Discover Downtown Franklin campaign encourages business patrons to write love letters

If you love local businesses, now is your chance to tell them how you feel.

Discover Downtown Franklin came up with a way to give local residents a way to express their appreciation for local businesses this Valentine’s Day. Until Feb. 14, local business lovers are encouraged to send a love letter to their favorites participating in downtown Franklin through the Local Love Letters campaign.

Local businesses are at the heart of what makes Franklin a tourist destination and a desirable place to live, so Discover Downtown Franklin wanted to celebrate that during the season of love, said Jess Giles, executive director.

Festivals are known to make Franklin a destination during the warmer months, but local businesses help make the city a destination year round. The event is a time to show businesses love, but also draw in extra business when local businesses need it most, Giles said.

Downtown businesses see less foot traffic in the early months of the year due to the cold weather. But given a reason to be out and about, the hope is that will change, she said.

Discover borrowed the idea from another city in a Main Street organization it is a part of, with some tailoring to suit Franklin. If successful, the event is hoped to be an annual part of the organization’s Love Local campaign to support shopping and dining local, Giles said.

“A huge part of my job is supporting our merchants. Being from here, I’ve always been passionate about shopping and eating locally,” she said. “What is special about my job is getting to know our local business owners and how much work they put into their shop, how much they love the community.”

This heart-shaped display outside the Festival Country visitor’s center is the drop-off point for Local Love Letters. LEEANN DOERFLEIN | DAILY JOURNAL

Discover is partnering with Festival Country for the event, and 28 businesses are participating.

Each participating business will have postcards to write the love letters on, along with contact information for the letter writer.

Completed postcards should be dropped off in a mailbox outside Festival Country’s visitor center in Franklin, 66 S. Water Street. Red and white mailboxes are attached to a big, pink heart.

Postcards will be taken out of the mailbox and delivered to local businesses each day. The postcards are a chance to win gift cards to local businesses. A name will be drawn each day.

Here’s a look at participating businesses:

A Trophy Business
Bay 7 Vintage
Benjamin’s Scoops & Treasures
Brick Street Boutique
BYTAVI Boutique
Coffeehouse Five
Court Street Café
Eclectic Jade
Farm Girl Mercantile
Franklin Jewelers
Generation Art and Frame
Hoosier Cupboard Candy Snacks and Ice Cream
JP Parker Flowers
The Local Grind
Madison Street Salvage
Main and Madison Market Café
Middle David’s Artisan Candles and Gifts
Norma Jean’s Pastries
Possibilities: Home Re-Imagined
Richard’s Brick Oven Pizza
Salvage Sisters
Sharp Graphics
Teri’s Treasures
Toodleydoo Toys
Thanks for the Thyme
Vintage Whimsy
Wild Geese Bookshop
The Willard
Source: Discover Downtown Franklin