Franklin’s 27th annual Main Street Festival brings more than 200 artisans & crafters, three stages, two carnivals and two food courts to the historic Public Square and Downtown District April 24-25, 2010.
 

Hours for the free street festival are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, with the Fourth Avenue Street Dance continuing until 10 p.m., and all activities re-opening noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Arts and crafts booths line Main Street from First to Fifth Avenue.
 

Presented by First Tennessee and produced by the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County and the Downtown Franklin Association, the weekend event is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors to a full slate of family-oriented activities, non-stop musical entertainment and international flavors of more than 20 food vendors.
 

Handmade work to be exhibited includes original oil and watercolor paintings, pottery, jewelry, furniture, woodworking, ornamental iron, stained glass, photography, home and garden accents, birdhouses, leatherwork, and much more.
 

In addition to a juried arts and crafts show, the festival offers a special area of children's activities on Third Avenue South between City Hall and the Old Courthouse. Free entertainment is offered continuously on three stages—the First Tennessee Stage on the Public Square, the Heritage Stage on Fourth Avenue North and the Beer/Wine Garden Stage on Fourth Avenue South.

 

Three food areas offer a tasty variety of everything from roast corn on the cob and stuffed baked potatoes, Polish sausage, Greek gyros, Asian and Mexican cuisine, Southern fare includes barbeque, burgers and hotdogs, cinnamon-roasted nuts, ice cream, smoked turkey legs, funnel cakes, kettle corn and more.
 

There will also be a full-scale, traditional carnival at Margin Street and Second Avenue North--the site of the future City of Franklin Bicentennial Park. The carnival opens earlier than the festival on Thursday and goes through Sunday. Carnival hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 22-25.

 

 

Stage locations
Heritage Stage - 4th Avenue North
Beer/Wine Garden Stage - 4th Avenue South
First Tennessee Stage – On the Public Square

 

 

Heritage Stage – Fourth Avenue North
10:00 – 11:15 Jilly Martin
11:30 – 12:00 “Eagle Jump Force” Moore Elementary Jump Rope Team
12:00 - 12:30 “Hot Shots Jump Rope Team” Freedom Elementary
12:30 - 1:30 The Huntley Sisters
2:00 – 3:00 Tommy Jackson’s Rocky Top Revue
3:30 – 4:45 Williamson County Bluegrass
5:15 – 6:30 Tiger Gagan with Mississippi Millie
7:00 – 8:00 Ben Graves
8:30 – 10:00 The Shaun Murphy Band

 

Beer/Wine Garden Stage – Fourth Avenue South
11:30 - 1:00 Brian Ashley Jones
1:30 - 3:15 The 10th Floor
3:45 - 5:30 The Chill Band
6:00 - 7:45 The Fabulous Suedes
8:15 - 10:00 The Big Thrill

 

First Tennessee Stage – Public Square
9:50 – 10:00 Opening Ceremonies and Ribbon cutting
10:00 – 11:00 Dance with Tracy
11:30 – 1:00 Ann Carroll School of Dance
1:30 – 2:30 Scott-Ellis School of Irish
3:00 – 4:00 Williamson County Community Band
4:30 – 5:30 O’Brien Irish Dance
6:00 – 7:00 Franklin School of Performing Arts

 

 

Heritage Stage
12:30 – 1:45 Terry Comer’s “Best in Town”
2:15 – 3:30 John England and the Western Swingers
4:00 – 5:30 Jessica Miller

 

Beer/Wine Garden Stage
12:00 – 1:30 Cissy Crutcher
2:00 – 3:30 The Godfrey Brothers featuring Kim Morrison
4:00 – 6:00 Crazy Face – The Music of Van Morrison

 

First Tennessee Stage
12:00 – 1:00 Jarkaveous Morton
1:30 – 2:30 Kristen Butke School of Irish Dance
3:00 – 4:00 Tommy Jackson’s Rocky Top Revue
4:30 – 5:30 Howling Brothers

 

The Main Street Festival is produced by The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County and it division, the Downtown Franklin Association. Proceeds from the event are used to fulfill the mission of the organization, which is to protect and preserve the architectural, geographic and cultural heritage of Franklin and Williamson County and to promote the ongoing economic revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation.

 

In addition to presenting sponsor First Tennessee, major sponsors are Publix Super Markets, Williamson Medical Center, The Tennessean/Williamson A.M., The City of Franklin, Clear Channel Radio, Fox 17, and FranklinIs.

 

For more information, see www.historicfranklin.com or call 615-591-8500.