September 14, 2009-For Immediate Release Contact: Lisa Piana (774)571-3109
Final Downtown.franklin@yahoo.com
Franklin Harvest Festival Expands This Year
The Franklin Downtown Partnership expects this year’s sixth annual Harvest Festival to be even larger than in years past. With more food vendors, more music and entertainment, an antique car show and over 100 crafters, the Partnership expects close to 3,000 visitors to attend this year’s festivities.
The festival will be Sunday, September 20th, from 11:00 am-4:00 pm. The rain date is Sunday, September 27th. The event will be held in downtown Franklin on Main Street, East Central Street and the Summer Street Patio. According to Festival Chairperson Mary Graff, the Harvest Festival is the Partnership’s largest fundraising event and the largest event of its kind in the area. “We are excited that for the first time we will be closing down Main Street to traffic,” says Graff “This will really add a new dimension to the festival...”
Some of the highlights of this year’s festival include; an antique car show, martial arts demonstration, Children ID, painting demonstrations and a farmers’ market. In the children section there will be a moon walk, slide, face painting and many fun children’s games. There will also be plenty of music at the Café Dolce patio and in front of Rockland Trust Bank. The bands include Random Play, Nothing to No One and Knuf Said.
In addition to the Partnership’s food stand at Dean Bank, there will be food vendors
set up at the Berry Insurance parking lot that will include fun food like sausage sandwiches, fried dough and clam chowder. “We listened to visitors last year who asked for more food, so visitors should come hungry!” commented one festival organizer.
Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation is this year’s Gold Sponsor and Middlesex Savings Bank is the Bronze Sponsor. Additional Festival Sponsors include CVS, Dean Bank, D.G. Ranieri Supply Company, Digital Federal Credit Union and Vallee Jewelers. According to Executive Director, Lisa Piana, “We are able to have this festival each year due to the generosity of our sponsors and the support from town hall, especially the police department.” As a non-profit organization the Downtown Partnership depends on sponsors in order to fund the downtown events.
Visitors to the festival can find parking at the old municipal building on Emmons Street, Davis Thayer School the town common, the library parking lots, and the historical museum. Traffic will be detoured from East Central Street to Cottage Street. Visitors should plan accordingly since Main Street will be closed during the event.
Any one who would like to volunteer or sponsor future events should contact the Franklin Downtown Partnership office at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com. Any business or resident who would like to become a member of the Partnership should call Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or visit the downtown office at 9 East Central Street. The Partnership’s mission is to stimulate economic development in the downtown in order to create a positive impact throughout the area. New members are always welcome!
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