Festival goers walk past fall and Halloween wreaths during last year’s Franklin Fall Festival. This year’s festival will be Friday and Saturday, with highlights including the parade, Dachshund Derby, more than 120 vendors and entertainment all weekend long. DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Signs that fall has come to Franklin are unmistakable.
Boutiques and eateries put out pumpkins and hay bales to put people in the mood. Leaves in the downtown parks turn shades of red, orange, yellow and purple.
And towards the end of September, parade floats will fill the streets, pioneers will demonstrate life in the 1800s and a herd of sleek dachshunds will pump their tiny legs for a taste of victory.
“The Dachshund Derby, it’s just really unique,” said Holly Johnston, special events coordinator for Franklin Parks and Recreation. “I didn’t realize how many have dachshunds. If people haven’t seen it, they have to do it — it’s amazing.”
The Franklin Fall Festival returns on Friday and Saturday, offering a smorgasbord of food, music, shopping opportunities, activities and more the celebrate autumn’s arrival. People can catch live music and other entertainment throughout the weekend, browse the booths of more than 120 artisan vendors, and grab meals from downtown’s plentiful restaurants as well as some added food trucks.
Start the day off with a walk-dance fundraiser, take a hayride with the family around the city and watch the annual Dachshund Derby — an enduring and endearing Franklin tradition.
It’s a recipe for one of city’s most beloved events.
“It’s a tradition. I think if we tried to get rid of the Fall Festival, people would croak,” Johnston said. “For us, it’s kind of the beginning of fall; it’s a great time for people to get out and enjoy the first real event of fall in Franklin.”
The Franklin Fall Festival spans two nights this year, with a Friday night kickoff featuring food trucks, the beer and wine garden sponsored by Cornett Roofing, and live music all evening long. People making their way to the DriverHubler.com Amphitheater at Youngs Creek Park can catch country crooner Corey Cox before Hank Ruff, an Indiana University grad, caps the night off with a unique style of neo-traditional country that has won over fans throughout the United States.
“It just kinds of extends the weekend a little bit when we have some stuff on Friday,” Johnston said.
Assuming you didn’t rock out too hard the night before, Saturday’s festivities start bright and early at 8 a.m. with Rock Around the Block. The mile-long combination walk-dance is a fundraiser for the Moyra McCain Memorial Foundation, created in honor of McCain, a Franklin Community High School student who died in a 2018 automobile crash.
The foundation supports McCain’s passions, including friends, fun, 4-H and dance. Participants are encouraged to paint rocks with positive messages, then distribute the rocks along the route to spread joy to others.
“It’s always fun to start with that, and then we end up at the stage and we dance for an hour,” Johnston said.
As Rock Around the Block reaches Youngs Creek Park, the Fall Festival gets going in earnest. Organizers have lined up 123 vendors to sell everything from crafts to artwork to treats, all while entertainment carries on throughout the day on the amphitheater stage. Food vendors will be serving up sustenance, while the beer and wine garden opens an hour later.
On the grounds of the Johnson County Museum, festivalgoers can learn about how the area’s 1800s residents lived during Heritage Days. See pioneer and Civil War re-enactors, demonstrations of traditional arts and crafts, and a wealth of hands-on activities throughout the museum. The event, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is free to the public and intended for all ages.
The fun really revs up at 1 p.m. with one of the centerpieces of the weekend — the Fall Festival parade. Community groups, high school marching bands and more take to the streets with colorful floats and joyous revelry.
That energy carries over for the annual Dachshund Derby. Some of the area’s fastest wiener dogs put their skills to the test during the short race, which is hosted by the Humane Society of Johnson County.
The event moved to Young’s Creek Park last year, which got a tremendous response from people, Johnston said.
“We moved it down to the amphitheater and got a great crowd. It’s all right there, so we’re doing that again,” she said.
Hayrides around the downtown area are available from 3 to 5 p.m., and the Historic Artcraft Theatre will be showcasing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” both at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
as people gear up for the weekend’s headliner, musician Jai Baker. Baker has built a following throughout central Indiana and beyond with his country-focused songs, opening for such heavyweights as Luke Bryan, Justin Moore, Keith Urban and Faith Hill.
A fireworks display had originally been planned to close the festival down, but with the Johnson County Commissioners extending a burn ban through Oct. 23, organizers had to cancel it, Johnston said.
Regardless, the weekend is sure to be a memorable one once again for the community.
“As always, we encourage everyone to visit all of our shops and restaurants downtown. It should be a good weekend,” Johnston said.
IF YOU GO
Franklin Fall Festival
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: DriveHubler.com Amphitheater at Youngs Creek Park, unless otherwise noted
Schedule
Friday
5:30-10 p.m.: Food vendors, Cornett Roofing beer and wine garden
5:30-7:30 p.m.: Corey Cox in concert
8-10 p.m.: Hank Ruff in concert
Saturday
9 a.m.: Rock Around the Block
10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Dachshund Derby registration
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Entertainment on amphitheater stage
10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Vendors
10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Food vendors
11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Heritage Days, Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St.
11 a.m.-10 p.m.: Cornett Roofing beer and wine garden
1 p.m.: Fall Festival Parade
2 and 7:30 p.m.: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2,” Historic Artcraft Theatre, 57 N. Main St.
3 p.m.: Dachshund Derby
3-5 p.m.: Hay rides
7-10 p.m.: Jai Baker in concert
More information: franklinin.myrec.com/info/default.aspx
