It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my sweet hometown of Franklin, TN (notwithstanding the 65 degree days!). Our town square is bedecked with greenery and glittery lights and a huge tree and it’s just completely magical. You can take the hoity-toity decorations in Vail and Breckenridge any day and I’ll keep Franklin and the special way it celebrates Christmas. If you’re lucky enough to call Franklin home – or even if you live close – you MUST clear the decks this weekend. There’s merriment and revelry to spare!
It all starts on Saturday with our Dicken’s Christmas celebration! For over thirty years, this weekend-long event has heralded the start of the Christmas season for me. Hosted by the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County, this free street festival will recreate the era of Charles Dickens set against the backdrop of our pretty Victorian architecture. Two hundred musicians, dancers and Dickens characters will fill the streets. As you shop our darling boutiques, you might just rub elbows with Father Christmas or Tiny Tim or even the Ghost of Christmas Past! There’s sugarplums and roasted chestnuts to eat and Victorian singers to serenade shoppers with Christmas carols. There’s horse drawn carriage rides, a petting zoo for little ones and live artisan demonstrations. The festival runs from 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday, 11/12 and from 11 am – 5 pm on Sunday, 12/13. The entire downtown is closed to traffic so you’ll be able to wander the streets freely and enjoy all that Christmas cheer. Oh, and there’s this – the weather forecast calls for a balmy 71 degrees this year!