Last Saturday’s PumpkinFest was a damp one, but the weather didn’t keep the crowds away.
The annual festival in downtown Franklin started off dry, but the afternoon saw much-needed rain fall at an inopportune time, leaving festival attendees a bit wetter than they would have liked.
Fortunately, a slight drizzle was about as bad as it got, and town planner Justin Setser said the weather didn’t keep people away, and they kept vendors busy.
“We saw plenty of people early in the morning,” Setser said. “We needed the rain back, so as long as they’re still selling, it’s a good thing.”
Even after the weather took a turn, hundreds of people maneuvered through downtown to see what PumpkinFest had to offer. One of the most popular new attractions for this year’s iteration of the event was a replica of Adam West’s Batmobile. The modified Corvette was provided by Tina Moran, who came from Atlanta to display the car and was impressed with the size and scope of the festival.
“This is really fun,” Moran said. “I wish we had more time to walk around and see everything.”
First timers at the festival agreed that there was a lot to see and do. Rita Staffelbach, a resident of Highlands, said she’s never attended a PumpkinFest before despite living nearby, and the experience she had will definitely bring her back next year.
“I’m loving it,” Staffelbach said. “The activities are fun and the vendors have all been very nice. I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never gone to one of these, but I’m glad I finally got around to it.”
While many came from nearby, others traveled from out of state to enjoy the festival.
Sharon Pickard came from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on an invitation from a friend in Franklin and had a great time. As she stood on the sidewalk and watched an impromptu bluegrass concert break out, she described the festival as a callback to her childhood and what makes small towns like Franklin such charming places to visit.
“I was born in a little town like this, and when I visit towns like this I see them try to blend the best of the past and the present together,” Pickard said. “It’s nice that there are still places where you can bring your family out to these events.”
Franklin Town Manager Summer Woodard said that bringing together all the best that Franklin has to offer is what keeps PumpkinFest one of the region’s top fall festivals.
Next year, the town is sure to have even more ideas to help the next round of first-time visitors form memories that will keep them coming back.
“We have several returning out-of-town visitors and locals each year that come to town for the festival,” Woodard said. “We try to look at different attractions each year. This keeps the festival new and exciting each year.”