The lights will still shine as brightly as in years past.
Christmas carols will sound as festive and jolly. Decorations will be as bright and merry.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will still wave to children passing by.
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The annual Franklin holiday lighting won’t be the same as it’s been in the past. Organizers have had to adjust to increased safety measures in the face of mounting COVID-19 cases in the county.
Instead of sitting on Santa’s lap and giving their wish lists, kids can wave to St. Nick in a drive-by setup on Saturday afternoon. There won’t be a “flip the switch” moment when the downtown Franklin lights go on, but the courthouse will be illuminated, and competitions for the best decorated businesses and local homes will give people something to travel around and marvel at.
The spirit of the event, and the joy that comes from it, can’t be cancelled due to a pandemic.
“We had to go with some different things that we thought families could still enjoy, even if it’s not the norm,” said Holly Johnston, the community events director for Franklin Parks & Recreation. “It’s hard for everybody right now, and we want to do things for everybody this year. Right now, we have to make some tough decisions, and next year, we’ll be in full force.”
Even as recently as two weeks ago, organizers were hopeful that the traditional lighting ceremony could go on, Johnston said. Plans were in place for a fundraising 5K, breakfast with Santa and a winter market featuring local vendors. The Historic Artcraft Theatre was going to show one of its more popular films, “A Christmas Story,” and the entire event would culminate with the lights flipped on.
But it became clear by mid-November that such an event wasn’t feasible, Johnston said.
“With the guidance of the Johnson County Health Department, we had to make some decisions on what we could do and what we couldn’t do,” she said. “We have already pared it down, but then we had to pare it down some more.”
With an abundance of caution, planners kept what they could.
The Johnson County Museum of History brings back its Dec-A-Tree contest, featuring Christmas trees decorated in fun and festive themes by local businesses and organizations.
Once again, Compass Park will turn its campus into a winter wonderland with lighted displays people can drive past. A decorating contest is set to identify the merriest among downtown businesses, with the Franklin Department of Public Art pitching in $1,000 for the winner to entire participants.
Then organizers had to get creative.
“The big part of the whole decision was we didn’t want people gathering in large groups,” Johnston said. “If you’ve been to the holiday lighting in the past, you know that they gather in huge groups, so we had to make changes.”
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be set up outside the Artcraft Theatre to wave to children. People can come by to see them, but in a safe way.
“We wanted to have Santa in town somehow,” Johnston said. “We did something similar for Easter, with the Easter Bunny out there. We had so much fun doing it, and so many people driving by, we thought if it worked then, let’s try it again.”
The regular downtown lights and decorations have been super-charged, with new illuminated features to make it even brighter. In addition to the downtown businesses decorating competition, a contest for the best-decorated homes has been introduced for the first time.
Prizes will be given in three categories: Clark Griswold, for the most over-the-top decorations; White Christmas, the most traditional decorations, and Buddy the Elf, for the most festive.
“Those are things people can do walking around or driving around, to see them safely,” Johnston said. “You can do that with your family, without gathering in groups.”
The adjustments to the holiday lighting are not ideal, as everyone wants to cling on to some sense of normalcy. But in a year when flexibility and the ability to adapt has been key, the event will still help people get into the spirit of the season, Johnston said.
“It’ll look different this year, but that’s OK. 2020 has looked totally different this year anyway,” she said.
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Franklin Holiday Lighting
When: Saturday
Where: Downtown Franklin
Schedule
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Dec-A-Tree display, Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St.
3 to 5 p.m.: Drive-by Santa and Mrs. Claus, Artcraft Theatre, 57 N. Main St.
6 p.m.: Compass Park lighting of ground displays
All day: Downtown Business Decorating Contest, and Holiday House Decorating Contest. To register, go to FranklinParks.org or DiscoverDowntownFranklin.com.
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