After Milford Carnival Denied, Company Gives July 4 Parade Thousands

MILFORD, MA — A carnival that serves as a major fundraiser for Milford's annual July 4 parade won't happen in 2022, but the carnival company behind the event recently made a big donation to the parade.

At the end of April, the Milford Select Board denied a permit for the carnival to take place at Milford High School, citing concerns from neighbors and public safety. With no alternative location for the event, Milford Fourth of July Parade committee chair Ray Auger said no carnival will take place this year.

But this week, Fiesta Shows owner E.J. Dean made a $5,000 donation to the Milford parade.

"E.J. wanted to thank us for all of our hard work and told us that we should be proud of our efforts and that the community was lucky to have us working for them. He promised that he'll be ready to go when we try again next year and asked us to keep in touch," Auger said in a Facebook post.

Fiesta Shows is one of the largest carnival operators in New England, and hosts carnvials and fairs across Massachusetts. The company is hosting four carnivals in the state in May alone in Westford, Randolph, Billerica and Sharon.

Auger said Wednesday the parade committee may hold other fundraisers this year for the 2023 parade, including a possible pub crawl in the fall.

The July 4 parade brought the carnival fundraiser back in 2021, raising about $17,000 from the event. Last year's carnival was also planned for the high school, but the location was scuttled due to neighborhood complaints. The organizers were able to hold the event at Fino Field last August, but that location is not available in 2022.

The Milford parade will step off on July 4 at 10 a.m. — it will be the first July 4 parade since 2019 due to the pandemic.