Franklin's PumpkinFest expands to two days for first time

Downtown Franklin's PumpkinFest will stretch across two days for the first time in its 41-year history. The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County is adding a Sunday to the fall festival's schedule.

The event runs Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Main Street, as first reported by Williamson Source.

Admission is free.

The expansion follows a record 2025 festival that drew more than 135,000 visitors in a single day, according to the Heritage Foundation. Because PumpkinFest is hemmed in by historic streets and narrow sidewalks, organizers said the crowd size strained access points, lengthened wait times and complicated navigation for guests, vendors and emergency crews.

"We heard from our guests and community that they wanted more time to enjoy everything the festival has to offer," Bari Beasley, president and CEO of the Heritage Foundation, said in a statement.

Beasley said the foundation worked with its board and the City of Franklin to make the two-day format possible. The foundation said the goal is to spread foot traffic more evenly across both days and give vendors and downtown businesses longer windows to connect with customers.

The 2026 lineup includes more than 140 arts and crafts vendors, more than 30 food and beverage vendors, a KidZone, three live music stages, a Bavarian Bierhaus beer garden and Autumn Alley. Costume contests return as well. The people contest is listed at 12:30 p.m. and the pet contest at 4 p.m. on the festival's website. A Scarecrow Crawl will send visitors to participating downtown merchants for discounts, treats and a chance to win a movie ticket to The Franklin Theatre.

Getting there

Street parking inside the festival footprint will be closed. Franklin Transit will run a Park & Ride shuttle from The Park at Harlinsdale Farm, 239 Franklin Road, for $1 per person each way. Shuttles drop riders at 1st and Main.

Shuttle hours match the festival window: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Pets, non-folding strollers and outside food or drink other than bottled water are not allowed on shuttle vehicles. Accessible parking is available at the 2nd and 4th Avenue garages or through the Park & Ride service.

The festival is rain or shine, though organizers will close the event if high winds or storms make conditions unsafe. For shuttle information, call Franklin Transit at (615) 628-0260.