By Maddie Miga

One of Franklin’s most popular summer events is making an appearance again this month. Concerts on the Common has become an annual tradition that includes live music, food trucks, and movie nights. 

The concerts, which will take place at the Franklin Town Common, are scheduled to begin in June and will continue up until August. Below are the concert dates coming up for this year, as well as what bands and movies will be featured:

July 12

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Mike Tarrara

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Reminiscents

8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Movie: Back to the Future

July 19

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Marc Berger

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Strumdawgs

July 26

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., It’s a J Thing

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Frank Padula Band

August 2

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., David Rak

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Electric Youth

8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Movie: Wonka

August 9

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., KENDO

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Paradise Flyer

August 16

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Matt Zajack

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Pub Kings

8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Movie: Super Mario Bros.

Franklin’s Recreation Director, Ryan Jette, is one of the many people who help make Concerts on the Common possible. When asked about what goes into planning this yearly event, Jette said that they “start in January by selecting a broad range of music that will entertain the residents of Franklin. We collect a list of bands and listen to their music and gather feedback from other towns/agencies that have hosted those bands.” 

In order to decide what music is played at the concerts, Jette stated that they “review all the bands that apply to play in the summer and internally between the Program Coordinator, Sean Fitzpatrick, Deputy Director, Kim Carney, and myself.” 

In addition to organizing what music is played, Jette and his team “also select movies which are shown immediately after the concerts.” The films for this summer include Back to the Future on July 12, Wonka on August 2, and Super Mario Bros. on August 16. 

During Concerts on the Common, the Recreation Department has also scheduled Food Trucks on the Common. Different food trucks will be featured each night, allowing guests to be able to enjoy a variety of foods. When asked how the concerts, movie nights, and food trucks are all funded, Jette mentioned that “the Recreation Department funds the cost of the bands, movie license fees and inflatable movie screen through our fiscal year operational budget.”

While Concerts on the Common is one of the town’s biggest summer events, Franklin also has concerts scheduled throughout the fall. Listed below are the dates for some future concerts that will take place at the Friday Franklin Farmers Market on the Town Common:

August 23

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Heather Deary

August 30

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Beni Brosch

September 6

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Alex Cohen

September 13

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., David Penza

September 20

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sioo

September 27

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Heath Nisbett

October 4

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Dom DeBaggis