After Getting Turned Down, Milford Carnival Will Happen In 2023

MILFORD, MA — After a hiatus last year, a carnival that acts as a major fundraiser for Milford's annual July 4 parade will return in July.

The Milford Select Board Monday gave the OK for a carnival to be held over the weekend of July 26 at Fino Field. The select board in April 2022 declined to support the event when the organizers wanted to hold it at Milford High School. Fino Field was not available for the event last summer.

The Friends of the Milford Fourth of July Parade group brought the annual carnival back in 2021, raising about $17,000 for the 2022 parade. When last year's event couldn't be held, local carnival company Fiesta Shows donated $5,000 to the Milford parade.

The July 4 parade group raised money over the past year through a number of alternative efforts, including pub crawls, bingo nights and donation boxes placed around town. The event also received a Mass Cultural Council Festival and Project grant.

The town's annual July 4 parade typically begins around 10 a.m. at Veteran's Memorial Drive and continues through the downtown area. The 2022 parade was the first one following the COVID-19 pandemic.