April 25-26, 2015
Even if the Franklin Main Street Festival wasn’t happening the same weekend as the Country Music Marathon and Half-Marathon, I would still say it’s the perfect time to get out of Nashville to visit Franklin, our charming well-to-do neighbor to the South. With great options for dining and entertainment, spending an evening in Franklin always Sounds Like Fun – but when Franklin’s Main Street is closed to traffic, the magic really happens!
If the weather cooperates (as it often does), this free annual festival is expected to draw 130,000 visitors to the streets of historic downtown Franklin, where they will enjoy live entertainment (2 stages), an arts & crafts fair featuring 200 artisans, more than 20 street food vendors, and a children’s activity area. The shops and restaurants along Main Street are also open, should you desire to take a break from the crowds and sun. The festival runs from 10am to 7pm on Saturday, and from Noon to 6pm on Sunday. Separate but adjacent to the festival, a full-sized traditional carnival operates on festival days on the silo lot at First Street.
It can be difficult to find a good parking spot within reasonable walking distance to Main Street (especially important if you have an armload of crafts purchases and kettle corn!) – I recommend you take advantage of the free trolley service running each day between the festival and Harlinsdale Farm Park. Then you can cool off with a visit to The Factory before heading home again.
