Franklin Town Common and at one of our community partner locations, Haywood Manor.

The festivities will include live streamed games on a large screen; enabling viewing from the Town Common and the Haywood lawn; as well as community vendors, food trucks and live music. These free, community-centered days are designed to create a welcoming, festive atmosphere for residents and visitors while supporting downtown activity and cultural tourism.

Programming is also part of the broader ‘Franklin Welcomes the World’ marketing campaign, reinforcing Franklin’s role as a regional gathering place during a global event.

Viewing party & Community Engagement Primary Location:

Franklin Town Common & Hayward Manor

LED screen viewing area with open lawn seating at Haywood Manor; will host outdoor viewing, including a beer garden component (pending licensing and approvals).

Watch Party/Festivity Timeline: 3-9pm June 25th+26th Streamed games:

Thursday, June 25

•   4pm Ecuador v Germany
•   7pm Tunisia v Netherlands
•   10pm USA - Go watch elsewhere!   

Friday, June 26

•   3pm Norway v France
•   8pm Uruguay v Spain

Community Engagement Elements | Vendors & Community Partners

Presented on the Town Common and Haywood Manor. Note that the beer garden is at Haywood Manor only, and no alcohol is permitted on the Town Common.

• Live music performances before and/or after matches
• Community Partners/Vendors on the Town Common
• Food trucks
• Wayfinding and signage connecting the Common, downtown, and partner locations + ‘Franklin Welcomes the World’ marketing campaign

Estimated Attendance

Projected total attendance: 1,000–1,500 visitors over two days, Audience includes: Franklin residents, Regional visitors attending Gillette matches,

Families, young adults, and soccer fans.

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 ???

Tuesday, January 20

6:00pm Table Top (Franklin Public Library)

For additional details on Library events -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

For additional details on Senior Center events ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

*** Town Meetings today   ***

2:30 PM   GATRA Public Meeting  LIVESTREAM  at the Senior Center

or 

Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel  (Comcast 9, Verizon 29)

Design Review Meeting

Tuesday, January 20 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01202026-2099 

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Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar