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.
