For more information and to purchase tickets please visit, Coppola Wine Dinner at McConnell House.
There are about 69,000 people living in Franklin, TN. There are almost 200,000 people living in Williamson County. Williamson County is filled with cute places to stay. As a local, I was pleasantly suprised to find 65 rental options just in Franklin, TN. If you have the chance to visit us, check out our local hotels, b&b’s and VRBO rentals. There is something for everyone.
If you only have an hour or two to visit us, stop by the Visitor’s Center in historic downtown Franklin (just off Fourth Avenue North). They will tell you about our historic sites like Carnton and Lotz or a guided walking tour (or the self-guided tour ) of the historic downtown district. For all of your shopping needs downtown offers a quaint shopping experience while others might enjoy the mall experience at CoolSprings Galleria, middle TNs largest shopping mall.
Drive through in the comfort of your own vehicle, but be prepared to be transported back in time. You’ll hear the sounds of live animals and see what the manger scene may have been like over 2000 years ago when Jesus came to earth in a very humble place.
Enjoy the season with friends and family while remember who we celebrate and if you take some photos while at the event, be sure to use the “BethlehemDriveThrough” hashtag and “@FCCFranklin” on Instagram and Twitter!
Located just ½ mile from 5-points intersection (Main St. & Columbia Ave.). We’re just a minutes drive from downtown Franklin!
Faith Community Church
1200 Columbia Ave.
Franklin, TN 37064
Drive through in the comfort of your own vehicle, but be prepared to be transported back in time. You’ll hear the sounds of live animals and see what the manger scene may have been like over 2000 years ago when Jesus came to earth in a very humble place.
Enjoy the season with friends and family while remember who we celebrate and if you take some photos while at the event, be sure to use the “BethlehemDriveThrough” hashtag and “@FCCFranklin” on Instagram and Twitter!
Located just ½ mile from 5-points intersection (Main St. & Columbia Ave.). We’re just a minutes drive from downtown Franklin!
Faith Community Church
1200 Columbia Ave.
Franklin, TN 37064
Storytime returns to the Visitor Center in Downtown Franklin, Tennessee on December 19th at 12 pm. Start by watching the movie “Elf” at The Franklin Theatre at 10:00am followed by a meet ‘n’ greet at 11:30.
Then bring the whole family and enjoy Buddy the Elf reading the story aloud. Attendance is limited so get there early to secure your spot!
After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity.
For more information and to purchase tickets please visit The Franklin Theatre.
“ELF” SCREENING WITH BUDDY THE ELF PRESENTED BY VISIT FRANKLIN
Factory at Franklin Presents “Trees of Christmas” Exhibit through December
Free to the public, the Factory at Franklin presents an annual Christmas tradition for Middle Tennessee featuring beautiful trees decorated for the season by the tenants and merchants of the Factory, the display elegantly winds its way among the Factory’s unique stores and restaurants. Be sure to come experience the wonder of Christmas – rain, shine or snow! Hours 8AM – 8PM.
The Dickens of a Christmas Festival in downtown Franklin Saturday drew a record crowd to enjoy unusually warm temperatures on Main Street with the first rays of sunlight at the festival in about two years of the festival.
Music City Strings played tunes in period costumes, while Scrooge ran through the streets with ghosts of Christmas past, present and future from the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Crowds enjoyed holiday music, food, craft vendors, snow on the old courthouse steps and other holiday sights.
The 31st Dickens of a Christmas drew a record-breaking crowd, according to Rene Evans, Street Festival Manager with The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County.
“The unofficial early estimates could reflect a record-breaking crowd of about 90,000,” Evans said.
The number represents a spike in last year’s attendance, which drew an estimated 50,000 and 60,000 Dickens-goers.
“I had several downtown merchants tell me that they have never seen that many people at any downtown festival,” Evans said. “It could be the highest attended event downtown, ever. We are completely blown away.”
Evans said many factors converged.
“I think the crowd was a convergence of a whole bunch of stars. We have tweaked our publicity efforts. We have amazing media partners. The weather was great. Who doesn’t want to come to downtown Franklin and a sunny day in December.
“Nashville is red-hot right now from a national standpoint, and Franklin is getting written up as a great place for everything in ‘Best of’ lists. We obviously are the beneficiaries of Franklin’s rising national prominence.”
Evans also added new additions to the festival turned out to be crowd pleasers this year such as the beard contest, new vendors and vintage artisan demonstrators like blacksmiths and weavers on Third Avenue.
“Plus, the snow on the old courthouse steps was also a draw,” she said.
Photo by Photo by Charles Pulliam – Dickens of a Christmas
Having recently celebrated their 50th year as a group, Exile is set to release their first-ever Christmas album this season.
It’s titled “Wrapped Up In Your Arms for Christmas” and their live performance at the Franklin Theatre will feature tracks to celebrate the season, along with many of the fan favorites from their long list of #1 hits through the years.
The award winning country rockers are one of the most exciting live acts to grace our stage. With three gold albums, two Greatest Hits CDs, several multi-platinum singles and thirteen award nominations from the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association (CMA), the band has one of the most solid reputations in the world of country music.
The Franklin Theatre was also honored to be the scene of their first “live” album and a DVD project entitled “Exile – Live from the Franklin Theatre.”
This special holiday evening will be a treat for the whole family and is also a fundraiser for the Southern Alliance for People and Animal Welfare (SAFPAW), a non-profit organization in middle Tennessee helping the homeless community face the daily challenges of living in poverty with their pets.
Please visit The Franklin Theatre for tickets.
For more information about SAFPAW, please visit www.safpaw.org.
Holiday Story Time with the Sugar Plum Fairy – Saturday, December 12 at 11:00 AM
Holiday Story Time with Elsa and Olaf – Saturday, December 12 at 1:00 PM
Bring the whole family and enjoy Santa reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” followed by a special meet n greet. Attendance is limited so get there early to secure your spot! Your favorite holiday characters will be reading beloved holiday stories to boys and girls of all ages this holiday season.
The magic of the season comes to life during the special meet ’n’ greets with all the characters immediately following their stories. This year, you can meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, Buddy the Elf, Princess Elsa and even Santa Claus himself! This is a great way to celebrate the holiday season with the entire family.
So, pack up the kids (or just yourself), and come on down to the Visitor Center to share in the spirit of the holiday season!
Historic Downtown Franklin is coming together on Saturday, Nov. 28, to support Small Business Saturday, a national effort to help independently owned merchants gain more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. The 150 shops and restaurants in downtown Franklin will offer special promotions and events the day after Black Friday to encourage patrons to shop local.
“Small Business Saturday is one way the community shows appreciation for our small businesses,” said Kristy Williams, Downtown Franklin Association director. “It’s our hope that we can help create a new tradition for families; a Christmas kick-off day in downtown Franklin that promotes relationships in a fun, non-chaotic, environment.”
Last year, patrons across the country spent $14.3 billion on Small Business Saturday, and this year is expected to be even bigger.
“With our Merriest Main Street Reveal happening just days before—in addition to the Hop & Shop Trolley that will be giving shoppers free round trip rides to Historic Downtown from The Factory at Franklin—it’s never been easier to get out and support local merchants while soaking in the holiday cheer,” said Williams.
The strip will be filled with sights and sounds of the season as merchants and building owners decorate their storefronts to make Franklin the “Merriest Main Street” around.
“The Heritage Foundation and our merchants have done a fabulous job implementing this initiative to give the public an extra dose of enchantment this season,” said Marianne DeMeyers, Downtown Franklin Association president and owner of Tin Cottage. “This will add even more magic to downtown Franklin, and we couldn’t be more excited to see the effect.”
Some of the specials our DFA members are offering include:
Avec Moi – Morning mimosas
Ecco Salon – Refreshments, 10 percent off regular priced products, 20 percent off next three services when booked on Small Business Saturday.
Finnleys Good Findings – Light refreshments, including mulled cider and fruit. Will also be handing out favors to guests who arrive on the 25th of each hour
Handy Hardware – Free gift wrapping of purchases from Handy Hardware
It’s Vintage, Baby – Free ornament ($15 value) for every $150 spent
Mellow Mushroom – Hot Totties, featuring Bird Dog apple whiskey with a caramel and cinnamon rim, and an apple slice/ cinnamon stick garnish
Puckett’s Boat House – Purchase a $100 gift card, get an additional $20 and purchase a $50 gift card, get an additional $10
Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant – Buy one bottle of BBQ sauce, get one free; purchase a $100 gift card, get an additional $20 and purchase a $50 gift card, get an additional $10
Savory Spice – Gift packs containing four jars or more will be buy one, get three free
Taziki’s – Special catering menu, all items are $5
The Coffee House – Anyone who brings in a receipt showing purchase from a local retailer will receive a free cup of coffee
The Shop Around the Corner – Hot cider and muffins
The Visitor Center – For every $35 spent in the Visitor Center, customers will receive a free Franklin logo mason jar
Vue Optique – Offering a $100 voucher to use toward a complete pair of prescription eyewear, not covered by insurance
Walton’s Antique Jewelry – 10% off everything in the store
To learn more about Historic Downtown Franklin and the work of the Downtown Franklin Association, visit its website at www.downtownfranklintn.com.
More About Downtown Franklin Association
Since its founding in 1984, the Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) has spearheaded the revitalization of Franklin’s historic downtown core. We’ve done it by following the four-point program of the National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation: Organization, Design, Promotion and Economic Restructuring.
Working in partnership with the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County–the DFA’s parent organization–and with property owners, preservationists, city and county government, and local businesses in our historic retail district, the DFA has helped create one of the nation’s Main Street success stories. We’ve earned national recognition as an authentic, eclectic place that offers something for everyone in an atmosphere that reminds locals and visitors alike of a simpler time in our history – a place where community matters.