“ArtWeek” is something of a misnomer:  over the years, it has grown into ten days of events, shows, and activities in many participating Massachusetts communities.  

Franklin Cultural District site of many ArtWeek events

This will be the first ArtWeek in Franklin with The Franklin Cultural District officially in place.

Full schedule of events

You can download the ten day schedule of ArtWeek events in Franklin via the hotlink at left or in the image below.

“Taste of ArtWeek” craft and food festival in Franklin Saturday, April 27

The first weekend of ArtWeek in Franklin, MA gets off to a fun start with live music, food, drink, and a craft fair this Saturday, April 27. It’s called the “Taste of ArtWeek” and is a new event in town. You can access a comprehensive review of all the scheduled events for the Taste of Artweek here or in the hotlink embedded in the image below.

This new event in Franklin runs from 4 PM to 8 PM on Saturday, and it will be held at the Franklin Town Common and the adjacent Hayward Manor. 

It’s a grand opportunity to get outside, see and be seen, meet local crafters, and have a good time enjoying the warmer weather! You’ll be able to inspect and buy a variety of handmade crafts, decorations, jewelry, and artwork.  There will be a juried crafts exhibition, food trucks, and a beer garden. (Wine will also be available for purchase.) 

Purchase tickets on-line

You can purchase tickets for use at the food trucks and the beer garden on-line here or by following the hotlink in the image below.

Taste of Artweek supports good causes

The Taste of ArtWeek proceeds will benefit both the Random Smile Project charity and the Franklin Cultural Council.

If you can’t attend the Taste of Artweek event, you can make a donation to Random Smile here.  And you can contact the FCC here to get involved in this important support for the arts and culture in Franklin, Massachusetts.

Here’s hoping the Taste of ArtWeek is a big success and becomes an annual event in town!

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The approval of the district also entitles Franklin to funding and support from a range of state departments and programs that further the arts and historic preservation.  In announcing the approval of the Franklin Cultural District, Franklin Cultural District Committee’s website quoted the MCC’s Executive Director Anita Walker as identifying the “Red Brick School, Franklin Historical Museum, and the Ray Memorial Building” as potential recipients of such funding and support.

Franklin Cultural District includes many cultural assets

The Franklin Cultural District is geographically extensive. It includes the downtown, Dean College, the town common, the High School and Oak Street Elementary/ Horace Mann Middle schools, the Union Street Cemetery and the former mill buildings on Fisher and Howard Streets.

This is a highly walkable district with many shops and eateries and interesting things to see. 

Congratulations to the many town residents who worked hard to make the Franklin Cultural District a reality!

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Great food at reasonable prices

The food is fresh and delicious! Having eaten a lot at Moe’s and Chipotle, I can confidently say that Santa Fe’s food is better and costs less!

Santa Fe’s  food service is similar to Moe’s and Chipotle.  You line up, place your order and your food is prepared right in front of you.  A smart alternative is to order on-line.

The on-line ordering enabled me to bypass a very long ordering line one evening recently.  A big time saver that makes take-out easy!

Pleasant, colorful interior

The Grill’s interior is clean and pleasant with vibrant, colors. 

The Grill at 11:30 AM on a weekday

Tables and seating are on the utilitarian side (again, very reminiscent of Moe’s and Chipotle). 

So check out the Santa Fe Burrito Grill, a welcome addition to the culinary scene in Franklin, MA!

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The construction project added 6,000 sq ft of new space to the library in the form of a two story addition and incorporates an extensive remodeling of the existing library annex built in the 1980s.  The work also included the installation of new electrical and mechanical systems in the library, among other updates.

The Franklin Public Library moved to a temporary location in April 2016 so all the work could get underway.  The construction work began later that spring and continued on through the end of the year and for most of 2017.  The library reopened at the Main St location in Franklin, Massachusetts in November 2017.

Beautiful interior in the new addition

The new space is simply beautiful! The feel is upbeat, modern and bright.  Below is a video showing how nice the new addition is:

Children’s Room has wonderful southern and western exposure

The Children’s Room enjoys twice the space of its predecessor. 

The Children’s Room has plenty of space for play and exploration and is cheerfully filled with abundant natural light, thanks to the extensive south and west exposure afforded by two roughly 30 ft long walls of windows. 

These windows look out on the beautiful grounds of the Dean College campus.

New Computer Lab

The addition’s second floor houses the new Computer Lab, which sports 14 computer terminals for public use. 

A Business Center is close by to the Computer Lab, allowing patrons to print online materials as well as scan, fax  and make copies of print items. 

On the same floor as the Business Center is a Study Room and a Conference Room that can be reserved for use by patrons of the library.

Pleasant sitting areas

The addition offers very nice areas in which to sit, read and enjoy the views of the Dean College campus.

Community Room a much needed amenity in Franklin

The Friends of the Franklin Public Library Community Room is an especially valuable addition to the library. 

The room was designed to serve up to 60 people and can be rented by town residents for meetings and presentations.

Come to the Franklin Public Library to see the renovations and new addition – there are additional areas to explore there beyond what is shown in this post.  Don’t neglect to check out the gorgeous murals and fine woodwork and scagliola in the original portion of the Franklin library building – they’re very worth viewing!

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Many changes and improvements, some obvious and others subtle

The most obvious change is the restoration of two way traffic in Downtown Franklin, MA to the portions of Main, Emmons and West Central Streets that had been one way for several decades.

Two way traffic has improved accessibility and seems to have beneficially slowed the speed of vehicular traffic. But just as important to the improvement of travel flow in the downtown district has been the creation of subtle “traffic calming” features to further slow vehicles and encourage pedestrian traffic. 

These changes include brick crosswalks, curb extensions that narrow travel lanes, bollards and plantings, and variations in road surface textures.

All of these features deter aggressive, fast driving and make the downtown area more friendly to foot traffic . . . and they look good too!

Aesthetic enhancements increase appeal of downtown

The Downtown streetscape also now boasts new sidewalks with red brick aprons and handicap accessible curb cuts, new period lighting with attractive “Welcome to Franklin” and “Meet me in Downtown Franklin” banners, as well as new benches, bike stands and pleasant green spaces. 

In a boon to shoppers, the annoying parking meters that used to dot the downtown are no more!

The many fairs and festivals held annually in Downtown Franklin will benefit from the inclusion of sources of electric power on Main Street.

In sum, the facelift to Downtown Franklin, Massachusetts have significantly improved the look and function of the downtown district.  The improvements should help the ongoing revitalization of what can become again a shopping and services destination in town!

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Events begin Wednesday, July 27 at 5 PM

The first day of fun begins at 5 PM this Wednesday at the Franklin Town Common. Highlights include arts related children’s activities (block printing, sidewalk chalk art and face painting),

and a live performance at the beloved Town Gazebo by Franklin’s own Electric Youth.

Later in that evening, head over to the Black Box Theater for a series of one act plays – admission is free!

Lots of fun on tap

There’s a boatload of entertainment and activities slated throughout the four day Franklin Cultural Festival in Franklin, Massachusetts!

Click on the hotlink in the image above to access an interactive schedule of all the days’ events and performances slated at this year’s Franklin Cultural Festival.

Thursday, July 28

On Thursday, events kick off at 5 PM at the Franklin Historical Museum,

where you can enjoy the sounds of The Fiddling Thomsons,

and take in the many interesting exhibits and artifacts documenting the industrial past and bygone days of Franklin, MA.

That same evening at the Town Common, you can partake in  some Laughter Yoga,

and enjoy Shakespeare on the Common at 8 p.m.

Friday, July 29

On Friday, July 29, you get to go to the beautiful Auditorium at the $105M+ Franklin High School for a summer music performance starting at 11 AM.

There will also be a live rock music concert by the Kevin T Wolfe Band at the Sculpture Park on Panther Way at 6 PM and Shakespeare on the Common returns for another engagement at 8 PM at the Town Common.

Saturday, July 30

The Festival concludes on Saturday, July 30 with an extensive slate of events.  Check the schedule (linked above and here) for all activities planned that day; highlights follow:

On Saturday, the action will be both inside The Black Box Theater at 15 West Central Street, Franklin, MA and outside in its large parking lot.

There will be live music inside and outside the theater all afternoon.  The music will accompany the Taste of Franklin, where you’ll be able to sample food offerings from many local restaurants and eateries (nominal charges may apply). A series of free plays will be presented starting at 6:30 PM.  Events continue right up to 10 PM, so plan for a late night of fun and entertainment!

Please attend the second annual Franklin Cultural Festival and help it grow into a wonderful Franklin tradition!

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Site of the new Horace Mann Square

Once the site is cleared of residual debris, work can commence on the construction of Horace Mann Square, Franklin’s newest shopping plaza.

The Square will be a 7,900 square foot retail center with shops and office space. The economic benefits of the new shopping complex will compliment the facelift Downtown Franklin is getting from its ongoing $7M road and streetscape improvement project. When completed, the two capital improvements should help advance the downtown area’s continued evolution into a modern and vibrant shopping, service and entertainment destination.

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Future site of Horace Mann Square shown in yellow.

Demolition of former Town Hall underway

The shopping center will occupy the site of the former Franklin Town Hall.

A chain link fence with windscreen has been installed around to perimeter of the property.

Demolition of the old building has just begun.

Plan of Horace Mann Square

Horace Mann Square is slated to be a one story commercial building with retail stores and offices. The possibility of a bank with drive-through facilities appears to have been nixed by town officials.  The new shopping complex will join the surprisingly abundant and diverse array of retailers and service providers in Franklin, MA that enhance the lives of town residents. There’s whole a lot of shopping in and around Franklin, Massachusetts!

It’s good to see a 37 car parking area is included in the Horace Mann Square plan.  This will reduce the number of shoppers parking in other lots and street side in the downtown area.

Statue of Horace Mann

There are also plans to place a bronze statue of the famous early American educational reformer and Franklin native Horace Mann on the property.  The Mann statue will be erected near the head of the intersection of West Central and Emmons Streets.

Horace Mann, MA State House.

Although the statue has not yet been commissioned, the existing statue of Horace Mann at the Massachusetts State House may give us some idea of how the Mann statue may look in Franklin, MA.

Learn more about Franklin, Massachusetts

Franklin offers home buyers many fine neighborhoods of single family homes, a broad range of condo communities, great schools, and lots of youth sports and recreational resources.  Franklin, MA makes commuting easier with TWO commuter rail stations in town and TWO interchanges on I-495.  If you’re looking at buying a home in the I-495 region, Franklin, MA is a wonderful choice!

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The theater is located in the Dean College Campus Center and is both air conditioned and handicap accessible. There is plenty of free parking in the Dean parking lot at 109 West Central Street, Franklin, MA.

You can easily buy tickets to “The Wiz” online or at the theater door.

Colorful, fun show, great for kids and adults alike

A preview of “The Wiz” was performed on the Franklin Town Common recently as part of the Franklin Cultural Festival.

The preview was wonderful!  The actors are talented and energetic, the singing is first rate and the costumes are colorful and engaging.  My 9 year old (who hasn’t met a video game he did not love) was entranced!  He wants to go to the full show; if he likes it, your kids will too!

Take advantage of this opportunity for you to expose your children to live theater right in Franklin – the whole family will have fun!

College towns make lively places to live

One thing home buyers look for in a community is a robust cultural life. That’s where a college town distinguishes itself! Franklin, MA is fortunate to be home to Dean College, a key contributor to the quality of life in Franklin.

Dean students enliven the downtown area, supporting places in which to eat and socialize. Dean also contributes heavily to the arts in Franklin with its School of the Arts and the Palladino School of Dance. Dean is also affiliated with the Star Players of Massachusetts which stages professional quality theater open to the public on the Dean campus.

Contact Warren Reynolds with any questions you have about buying a home and living in the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts!

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It’s great to see another family oriented celebration in Franklin taking its place on a roster of quite a number of annual festivals and events hosted in this Massachusetts town of some 32,000. Here’s just a partial list of the events in town that Franklin residents already enjoy every year: summertime Concerts on the Common, the Strawberry Festival, the 4th of July Celebration, the Feast of St. Rocco, the Harvest Festival, and the Holiday Stroll.

Cultural districts help communities thrive

But the importance of this new Festival to the Franklin community extends well beyond the inauguration of another fun thing to do in town.  The Franklin Cultural Festival is a key component of a joint effort by town officials, local businesses and Franklin educational institutions to have a Franklin Cultural District in the downtown area officially recognized (or “designated”) by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) under its Cultural Districts Initiative.

The goal of the MCC’s Cultural District Initiative is to help artists, cultural organizations, and arts-related businesses to locate and thrive in the approximately 30 designated cultural districts that already exist throughout the Bay State. The Initiative seeks to spur economic growth and foster tourism in each district, helping promote the reuse and revitalization of older urban centers while increasing property values throughout the communities in which each district is located.

MCC designated cultural districts can receive support and assistance under certain programs established or identified by the MCC and draw on existing cultural resources to encourage artists to live and work in the host communities.

If Franklin is successful in getting an officially designated district, it could become another major step forward in the ongoing revitalization of the Franklin downtown area.

Can’t have a cultural district without a lot of “culture” already in place

The key to a successful effort in obtaining official designation of a cultural district is demonstrable community participation in the arts. The Franklin community has many valuable building blocks already in place that will support a vibrant culture district and should help the Franklin Cultural District get designation from the MCC.

These resources include educational institutions such as the Dean College School of the Arts and Dean’s respected Palladino School of Dance.

Franklin’s downtown is also home to the nationally recognized Franklin School for the Performing Arts.

Franklin School for the Performing Arts

Having a Franklin Cultural District in place should encourage some of the students at these educational institutions to decide to stay in town after graduation and practice their crafts locally.

Other supports for a Franklin Cultural District

Franklin is home to performance venues such as the Black Box Theater, the Circle of Friends Coffee House, and the Main Stage Theater at Dean College. In addition, the Franklin Town Common is eminently walk-able from the downtown area and hosts summertime concerts and many annual community events. The auditorium at the new Franklin High School is stunning and should be an asset to the community for years to come.

All these venues would help sustain the Franklin Cultural District by giving performing artists stages on which to put their talents on display.

Tourism and business good for Franklin

Franklin abounds with good places to eat and drink, which is important for the tourism aspect of the proposed Franklin Cultural District. Here are the eateries scheduled to participate in the “Taste of Franklin” event Sunday during the Franklin Cultural Festival in Franklin, MA.

The Franklin Historical Museum is another asset to the downtown’s intellectual life and is a good tourist destination.

If you are looking for more proof of an economic rationale for a Franklin Cultural District, Jane’s Frames is a stalwart of the arts in the heart of downtown Franklin. The Franklin Art Center opened in town within the last five years and has become a successful supporter of the visual arts in Franklin. The Franklin Art Center was instrumental in the recent establishment of the Franklin Sculpture Park.

A Franklin Cultural District should encourage more such arts-related businesses to open in Franklin, MA.

Increasing the appeal of Franklin as a place in which to live and grow

This post has reviewed some of the significant cultural resources that exist in Franklin, Massachusetts.  These help make Franklin, MA a great place to call home!

The Franklin Cultural District would help tie all those cultural resources together and augment their beneficial impact on the Franklin community. Having a designated Franklin Cultural District would also further cement Franklin’s growing recognition among Massachusetts home buyers as a “destination community” on the I-495 corridor. The District would help Franklin compete for business and attract more educated, affluent home buyers. Franklin residents have so many reasons to support the establishment of a Franklin Cultural District!

Contact Franklin broker Warren Reynolds for help with buying or selling a home in Franklin, Massachusetts!

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