When does Stoughton's 300th year actually end? The anniversary committee's calendar gives two answers. One is a formal dinner at a country club on November 21. The other comes three weeks later on a Saturday afternoon, with a time capsule and a toast. That second date is also parade day.
The 300th has been a year-long program running from January through December 2026, according to the committee's site. Its last event is the 300th Closing Ceremony, which runs from 2:00 to 3:10 p.m. on Saturday, December 12. At 5:00 p.m. that same day, Stoughton Recreation's Holiday Parade of Lights starts through Stoughton Town Center. The anniversary's final hour and a holiday parade with a much longer history fall less than two hours apart.
The gala comes first, and the year keeps going
The Stoughton 300th Formal Gala is on Saturday, November 21, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Blue Hill Country Club. The committee's listing promises dinner, dancing, and "special moments" to honor the year-long celebration. Tickets are $50 per person, paid by cash or check made out to the Town of Stoughton.
The gala listing also says the evening will "close out Stoughton's 300th Anniversary festivities in style." Even so, the committee's own events page places one more event after it. The "Next" link on the gala page goes straight to the December 12 Closing Ceremony. So November 21 is the year's last formal night, and December 12 is its last day.
The two events are built differently. The gala is a ticketed evening dinner. The Closing Ceremony is a 70-minute afternoon gathering that the committee describes in one line: "a time capsule, treats, and a toast to the town."
Town Spa Pizza sponsors the gala. That sponsor has some history of its own in Stoughton. According to the restaurant's own history page, Henry and Rena Phillips bought the upstairs Porter Street location in 1955. The family later built a new family-style restaurant on Washington Street and opened it on Tuesday, September 9, 1986. That means a business with roughly seven decades in town is underwriting the dinner for the town's third century.
December 12, by the clock
Here is the day in order:
- 2:00 p.m. The 300th Closing Ceremony begins, with a time capsule, treats, and a toast to the town.
- 3:10 p.m. The Closing Ceremony is scheduled to end.
- 4:00 p.m. Parade participants check in at O'Donnell Middle School.
- 5:00 p.m. The Holiday Parade of Lights starts through Stoughton Town Center, running from Pearl Street to Park Street.
That leaves 50 minutes between the end of the ceremony and float check-in, and 110 minutes before the first float moves. Anyone who wants to see the year close and the parade start can do both without picking one.
The ceremony page has a Google Calendar link and an ICS download, so the 2:00 slot can go straight onto a phone calendar.
Who planned the year that closes that afternoon
The 300th is run by a volunteer committee appointed by the Select Board in 2023. Kellie Laguerre chairs it and David Allen Lambert is vice chair. Dr. Patricia Randolph serves as secretary, Dianne Dolan as treasurer, and Amanda Bettle oversees signature events. The committee page also lists George Dolinsky, Lori Jacques, Fred Minsker, Marie-Andree Montima, Margaret "Peggy" Sewyck, Dr. Jennifer Sears, Cynthia Walsh, and Darlene Hayner.
This fall the committee's schedule has been working its way toward the town center. The October 3 event, Stoughton 300th Day, was listed for 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Stoughton High School Athletic Complex, 232 Pearl Street, with football, entertainment, and food on the program. Pearl Street is also where the December 12 parade starts.
The parade the anniversary leads into
The Parade of Lights has been around much longer than this year's anniversary committee. Its top award is the Callanan Trophy, which Wicked Local reported in 2020 honors Jim Callanan, the founder of the original Stoughton Christmas Parade. This year, the trophy goes to the best overall float on the same day the town marks 300 years.
The 2026 rules are listed on the Recreation registration page:
| Detail | 2026 listing |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, December 12, 2026 |
| Route | Stoughton Town Center, Pearl Street to Park Street |
| Approximate distance | 1.6 miles |
| Step-off | 5:00 p.m. |
| Participant check-in | 4:00 p.m., O'Donnell Middle School |
| Judging criteria | Workmanship, design, theme, creativity |
| Top award | Callanan Trophy, best overall float |
| Participant fee | $0 for residents and non-residents |
| Registration deadline | Thursday, December 10 |
Registration is for businesses and organizations, and the page links to instructions for groups that don't yet have an account. The deadline falls two days before the parade, so a group still debating a float when this post goes up has about four weeks left.
For a sense of what the 1.6 miles looks like, the Enterprise News photo gallery from the 2024 parade is a good reference. That parade was held on Saturday, December 14, 2024. The gallery shows:
- the Stoughton High School marching band
- the Department of Public Works
- East Coast Jeeps
- Santa
- spectators along the route, with hot chocolate
The 2026 lineup will depend on who registers by December 10. A 300th-themed float competing for the Callanan Trophy would fit well alongside the regulars in a year like this.
Building the rest of the day
Both events fall in the afternoon and evening, so the morning and midday are free. Two local spots keep early hours that suit a long Saturday.
Beantown Diner is at 593 Washington Street. Its site lists daily hours of 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers online ordering. A late breakfast there finishes right as the Closing Ceremony begins.
Stoughton Bakery & Cafe is at 29 Wyman Street and is open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., with bakery and cafe menus on its site. Its 4 p.m. closing time comes 50 minutes after the ceremony ends, the same time parade participants check in at O'Donnell.
Town Spa Pizza is the obvious name for a 300th-year dinner, since it sponsors the gala and its own history runs from Porter Street in 1955 to Washington Street in 1986. Before planning a post-parade meal around it, check its current hours directly with the restaurant.
The parade covers about 1.6 miles from Pearl Street to Park Street, so the last floats reach Park Street well after the first ones leave Pearl.
The full calendar from publish day
From November 12, the rest of Stoughton's anniversary year fits in three dates, plus one deadline in between:
- Saturday, November 21, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. 300th Formal Gala, Blue Hill Country Club, $50 per person by cash or check to the Town of Stoughton
- Thursday, December 10 Last day for businesses and organizations to register for the Holiday Parade of Lights
- Saturday, December 12, 2:00 to 3:10 p.m. 300th Closing Ceremony with time capsule, treats, and toast
- Saturday, December 12, 5:00 p.m. Holiday Parade of Lights, Pearl Street to Park Street
After 3:10 p.m. on December 12, the 300th is over. At 5:00 p.m., the first floats leave Pearl Street.
At RockHome Real Estate, we follow Stoughton's calendar as closely as its listings, and a town's 300th year is a fitting time to look at what your own place in it is worth. If you're thinking about what your Stoughton home might bring in 2027, start with a quick number before parade day: Get an Instant Home Valuation.
