Southborough tricentennial committee sets $200,000 fundraising target, outlines parade, drone show and festival budgets

The South Road Tricentennial Committee agreed Wednesday to pursue a $200,000 fundraising goal as a working target to underwrite major events for the town’s 300th anniversary.

Committee members and volunteer fundraisers walked through budget estimates for headline events: a drone show (estimated $25,000–$30,000), a parade (budgeted around $50,000), a firemen’s muster (about $20,000), and a music festival (estimated $10,000–$15,000). Kathy Cook, representing Friends of Southboro 300, said the organizing group has secured roughly $100,000 in major-donor pledges and about $34,131.66 from brick sales, not counting a $30,000 town allocation she said is available.

The committee framed the $200,000 figure as a working target, not a binding appropriation; members said it provides a fundraising goal that includes a modest cushion for unanticipated costs. “We have received pledges for $100,000 for what I’m calling major donors,” Kathy Cook said during the budget update, and she asked the group to confirm rough line-item numbers so the fundraising team could prioritize outstanding asks.

Organizers flagged payment and contract timing as a priority. Andrew, who is coordinating the drone show contract, said the vendor requires a written commitment and typically a deposit; the committee noted the drone vendor’s standard arrangement is half up front and half due either shortly before or after the performance. Parade performers and other participants will also be contracted, and the group agreed parade working-group volunteers should secure written commitments and down‑payment terms before committing slots to expensive participants.

Committee members discussed how to divide sponsorship outreach between large gifts and many smaller donors. “Let’s stay big-picture for a moment,” one member said, asking the fundraising working group to segment the potential parade participant list into high- and low-priority asks. Several members favored a targeted outreach push to small local businesses for $1,000–$2,000 sponsorships tied to specific parade elements.

Other planned costs the committee discussed included signage and banners (roughly $10,000–$20,000), a time capsule (budget placeholder), marketing (town mailers and social promotion), and smaller event items such as hayrides and a graveyard tour. The committee also noted some events (for example, the house tour and certain ticketed offerings) may recoup costs through ticket sales.

Next steps: the parade and fundraising working groups will refine vendor lists and contract language, the drone vendor commitment will be advanced by Andrew and Kathy, and the committee agreed to continue outreach to both major and smaller donors. The committee will reconvene with updated budget spreadsheets and confirmed contracts at its next regular meeting.