Members of the Needham Human Rights Committee spent the bulk of their April meeting discussing whether to make the townwide multicultural festival an annual event and how to avoid overburdening volunteers.

The committee resolved to form a working group to begin preliminary planning now and target a spring 2026 kickoff rather than holding the event this year. Committee members said the group should coordinate early with elementary school parent–teacher organizations and school calendars to avoid clashes with existing school multicultural events.

“Maybe reaching out to [the] PTCs first” was suggested as a first step, a member said, noting the festival in past years drew from the same small pool of volunteers who also run school events. Committee members emphasized that finding dates that do not conflict with the Elliot, Newman and Williams elementary schools’ activities is central to recruiting presenters and families.

Speakers also raised the workload placed on lead organizers and recommended a two-chair model—chair plus vice chair—to build continuity and reduce burnout. One member recounted that organizers who led the most recent festival ‘‘said how much work that we shouldn’t do it every year,’’ and another said a biannual or otherwise staggered schedule could preserve volunteer interest.

The committee discussed outreach to potential volunteer pools, including the high school National Honor Society, as a practical source of event volunteers and helpers. A student at the meeting said seniors often need community-service hours and could help with set-up, staging and hospitality.

Budget and communications needs were also part of the conversation. Members discussed creating a durable, weatherproof vinyl banner and a consistent logo for use at town events; a sample vendor price for an 8-by-12 vinyl banner was cited at about $200. The committee agreed to collect logo options and compare costs before deciding whether to hire a designer or use an existing human-rights symbol.

Next steps: committee members agreed to start the working-group legwork immediately—identify chairs, compile school-event dates and recruit volunteers—and to return with a short planning checklist at the next meeting.