Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all happy holidays and a prosperous 2017!

The FDP office will be closed December 23 through January 2.

Impressive Totals of '12 Days of Donating' Drive

Food Elves Inspire “Fresh” Approach to Food Drive

Community Response Overwhelming

FRANKLIN, MA – When more than 130 Franklin Food Elves set out to collect gifts from their neighbors for the Franklin Food Pantry for the “12 Days of Donating” Campaign, their load was lighter than the year before. But that’s what they hoped for.

The Elves encouraged more monetary donations this year so the Pantry could purchase fresh food for clients. The community rallied behind the Food Elves’ appeal and donated $13,273 and 3,696 pounds of food. Last year’s total yield from the Food Elves’ drive from residents was $1,943 and 8,001 pounds of food.

“This was an extraordinary effort by the Food Elves,” said Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “And our community responded with such generosity. The monetary donations will allow us to purchase nutrient-rich food to supplement the canned and boxed food donations that were collected. The high cost of fresh food is often a barrier to wholesome nutrition for the families we serve.”

With monetary donations, the Pantry can purchase fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs and meats. As a Greater Boston Food Bank partner, the Pantry purchases items at a fraction of what it costs in the grocery store, therefore making donation dollars stretch even further.

In addition to neighborhood collections, the elves placed red food donation bins at the following local businesses: Chestnut Dental Associates, Dean Bank, Dean College, Emma's Quilt Cupboard, Feet In Motion School of Dance, Franklin Agway, Franklin Downtown Partnership Office, Franklin Mill Store, Keefe Insurance Agency, Murphy Business, and Pour Richard's Wine & Spirits.  As part of their commitment to the Food Elves, the business partners have also pledged to donate $200 each to the Franklin Food Pantry.

The Franklin Food Elves is a charitable community service group comprised of more than 130 dedicated elementary, middle and high school students. This was the eleventh year of the neighborhood drive, and the sixth year the elves partnered with local businesses to create one of the Franklin Food Pantry’s most successful collection drives. The food and cash will help sustain the pantry’s 504 client families through the winter.

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Erin Lynch, left, Franklin Food Pantry Executive Director, and Ellie Teixeira, lead Food Elf, greeted more than 130 Franklin Food Elves as they dropped off donations collected in the “12 Days of Donating” Campaign this month. Photo courtesy of Bob Teixeira.

Lead Food Elves Ellie Teixeira (left) and Julia Buccella distributed red bins to 11 Franklin Downtown Partnership member businesses participating in the Franklin Food Elves "12 Days of Donating" drive. Photo courtesy of Bob Teixeira.

Download the Franklin Food Pantry's press release here.

2017 Event Dates You'll Want to Know

Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival & Holiday Stroll Dates Set

We have set dates for our 2017 Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival and the Holiday Stroll. 

Yes, you read that right -- the Harvest Festival is back in 2017! 

Strawberry Stroll will be Thursday, June 8 (no rain date)

Harvest Festival will be Saturday, October 14, Rain Date Sunday, October 15

Holiday Stroll will be Thursday, December 7 (no rain date)

More dates, including our Networking Luncheons, Beautification Days, General Meetings, and Progressive Dinner, will be announced soon. 

Franklin's Festive Holiday Stroll!

Hundreds of families enjoyed the Franklin Downtown Partnership's annual Holiday Stroll Thursday evening. Thank you for supporting this great community event! The weather was seasonably chilly and many storefronts were decorated beautifully for the season. 

Many thanks to Roberta Trahan and Jennifer Hurst, the Holiday Stroll co-chairs, for organizing the stroll!

Our sponsors helped make the night festive and fun!

Gold Sponsors for this event were Dean College and Dean Bank.

Silver Sponsors were DCU, D.G. Ranieri Real Estate, Franklin Ford, Middlesex Savings Bank and Rescom Exteriors.

Bronze Sponsors were Beaux Regards Photographic Art by Marjorie Sardella, BMW Gallery of Norwood, Boston Solar, Flynn/Wirkus/Young Attorneys at Law, Franklin Central Pizza, Franklin Driving School, Franklin Girl Scouts, Simon’s Furniture, Tom Fricker Heating & A/C.

Thank you to the Franklin DPW and the Franklin Police Department for your help, too!  

We have many more photographs. Check them out in our Google Album (top right corner of this page) or on our Facebook page! 

Holiday Stroll Program

Here is a listing of Holiday Stroll participants and where they will be located:

Dean College:

Tree Lighting with refreshments

Dean Bank:

OUTDOORS

Gingerbread Man activity

Music Street Realty

Relay for Life/sponsored by Dean Bank

Rockland Trust:

OUTDOORS

Shaws Market Wreaths

INDOORS

Franklin Girl Scouts

Franklin Distinguished Young Woman/sponsored by Rockland Trust

Corner near Teddy Gallaghers:

OUTDOORS

Envoy Mortgage

Depot Plaza:

INDOORS

Enchanted Memories (stand alone business front, downstairs)

UPSTAIRS

Franklin-Bellingham Rail Trail

Drama Kids

FUSF

Beaux Regards

Flynn Wirkus Young

Salley’s Alley

Mary Rubino Hypnosis

DOWNSTAIRS

Franklin Driving School

Blessed Sacrament School

Family Legal Practice

Edward Jones

LuLaroe Willow and Daisy

Emma’s Quilt:

INDOORS

North Pole Postman

Kennedy-Donovan Center

America’s Best Defense

Touchstone Crystal

Norfolk Music Together

Refreshments

Franklin Historical Museum:

INDOORS

Mrs. Claus

Refreshments

Franklin Fire Department:

Touch a Truck

THE BLACK BOX:

Performance snippets of upcoming Holiday Shows!

Jane’s Frames:

Entertainment

WMRC outdoors

Simon’s Furniture:

OUTDOORS

Erik the Wood Carver

Feet in Motion

Franklin Ford

Honda/BMW

DCU

Boston Solar

Rescom

Central Pizza-coupons

INDOORS

SANTA CLAUS!!!

FHS Performers

Elizabeth Randall Designs

Roaming Main Street:

Saint Mary Choir

Central Pizza offering coupons to strollers!

Holiday Stroll Entertainers

We have a great lineup of entertainers set for the Holiday Stroll! Feel free to begin your stroll downtown or at the tree lighting ceremony.

4:15 - Carolers at the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dean College Campus Common

4:40 - Tree lighting

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. - Jamie Barrett performs at Jane's Frames

Ongoing from 4:30 to 7p.m.

At THE BLACK BOX -- students perform scenes from three FPAC December shows, including The Nutcracker, Humbug, and a holiday panto entitled A Glass Slipper Christmas.

All around downtown -- Saint Mary Choir will be roaming the streets singing carols

At Simon's Furniture  -- Feet In Motion holiday performances, FHS musicians, and Eric the Wood Carver 

Santa, Mrs. Claus and The North Pole Postman to Appear at Holiday Stroll

Don't miss the special guests we have lined up for Thursday's Holiday Stroll!

Beginning at 4:30 p.m. the North Pole Postman will set up his post office at Emma's Quilt Cupboard! Mail letters to Santa at the North Pole and hear the Postman read from a holiday book he's written. 





From 5 to 7 p.m. visit Santa and his Elves at Simon's Furniture! While you're waiting check out holiday performances by the dancers from Feet In Motion School of Dance and watch Eric the Wood Carver work his magic with a chainsaw. 













From 5 to 7 p.m. visit Mrs. Claus at the Franklin Historical Museum! She'll read stories and hand out treats. 

Holiday Stroll Press Release

Franklin Downtown Partnership Hosts Holiday Stroll December 1

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is hosting its annual holiday party on Thursday, December 1, from 4:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Franklin’s newly revitalized downtown.

Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic for this year’s Holiday Stroll, allowing easy walking between all the festivities on Main, West Central, East Central and Summer streets. Families will find decorated store fronts, entertainment and refreshments, visits with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Post Mark the North Pole Postman, crafts and gingerbread cookie decorating, and gift shopping.

“This event is always so much fun and really gets you in the mood for the holidays,” says Roberta Trahan, event co-organizer. “The Holiday Stroll showcases our businesses beautifully, and the downtown looks festive with the storefronts decorated. This year we have special guests and a new Holiday Stroll Passport that offers shoppers something extra.”

The Holiday Stroll begins at 4:15 p.m. with costumed carolers and refreshments on Dean College’s Dean Hall Common. The tree will be lit at sundown. Visitors don’t need to wait for the tree to be lit to begin their stroll through downtown; vendor booths and shops will be open for business by 4:30 p.m.

The Franklin Food Elves “12 Days of Donating” campaign benefiting the Food Pantry kicks off that day, and red donation bin will be placed at the tree lighting. Bins will also be set up participating downtown businesses.

An all-new Holiday Stroll Passport will help visitors check items off their holiday gift shopping lists. The free passport can be picked up at participating businesses. Visitors will get their passport stamped at each location listed. When the passport is full of stamps it will be entered into a grand prize drawing, which is one $25 gift card from each business listed. Check the FDP website, www.franklindowntownpartnership.org, and Facebook event page for a list of passport business locations.

Several special guests will make appearances at this year’s Holiday Stroll. At Emma’s Quilt Cupboard on Main Street, Post Mark the North Pole Postman will mail letters to Santa and read from a Christmas book he’s written from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Families can follow Candy Cane Lane down East Central Street to Simon’s Furniture where Santa Claus and his elves will hear wish lists from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mrs. Claus will arrive at the Franklin Historical Museum at 5 p.m. to treat kids to stories and snacks.  

Great entertainers will put everyone into a jolly mood. Jamie Barrett will sing and play guitar at Jane’s Frames. The Saint Mary’s choir will perform holiday favorites on Main Street, and WMRC 1490-AM will broadcast live with giveaways and contests.

At Simon’s Furniture, talented Franklin High School musicians will perform inside while Feet In Motion Dance School students will put on holiday-themed dances and Eric the Wood Carver will create his artwork using a chainsaw and logs outside in the parking lot.  

On West Central Street, performers at THE BLACK BOX will perform scenes from three FPAC December shows, including The Nutcracker, Humbug, and a holiday panto entitled A Glass Slipper Christmas.

Check the FDP website, www.franklindowntownpartnership.org, or Facebook event page for entertainment times and location updates.

Kids will enjoy the Touch-A-Truck event at the Franklin Fire Station, and the Historical Museum will have delicious treats when kids come to see Mrs. Claus.

Downtown businesses will open their doors and tempt visitors with refreshments and shopping deals on holiday gifts, services and gift cards. Sponsors and merchants will have booths inside the Depot Plaza building next to Acapulco’s on Main Street, and also at Dean Bank and Simon’s Furniture.

“We’re turning downtown Franklin into ‘Holiday Central’ during our Stroll. Everyone can visit Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Postman, sing Christmas carols, shop for gifts, and meet friends for dinner, all right here in the center of town,” says Jennifer Hurst, event co-chair.

The Holiday Stroll is made possible by the generous sponsorship of local businesses. Dean Bank and Dean College are Gold sponsors of this event. Silver sponsors are DCU, D.G. Ranieri Real Estate, Franklin Ford, Middlesex Savings Bank and Rescom Exteriors.

Bronze sponsors are Beaux Regards Photographic Art by Marjorie Sardella, BMW Gallery of Norwood, Boston Solar, Flynn/Wirkus/Young Attorneys at Law, Franklin Central Pizza, Franklin Driving School, Franklin Girl Scouts, Simon’s Furniture and Tom Fricker Heating & A/C.

For more information about the Holiday Stroll contact event organizers Roberta Trahan, trahanroberta@gmail.com, and Jennifer Hurst, jhurst@deanbank.com.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is celebrating its 15^th year as a 501©3 organization made up of business owners, community leaders and residents working to revitalize downtown Franklin. For more information about the FDP, please visit www.franklindowntownpartnership.org, or contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

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Download this press release