In lieu of the annual Dickens of a Christmas Festival, which was canceled earlier this year due to coronavirus concerns, the foundation has announced that holiday displays and decorations will still be in place this year.
“There’s no doubt the pandemic has affected everything about how we work, how we interact and even how we celebrate," Heritage Foundation CEO Bari Beasley said in a release. "Our Holiday Magic on Main promotion offers residents and visitors the chance to celebrate the winter holidays by spending time with their loved ones in our beautiful downtown district, making memories at our unique restaurants and shopping for distinctive gifts at our locally owned shops.”
Holiday Magic on Main will begin Nov. 27 with the lighting of the Noel sign on the corner of Main Street and Fifth Avenue, and beginning Nov. 28, also known as Small Business Saturday, downtown shops decorated for the season will offer special discounts and promotions.
Through Dec. 31, the program will also feature pop-up performances from Dickensian characters as well as dancers and live musicians. Schedules of events will be promoted through social media on @downtownfranklin on Instagram.
Additionally, the DFA has partnered with the TMA Group to offer free shuttle service from The Factory at Franklin to downtown.
“With the road work going on along Franklin [Road], we want to do everything possible to make the shopping experience easier,” DFA Main Street Director Jill Burgin said in the release. “The National Retail Federation reports that more people will be Christmas shopping earlier this year, to avoid crowds and to bypass any shipping delays they may experience online. We want to support that and highlight the variety of shopping options available in Downtown Franklin.”
See more about Holiday Magic on Main here.