Updated Map

Here is an updated Harvest Festival Map. Please join us on Sunday!

Updated 2011 Harvest Festival Map

If you don't have a Facebook account you can download and print the file here

Harvest Festival Press Release

Franklin’s Harvest Festival to be Largest Ever

Sandy Chaplin has been readying her hand-crafted bracelets and earrings since last spring in anticipation of the Franklin Downtown Partnership’s Harvest Festival. For a fifth year the jewelry artist and owner of Chappy Girls Studios will set up her customary booth on Main Street.

“My customers come to me with an idea in mind and I make their jewelry while they wait,” she says. “They get a really unique piece of jewelry they’ve helped create. My customers inspire me to come up with new designs all the time.” Chaplin, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, recently designed a bracelet she will sell at the upcoming festival with the profits going to the American Cancer Society.

Chaplin will be one of more than 100 crafters participating in this year’s event on Sunday, October 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year the Franklin Downtown Partnership sold out booth space to crafters and community groups who wanted to be part of Franklin’s largest festival.

Organizers expect 5,000 visitors to this year’s ninth annual Harvest Festival, which will feature an expanded entertainment lineup, crafts, kids’ activities and games, food booths, an antique car show, Historical Museum tours, a farmers’ market, a fire station open house, and local businesses’ specials and promotions.

“This year’s festival has surpassed our expectations,” says FDP President Nicole Fortier. “We have more crafters, more entertainers and more businesses involved than ever before. We are excited to show the residents and visitors what a vibrant community we have here.”

Demand for booth space was high, and crafter booths will span all three main streets. Some vendors are participating for the first time this year, such as The Lace Man, who sells every type of lace possible, from doilies to unique, handmade lace pieces. Other crafters have returned year after year because the festival draws so many visitors.

To help everyone navigate the event this year, the Partnership has created the Harvest Festival Passport, which visitors can pick up at the FDP and major sponsors’ booths. Using the passport in combination with the map, visitors will seek out destination booths scattered throughout the festival to get their passport stamped. Once every destination has been validated, the passports will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. Passport drawing winners will be announced on the FDP website.

Jazz combo TKLS Perspective will play their blend of swing, hip hop, funk and bossa nova on the center island all day. The main stage in front of gold sponsor Rockland Trust Bank will feature professional DJ Domenic Cotoia of Music Odyssey Productions, Franklin High School ensemble Sustain, singer/songwriter Jamie Barrett, 2011 “Franklin Idol” winner Kaylee Finley, and 2011 “Franklin’s Got Talent” winner Dominic Salzillo.  Magician Chris Bolter will entertain the crowds with his special brand of magic.

On a separate stage in front of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, FSPA will present an abbreviated version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, accompanied by a professional band.

The Children’s Area in the Depot Street parking lot will feature some old favorite games and activities, and some new ones as well, like the obstacle course. Stop by the Cub Scout Pack 126 booth and drop off nonperishable food items to be donated to the Franklin Food Pantry.  

Food can be found in abundance at the festival. The food tent on Main Street will serve up burgers, sausages and peppers, chicken, lemonade and more. The FDP food tent in front of Dean Bank will have hot dogs, drinks, slushies and snacks. Several downtown restaurants are also serving food outside their establishments. Fresh, local produce can be found at the Farmer’s Market in the Berry Insurance parking lot.

The fire station will host an open house in observance of Fire Safety Week. Kids are invited to “Touch a Truck,” and firefighters will be on hand to answer questions and provide fire safety tips.  Down the street, the Historical Museum will be open for tours and will host the popular antique car show.

Many businesses are offering special promotions during the festival. Vallee Jewelers on Main Street will buy old, broken, outdated or mismatched gold items. Silver sponsor Green Mountain Chocolates will showcase its chocolate-dipped potato chips.

“We have more businesses and vendors involved this year than ever before,” says Partnership Executive Director Lisa Piana. “Our sponsors have been exceptional and stepped up to make this all possible. We are proud to be associated with these local businesses who take such an active role in making Franklin the livable, viable town that it is.”

The Gold Sponsor for this festival is Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation. Silver Sponsors are DCU,  Green Mountain Chocolates and Middlesex Savings Bank. Bronze Sponsors are Dean Bank,  Chestnut Dental Associates, Byrne Financial Freedom, LLC., Mike Dunsky/Guaranteed Rate and NHS Print.

Friends of the Festival sponsors are D.G. Ranieri Supply Company, Ferguson Enterprises, Ten Key, Inc., Keefe Insurance, Fenton Financial Group and Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation, Franklin.  

The event will take place rain or shine and span Main Street and East and West Central Streets. Main Street will be closed at 9 a.m., reopening at 4 p.m. Visitor parking is available at designated lots along West Central Street, Main Street and Summer Street.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization made up of businesses, community leaders and residents working to revitalize downtown Franklin. The Partnership relies on donations and sponsorship to fund events like the Harvest Festival as well as downtown improvement projects like beautification efforts and streetscape design. For more information please contact the Executive Director Lisa Piana at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com or visit the FDP website at franklindowntownpartnership.org.           

Harvest Festival Passport Press Release

Your Passport to the Franklin Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival Passport is your ticket to discovering all the event has to offer. Looking for entertainment? Food? Crafters? The Passport and the Map will help you navigate downtown Franklin and get the most out of the festival.

The Passport lists the entertainment acts, show times and locations. Used hand in hand with the map, it’s also your chance to win prizes.

Pick up your Passport at the Franklin Downtown Partnership booth, major sponsors’ booths or at the Historical Museum. Then locate the “Destination” booths listed and get your Passport validated. Once you have all your stamps, drop the Passport off at the Downtown Partnership booth to be entered into a drawing. Winners will be announced on the FDP website, franklindowntownpartnership.org, on Tuesday, October 4.

There are many prizes to win, including a Coffee, Tea and Chocolate gift basket donated by the Franklin News and valued at $300, a gift basket donated by Happy Tails Doggy Daycare, a $100 gift certificate to the YMCA, items donated by Music Odyssey Productions, and many more, adding up to a total prize value of over $1,000.

Just follow these three simple steps to win:

1. Pick up your Passport at the FDP booth, sponsor booths or Historical Museum
2. Validate your Passport at Destination booths
3. Drop off your completed Passport at the FDP booth

Harvest Festival Entertainment Press Release

Harvest Festival Features Local Talent

The ninth annual Franklin Harvest Festival will feature an expanded lineup of local talent on stages set throughout the downtown event. A listing of acts, show times and locations will be available in the Harvest Festival Passport, which visitors can pick up at the Franklin Downtown Partnership and other major sponsors’ booths and at the Historical Museum.

On the center island, jazz combo TKLS Perspective will perform throughout the day. The group, cofounded by John Kinney and Christian Lyman and joined by Connor Schultze, among others, plays a fusion mix of swing, hip hop, funk and bossa nova. The group is currently playing local restaurants as well as venues in Boston and Providence.

On a main stage in front of Rockland Trust Bank, professional DJ Domenic Cotoia of Music Odyssey Productions will preside over a lineup of local favorites who will entertain the crowds all day.

Acts on this stage include Sustain, a pop, rock and punk ensemble made up of Franklin High School seniors Greg Williams, Andrew Wilson, Joe Swan and Seth McIntyre. The group has played together for four years at notable events, including the FHS Homecoming and the Next Big Thing Tour at the Palladium in Worcester.

Well-known musician and Franklin music teacher Jamie Barrett will sing and play guitar, performing an hour-long mix of rock, Top 40, and family favorites. Expect to hear his signature song, “Franklin,” named the official town song in 2006.

The July 4th Celebration’s “Franklin Idol” winner Kaylee Finley will sing for the crowds that day, which happens to be the high schooler’s 16th birthday. Another July 4th Celebration winner, “Franklin’s Got Talent” champion Dominic Salzillo, also will perform his brand of rock that afternoon.

Magician Chris Bolter will dazzle and amaze kids of all ages with a magic show on the Main Street stage and a booth in the Children’s Area. Bolter, who moved to Franklin this summer, is a nationally known professional magician who performs more than 200 shows per year.

Finally, look for the Franklin School for the Performing Arts’ abbreviated version of the Disney Broadway show Beauty and the Beast on their stage in front of the school on Main Street. Show times are 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Following each performance, families are invited to meet the show’s costumed performers and tour the facility.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization working to revitalize downtown Franklin. The Partnership runs the Harvest Festival and other events, including the Strawberry Stroll and the Holiday Stroll. The group also works on downtown improvement projects like beautification efforts and streetscape design.

Missing Teen Found

Dear FDP Members,

At 9:40 p.m. Fox 25 News reported that Matthew Glass has been found alive in Dedham. No more details are available at this time.

Thank you everyone for your support of Diane and her family and for spreading the word through social media.

Missing Teen

Dear FDP Members,


We just received word that Diane Glass's teenage son Matt is missing. Many of you know Diane. She is a member of the Franklin Downtown Partnership Board of Directors. 


Please help us get the word out by sending the link below to your e-mail lists:
https://local.nixle.com/alert/4733874/


Matt has been missing since Tuesday and may have been visiting Northeastern University that day. If anyone knows a student at the university please forward Matt's photo.


Thank you for your assistance. We need your help!


Lisa Piana
Executive Director

Harvest Festival Updates

Volunteers Needed!!
Please email the FDP office -- downtown.franklin@yahoo.com -- if you can volunteer for just 1 hour at the festival.
We need help 8:30 - 10:30 and 4:00 - 5:00.
This is a huge event and lots of hands are needed to help set up and clean up.




Crafters
Festival Chair Angie Grant will be sending out set-up instructions shortly. Contact Angie at agrant@middlesexbank.com.




Networking Luncheon Reminder
Hope to see you at the FDP luncheon at 1:00 p.m. this Friday at Dean College. Contact Joel Carrara at jcarrara@printsmartoffice.com for more information.

Franklin's Harvest Festival Map

2011 Harvest Festival Map

Networking Luncheon

Franklin Downtown Partnership

Networking Luncheon

Friday, September 23

1 p.m.

Dean College Campus Center

New Dining Hall

$5.50

It's a great way to meet new members!

Contact Joel Carrara if you have any

questions -- jcarrara@printsmartoffice.com

Don't Miss the Harvest Festival!

2011 Harvest Festival Poster

General Meeting Agenda

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting Agenda

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Dean College Campus Center @ 8:30 a.m.

Golder Room, 2nd floor

I.       Networking-Social


II.      Open Meeting


III.     Adoption of Agenda


IV.     Introductions


V.      Report:  Town Updates
           Jeff Nutting


VI.     Report:  Streetscape and Zoning District Update
           Bryan Taberner


VII.    Report from Executive Director
            a. Membership
            b. Welcome New Members


VIII.   Harvest Festival Volunteers -- Joel Carrara, Angie Grant
            a. Sign-ups


IX.     New Walk/Boston Project -- Beth Dahlstrom
            a. Maps


X.      Other Business


XI.     Adjourn

General Meeting Tomorrow

Please join us for our next General Meeting. All businesses and residents welcome!

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting

Thursday, September 15, 2011   

8:30 a.m.

Dean College Campus Center

Golder Room, 2nd floor