Franklin’s Annual Harvest Festival is set for Sat., Sept. 30, 12 noon to 5 p.m., with a rain date of Sun. Oct. 1, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. 160 booths and attractions will fill Main Street, Dean Avenue, West Central Street, Depot Street, and the parking area behind Rockland Bank. 

Visitors to the festival will enjoy musical entertainment, food from local restaurants, kids’ crafts, painting and balloon art, specials from downtown merchants, unique artwork and crafts by local and regional artists. Community groups will be there with helpful information. Dean Bank will sell cider donuts, popcorn, and warm cider, and the proceeds will benefit Downtown Partnership to fund the event. 

“The Harvest Festival is always a great time for people to gather and socialize. They can experience what shopping and dining local is really like in ourcommunity,” said Scott Martin, Harvest Festival chairman and president of the Franklin Downtown Partnership. “The mix of activities and entertainment make this event special for all ages.”

What’s on Tap:

• Refreshments - Lots of food choices at Main Street restaurants. A food court will be located behind Rockland Trust with many local restaurants selling great fare including Italian sausage, pizza, hot dogs, barbecue chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, fried dough, ice cream and much more. Warm apple cider, popcorn and cider donuts at Dean Bank.

• Shopping - With more than 160 vendors, this festival is the perfect opportunity for residents to meet their local business owners and learn more about what they offer. Many local crafters will be selling everything from paintings and jewelry to handmade gift items.

• Franklin Historical Museum - Local entertainer Jamie Barrett will play music on the front porch of the museum at 80 West Central Street (route 140). Popcorn will be served from an old-fashioned popcorn machine, and Ladybug Trail maps and buttons will be handed out.

• Touch-a-Truck - The Franklin Fire Department will have its firetrucks out at its headquarters, and Sparky will give out plastic fire helmets to children.

• Art Show and Sale - The Franklin Art Association will host an art show and sale at its gallery located inside Escape Into Fiction bookstore at 12 Main Street. 

“Downtown Franklin is a busy social center for shopping, dining and entertainment. The Harvest Festival is the perfect time to get acquainted with local business owners,” said Lisa Piana, Franklin Downtown Partnership’s Executive Director. “We welcome friends from our town and beyond to experience the shops, restaurants, and many services Franklin has to offer.”

Piana added, “We love to acknowledge and thank our local business sponsors who make this event a huge success.” 

Thank you to this year’s platinum sponsors: Dean Bank, Dean College, Middlesex Savings Bank, RI Motorsports; Gold sponsors: Floor & Décor, Notturno Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, PhysicianOne Urgent Care; Silver sponsors: Camford Property Group, Glen Meadow Apartments, Hockomock YMCA, Rockland Trust; Bronze sponsors: Beaux Regards Photographic Art, Chestnut Dental, DCU, D.G. Ranieri Real Estate, Keefe Insurance, MyFM, LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Turtle 2 Properties, LLC; and Friend sponsors: The Enclave of Franklin.

The Partnership welcomes business owners to help support the Harvest Festival while gaining publicity for their businesses by becoming sponsors. Please email the FDP office at [email protected] to learn about sponsorship opportunities. 

The last day to register for booth space is Sept. 15, but organizers expect to sell out sooner. Downtown store-front businesses must register to ensure store-front space. Booths are assigned on a first-come first-serve basis. Visit the FDP website at www.franklindowntownpartnership.org for the registration link or email [email protected] for festival booth questions.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501©3 organization made up of more than 350 business owners, residents, and community leaders working to revitalize downtown Franklin. Residents can join the Downtown Partnership for only $25. The Partnership manages events like the Strawberry Stroll and the Harvest Festival, and initiatives such as beautification, streetscape design, greenspace, alley murals, and sculpture projects. For more information go to www.franklindowntownpartnership.org.