Winter Wonderland, parade this weekend
Lee Buchanan
editor@thefranklinpress.com
With Thanksgiving dinner reduced to leftovers, Franklin turns its holiday focus to Christmas this weekend with two days packed full of festive fun.
The celebrations kick off Saturday with Winter Wonderland and culminate Sunday with the Christmas Parade.
The parade rolls off at 3 p.m. Sunday, lining up on Church Street and proceeding down Main before turning onto Porter Street and then Palmer Street.
This year’s theme for the parade, which is organized by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, is “The Magic of Christmas.” The grand marshal is the Suminski family.
The magic kicks off before the parade with the running of the Ugly Holiday Sweater Dash. The dash, which benefits CareNet, starts at 2:45 p.m. Dashers can register at 2 p.m. in the town hall parking lot. The entry fee is five canned goods per participant. Pets are welcome to join the dash – and dress up for the occasion – but must be on a leash at all times.
On Saturday, Winter Wonderland will open the weekend of Christmas festivities. Winter Wonderland is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 and again Saturday, Dec. 7.
“Winter Wonderland is the opening of the Christmas season in Franklin,” said mayor Bob Scott. “It is amazing to me how many people from out of town are here for this. The lighting of the town Christmas tree, the merchants, the window displays – all this wraps up into a terrific family-oriented night.”
The first night of Winter Wonderland is packed with activities, including live music, roving holiday characters, Franklin’s annual tree lighting ceremony and a merchant-sponsored candlelight service.
Music will begin around 6:30 p.m. at the gazebo on the square featuring the White Sisters. Their performance will be followed by the tree lighting and candlelight service.
“Winter Wonderland is a great, family-oriented celebration of the holiday season and we have plenty of free activities for all ages to enjoy,” said Summer Woodard, town manager.
Both nights of Winter Wonderland will feature many free activities, including carriage rides, hay rides, and a miniature train that will take passengers on a ride through downtown Franklin.
Santa Claus himself will be there, spreading Christmas cheer and visiting merchants on Main Street from 5-8 p.m.
Downtown merchants will stay open late to help the town celebrate, and hopefully do some business on what is also Small Business Saturday. Many will offer free refreshments such as hot cider, and some will feature living window displays depicting different scenes of the holiday season.
“The Town of Franklin is proud to again be a Neighborhood Champion of Small Business Saturday, Scott said.
The second Saturday of Winter Wonderland is set for Dec. 7.
“Most of the comments I hear are that it is so friendly, and there is a warm, hometown feeling to the night,” Scott said. “This has evolved into another of the top festivals for Franklin. I sure do enjoy it.