The City of Franklin Parks and the Public Works Department is hosting the Touch a Truck event at Jim Warren Park (705 Boyd Mill Ave) from 5 – 8 p.m. It is free so bring the little ones down to play and explore the many street trucks and tractors.
Williamson County Parks and Recreation (WCPR) is pleased to announce the Kids’ CreArtivity Crawl on Friday, May 6 during the Franklin Art Scene. Kids ages 4 and older can have fun in special art classes at the Franklin Recreation Complex, 1120 Hillsboro Rd. while their parents attend the monthly Art Scene event in downtown Franklin.
For the younger set, ages 4 to 7, Shelly Egly will present ‘Creepy Crawly Art’ where kids get messy making their own insect inspired creepy crawly masterpieces using paint and model magic. Creepy Crawly Art is 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The class fee is $30 per child, plus a $5 supply fee payable to the instructor. Please bring a peanut free snack to class. All registration is on-line at www.wcparksandrec.com (code #7242).
Older kids, ages 8+, will have a ‘Kids’ Scrawl’ with instructor Amy Stielstra. The evening includes art games and cartooning with markers, drawing animals, aliens and animation characters. Then, to complete their art portfolio, students will create a painting using oil pastels, watercolors or tempera paints. The class is from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the fee is $30 per child, with a $5 supply fee payable to the instructor. Kids should wear old clothes and bring a peanut free snack. All registration is on-line at www.wcparksandrec.com (code #7241).
For more information about the free monthly Franklin Art Scene, go to www.downtownfranklin.com.
Williamson County Parks and Recreation is a public organization, here to benefit the community. Anyone may register for and participate in the department’s programs, teams, classes and events. For program registration, pass purchasing or additional information, visit www.wcparksandrec.com. You may also receive department information by “liking” Williamson County
A Day of Exploration and Discovery! Bring your family and friends for a day filled with creativity, art-making, live music, and exciting performances. Family Festival Day will celebrate the cultural and historical aspects of our exhibition Treasures from the House of Alba: 500 Years of Art and Collecting. Family Festival Day programs are free, appropriate for all ages, and offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Please visit Free Family Festival Day for moe information.
One of the most anticipated–and popular–events of the year in Williamson County! The two-day weekend event will feature more than 200 artisans & crafters, dynamic live entertainment for all ages, a dedicated kids’ areas and an international food court.
The festivities will resume April 23-24, 2016
The event is expected to attract some 125,000 visitors to a full slate of family-oriented activities, non-stop musical entertainment and international flavors of more than 20 food vendors.
The centerpiece of Main Street Festival is a juried arts and crafts show featuring some 200 vendors with original and hand crafted wares. Oil and watercolor paintings, pottery, jewelry, furniture, woodworking, ornamental iron, stained glass, photography, home and garden accents, birdhouses, leatherwork, and much more will be showcased on Main Street from First to Fifth Avenues.
In addition to a juried arts and crafts show, the festival offers a special area of children’s activities on Third Avenue South between City Hall and the Old Courthouse.
March 21-24: Video Game Design (Spring Break: ages 10-17)
Kids ages 10 to 17 are invited to have some fun with video game design during Spring Break! Learn about video game design and development. Produce several different interactive video games to share with family and friends. The four-day class meets March 21-24 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Franklin Recreation Complex, 1120 Hillsboro Rd., Franklin, TN 37064. Register on-line at www.wcparksandrec.com (registration code: 5947). $170 per student.
Does your kid love computers? Williamson County Parks and Recreation (WCPR) has computer skills camps in Franklin in February and March (during Spring Break) to spawn creativity and teach new skills. Computer skills camps are taught by the knowledgeable staff of Youth Tech, Inc. All supplies are provided, including laptops. For more information about Youth Tech, Inc., go to www.youthtechinc.com, or call 877-984-2267.
Williamson County Parks and Recreation is a public organization, here to benefit the community. Anyone may register for and participate in the department’s programs, teams, classes and events. For more information about the facilities and programs of the Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.wcparksandrec.com. You may also receive department information by “liking” Williamson County Parks and Recreation on Facebook or following us on Twitter at @wc_parksandrec or on Pinterest.
Williamson County Public Library 1314 Columbia Avenue Franklin, TN 37064
Phone (615) 794-3105 Web site: http://WCPLtn.org
Multi-Employer Job Fair: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, in the meeting room. Goodwill Career Solutions will host this job fair at the Library with more than 20 employers. For more information contact Shannon Duke at 615-794-4984 or shannon.duke@givegw.org
Seeds Needed: Attention Williamson County Gardeners! The Main library will be kicking off the second year of its Seed Exchange in March, but we still need more seeds. Please consider donating any of your extra flower, vegetable, and herb seeds. Just bring them to the Reference Desk on the second floor.
Read more at the Williamson Herald.
Tour to showcase homes and churches for two nights of festive décor, holiday fare and music
First Tennessee Bank presents Homes for the Holidays Candlelight Tour benefiting Bridges Domestic Violence Center and historic preservation will be held Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. each night. Visitors will get an inside look into several Franklin homes and churches and enjoy the various styles of holiday decorations that exhibit the balance between historic charm and modern allure. The tour falls on the same weekend as the Heritage Foundation’s Dickens of a Christmas event, and guests are encouraged to come for the celebration and stay for the home tours.
In making the announcement, founding Bridges board member and historical preservationist Pam Lewis said, “We’re so pleased to open a festive collection of lovely historic and new homes along with several churches for a holiday candlelight tour in downtown Franklin. This tour demonstrates the rich heritage we enjoy in Franklin and highlights creative ways to celebrate, decorate and enjoy the blessings of the season.”
Homes and churches on the tour include:
“We’re pleased to celebrate the holidays while acknowledging the history of the Lotz House,” said Lotz House Executive Director J.T. Thompson. “The festive decorations will make the visitors feel as if they have stepped back in time with the Lotz family.”
The variety of historic and new sites on the tour will be filled with special collections and personalized décor that celebrate their own unique traditions. The Lotz House will serve holiday fare such as hot cider and Christmas cookies. Decorations in the house will be representative of the time period of the 1864 Battle of Franklin, with fresh décor of pulled cotton, harvested nuts, fresh apples, magnolia leaves and holly. The home of Ann Johnson will offer festive foods and feature her collection of antiques, salvaged barn wood floors and refurbished cedar beams. Cumberland Presbyterian will provide holiday music, period décor and a 25-foot Christmas tree. The campus of O’More College of Design will be decorated by its talented design students. The home of Rebecca and John Burns will feature handmade crocheted Christmas ornaments and a Crystal angel collection. Period costumed and festive interpreters and holiday music will be at many of the sites throughout the tour.
Tickets are available at these locations:
About First Tennessee Bank
First Tennessee Bank was founded during the Civil War in 1864 and has the 14th oldest national bank charter in the country, as well as one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country. First Tennessee and FTN Financial are part of First Horizon National Corporation (NYSE:FHN), which has 4,300 employees. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by Forbes, Working Mother and American Banker magazines. More information is available at www.FirstTennessee.com.
About Bridges
Bridges Domestic Violence Center serves women, men and their children affected by domestic violence, ensuring a safe transition to successful independent living through education, intervention and case management. More information is available at www.bridgesdvc.org.
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!
A Holiday tradition in Historic Downtown Franklin, Tennessee where locals celebrate the season.
2015 Kiwanis Christmas Parade – Tree lit streets. Bands playing Christmas carols. Children anxiously awaiting a glimpse of Santa. There is nothing like the beauty and magic of Christmas in Downtown Franklin, TN. We are excited to announce Franklin Kiwanis Christmas Parade is sponsored by Williamson Medical Center this year. The Franklin Christmas Parade is always the first Saturday in December. This year that is December 5th.
Step back in time with the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County when Dickens of a Christmas returns to Franklin’s Main Street December 12-13, 2015.
Sponsored this year by Nissan, the 31st annual free street festival will recreate the time of Charles Dickens using historic downtown Franklin’s Victorian architecture as the backdrop. Some 200 musicians, dancers and characters will fill the streets, including several from Charles Dickens’s stories. Expect to see and interact with the nefarious Fagin from Oliver Twist; Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim Cratchit with his parents from A Christmas Carol; and of course, a Victorian Father and Mother Christmas with treats for children.
“Dickens of a Christmas is the perfect event for our historic Main Street,” said Mary Pearce, executive director of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County. “Downtown Franklin always exudes its own special magic, and yet this event adds an extra bit of sparkle. It dovetails perfectly with our preserved Victorian architecture and our commitment to saving and showcasing our historical treasures. As more attention is turned toward downtown Franklin in both the local and national press, we encourage festival goers to dress in Victorian costume and to add to the ambiance as they stroll the streets. Adding even a hat and scarf to modern attire helps set the scene and get everyone in the holiday mood.”
This year’s event will reprise a crowd favorite from last year: it WILL snow at Dickens of a Christmas! Come decked out in holiday style to capture that perfect family picture.
New this year will be the Lucky Scruff Wintery Whisker Revue, a competition among hirsute gentlemen for the finest facial hair. Those taking advantage of No Shave November will want to hang on to their whiskers until the Sunday afternoon competition on the stage at the Public Square. Winners will take home fabulous prizes courtesy of Lucky Scruff, a new store at The Factory specializing in accessories for the bearded gentleman, and all entrants will receive gift cards. The judging will take place at 3pm. To enter this contest, visit the Dickens event page at HistoricFranklin.com.
Favorite Victorian-era activities will return, including sugar plums and roasted chestnuts being sold on the street. Other food vendors will offer heartier old English fare. A variety of musical and dance performances will take place both on the street and on the stage at City Hall. Horse-drawn carriage rides, a petting zoo for children, live artisan demonstrations, and more than 70 vendors offering holiday arts and crafts will line Main Street from Second to Fifth Avenues. Each day will conclude with a town sing of classic Christmas carols. Saturday’s town sing will take place in front of the stage on the Public Square; Sunday’s town sing will be conducted inside the Historic Presbyterian Church at Five Points.
Dickens of a Christmas will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 13. The event is free and open to the public; some attractions will involve a small fee. More information and a schedule of events will be available at www.historicfranklin.com.
Producing Dickens of a Christmas is just one of the many activities of The Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County. Since 1967 the non-profit group has been dedicated to protecting and preserving Williamson County’s historic, architectural and geographic resources; in short, saving the places that matter.