Bigger and better than ever

Held under sunlit blue skies on October 2, the 2021 edition of the Harvest Festival was a big success.

As noted in the above poster for the event, 160 booths were scheduled to be set-up by local businesses. There were noticeably more booths than previous years. The 2021 Harvest Festival was spread over a wider area of the downtown area of Franklin than recent past Festivals.

For example, the owners of Grove Street Auto Repair noted that this was the first time they had a booth at the event.

Meanwhile, the good people at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth got creative.

They had Cinderella at their booth with her castle, available for photos with the youngsters.

And the honeycomb available at the Franklin Honey Company was truly delicious!

Video of the Harvest Festival

Here’s a short video of the 2021 Harvest Festival in Franklin, MA.

You can learn more about Franklin, MA here.

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The 2021 Celebration runs from June 30 through July 4.

Videos of past 4th of July Celebrations

The videos above give you the sights and sounds of past Celebrations. For 2021, there will be no fireworks. (The uncertainties of the pandemic made planning for fireworks this year impossible, according to the Franklin July 4th Coalition.)

There will be a Blues music festival throughout the day on Saturday, July 2.

You can see the full schedule of events here.

Learn more about Franklin’s 4th of July Celebration here.

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Halted due to construction of new High School

The Franklin Fourth of July Celebration’s annual fireworks display went on hiatus during the construction of the new Franklin High School.

The new High School building was built on the ball fields next to the old High School building.  These ball fields had been the site on which fireworks show had been staged for years. However, even though the new High School opened 2014, there still was no space from which to safely host the fireworks display, until after both the old High School building was demolished and new ball fields were installed where the old Franklin High School building had stood.  The turf on the new fields needed extra time to take root, so it was not until this year that the Franklin Fourth of July Celebration fireworks could resume on the newly opened ball fields.

Because the new fields are now behind the new school building, your former favorite viewing spot for the fireworks display from years past may not be the most suitable anymore.  So this first rendition of the revived fireworks may be a time of trial and error while we all discover new places to take in the show. 

Days of family fun at the Franklin Fourth of July Celebration

Residents of the Town of Franklin, MA are set for six days of fun at the Franklin Town Common during this year’s Franklin Fourth of July Celebration! The Celebration’s events schedule can be viewed here:

The Franklin Town Common will maintain its annual tradition of being transformed into a “mini-fair ground” for several days, hosting amusement rides (there’s a pretty decent range of rides suitable for the very young and for older kids as well), carny games, food vendors, and live shows and music:

Support the Franklin Fourth of July Celebration

The Franklin Fourth of July Celebration has been a labor of love for decades and is built on the hard work of volunteers and generous donations from the community and local businesses.  Please help keep this tradition alive and thriving by donating here:

Have fun this year at the Franklin Fourth of July Celebration and create some memories!

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Joint event of fun and bargains

The Franklin DPW will be hosting its annual Touch a Truck Day this Saturday.

At the same time and at the same facility, the Friends of the Franklin Library will present their Spring Book Sale.

Together, the two adjacent events enable the kids to have lots of fun while giving the whole family the opportunity to stock up on book and entertainment bargains!

Location of Franklin, MA DPW complex

To get to both the Touch a Truck Day and the Spring Book Sale, take Hayward Street to Public Works Way and proceed to the DPW complex.

There’s ample parking.

Family fun with trucks

While you are finding some super bargains on books this Saturday at the Spring Book Sale, the kids can head out back to the DPW vehicle area to get up close and personal with lots of trucks and construction equipment.  Here’s a video of a previous Touch a Truck Day in Franklin, Mass:

This is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss  . . . it’s loads of fun and it’s free!

Save  $100s on books

Don’t spend a lot of money buying books online or at a retail book store. You’ll find thousands of great books dirt cheap at the Friends of the Franklin Library Spring Book Sale this Saturday!

Superb selection of books, DVDs and games

While items available at each Book Sale vary, you’ll find hardcover and paperback books, movies on DVDs and VHS tapes, music CDs, computer games, children’s puzzles and games and a lot more.  Books include the classics, current fiction, self-help genre, gardening, etc. Prices range from 50 cents to $1 for most books.  You never know what you’ll find at these sales so come early!

Buys on children’s books

My home is full of books, many of them bought for cents on the dollar at the Friends of the Franklin Library Book Sales. We’ve found the selection of children’s books to be fantastic.  This has helped us encourage the love of reading in our children.

Here’s just a sample of past buys of children’s books at the previous Book Sales:

We paid $1 for each of these elaborate pop-up books that would likely have sold new for $10 to $15 apiece!

Best selection on Friday

If you want to get an early crack at the best selection, come to the members-only preview Friday, May 17 from 4 PM to 7 PM.  You can become a member of the Friends by signing up at the door and then you can enter the Members-Only Preview Book Sale. An individual membership costs $15 while a family membership is only $25. Think of the money you’ll save at the Book Sale!

Help a good cause

You can’t beat the prices at the Book Sale!  It’s win-win for everyone – you save a load of money on books and support a great cause.  Proceeds from the Book Sale enable the Friends to help the Franklin Public Library make more purchases for its collections and hold special events for kids and adults throughout the year.  The Friends help the Library maintain its Museum Pass program which is another great service provided by the Franklin Library.   It’s nice to see books recycled in the community and wonderful to have the money go to help the Franklin Library. So attend the Book Sale and maybe become a member of the Friends of the Franklin Library, too!

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Support locally produced food

The Franklin Farmer’s Market features fruits and vegetables as well as breads and food items.

There are no commercially produced food items for re-sale.

Win/Win

The Franklin Farmers’ Market is a win/win for local producers and the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts.  The Market allows locally grown produce to be sold in a downtown setting.  It helps local farmers and brings more people to the Downtown area of Franklin.

Click the hyper-link to learn more about the Franklin MA Farmers’ Market.

To become a vendor

If you are interested in becoming a vendor at the Franklin Farmers’ Market, you can contact Tim Garboski of Grateful Farm in Franklin.

Here is a link to a helpful site listing all farmers’ markets in Massachusetts.

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Main Street turned into pedestrian mall

Main Street was closed to traffic for the first time this year to accommodate all the additional merchants and food vendors who set up shop in display booths throughout the downtown area.  The lack of traffic made the event much more laid-back than previous years.

Live music

There was plenty of live music at at the event, centered at three different locations.  Local bands Random Play, Nothing to No One, and Knuf Said showed legitimate talent with their polished, professional performances.

 Games for the kids

An extensive area for childrens’ games was set up in the municipal parking lot.  Mostly for the younger set, these games are very low-key fun where every participant wins a prize!   Proceeds benefited the Parent Communications Council at the Davis Thayer Eelmentary School.

Antique car show

A new feature this year was an antique car show.  This provided some historical interest and and an area of (relative) calm from the busy booths and games.  My children were amazed at how primitive the interiors were in some of the entrants (“no seat belts”).  I got to see a rumble seat for the first time.  And the trunk for one beautiful vintage vehicle was  . . . a trunk strapped above the rear bumper!

Franklin MA at its best

The Harvest Festival showcases Franklin at its best:  family fun with no problems and an exceedingly normal, welcoming and inclusionary feel. 

Attendance seemed strong (organizers had projected attendance to exceed 3,000).

The Harvest Festival supports the Franklin Downtown Partnership which has the continued revitalization of Franklin’s downtown as its core mission.

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Past years’ events  have featured hayrides, a haunted house, costumed action figures and a whole lot of fun! [See image gallery at 02038.com]

From the charm of summertime concerts at the Town Common, to the colors, sights and sounds of the annual July 4th celebration, to the heartwarming tradition of the Holiday Lighting of the Town Common, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in attending Franklin, MA’s varied fairs and festivals!

Video of concert

Here’s a video of one concert:

The Concerts on the Common in Franklin, MA feature a wide variety of music and acts.  All are free – no admission!

Past programs have included performances by members of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts and former “American Idol” contestant Ayla Brown. [See image gallery at 02038.com]

The Feast is held every August in Franklin, MA behind the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (across Main Street from the Franklin Town Common).

There’s a lot more to eat than the conventional fried dough, pizza, fried clams and hot dogs. You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy classic Italian fare (calzones, manicotti, stuffed clams, meatball subs, tomato salads and a variety Italian breads and desserts) along with clam chowder, sausages and vegetarian offerings.
    [See image gallery at 02038.com]