For the first time in its 41 years, PumpkinFest will run for two days. The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has set the festival for Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on historic Main Street. The Foundation did not add a day because it wanted a bigger festival. It added one because the festival had outgrown the streets it uses.
Main Street is the same width it has always been, so this fall the downtown calendar is spreading out over time. From PumpkinFest through Veterans Day, the season's biggest gatherings are split across extra days, nearby buildings, and a farm park a short shuttle ride north of the Square.
Why a Street That Can't Widen Got a Second Day
In 2025, PumpkinFest drew more than 135,000 people in a single day. According to Visit Franklin, the festival usually fills Main Street between 1st Avenue and Five Points. When the Foundation announced the two-day format in March, it was direct about that limit:
"Unlike events that can expand geographically, PumpkinFest is constrained by historic streets, sidewalks, and access points. As attendance increases, those constraints translate directly into higher crowd density, longer wait times, and more difficult navigation for guests, vendors, and emergency services."
The Foundation said a second day lets it keep the character, accessibility, and safety of the event while still welcoming a large regional crowd. It also expects the change to help downtown merchants. More than 140 arts and crafts vendors and 30 food and beverage vendors take part each year, and Main Street businesses open with special promotions and extended hours. The Foundation says two days will bring "more consistent guest flow across operating hours."
Bari Beasley, the Foundation's president and CEO, said the expansion came after the organization heard from guests and the community and worked with its board and the City of Franklin. Admission is free on both days.
Saturday and Sunday, Side by Side
The Foundation's October 6 program announcement lists the same lineup of attractions for the whole weekend. Saturday and Sunday mostly differ by the clock.
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Sunday, Oct. 25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Festival hours | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Length | Eight hours | Six hours |
| Park & Ride shuttle | 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | Running; hours not yet published |
| Programming | Full lineup | Same lineup, listed as returning throughout the weekend |
Both days include the Main Stage presented by Nissan, the Road Show Stage, the Acoustic Stage, KidZone presented by Hope UC Nashville, Autumn Alley presented by Publix, a beer garden by Bavarian Bierhaus, and the pet and people costume contests presented by Jackson. The Foundation hasn't published stage-by-stage set times or contest start times. Treat the costume contests as weekend events until a schedule says otherwise.
Some event listings show Sunday ending at 6 p.m. The Foundation's own announcement says 5 p.m. Go by the Foundation's time. With the later start and earlier finish, Sunday gives you the same festival in a six-hour window, on a day built to take pressure off Saturday.
Harlinsdale Does Double Duty
During PumpkinFest weekend, The Park at Harlinsdale Farm serves as the festival's parking lot. The Foundation warns that downtown parking will be limited. Franklin Transit is running Park & Ride shuttles between Harlinsdale and downtown for $1 per person each way. The shuttle has rules worth knowing before you leave the house. Pets and non-folding strollers aren't allowed, and the only food or drink permitted is bottled water. If you're bringing the dog for the pet costume contest, you'll need another way downtown.
Two weeks later, Harlinsdale becomes the main event itself. Franklin Parks' free Family Day runs Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park, 239 Franklin Road. The City's Family Day page lists miniature train rides, hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo, cane-pole fishing, Touch-a-Tractor, crafts, games, a corn maze, and equestrian demonstrations. It's a farm-style fall day held in open pasture rather than on a street, and it ends five hours before the evening's main downtown event begins.
Halloween Week Moves Into Buildings
None of the 2026 listings we reviewed show a trick-or-treat on Main Street. The week's trick-or-treating is happening inside or next to individual venues, on three different nights:
- Tuesday, October 27. The Franklin Band hosts its free Musical Trick or Treat from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Howard Gamble Stadium at Franklin High School, 810 Hillsboro Road.
- Wednesday, October 28. The Factory at Franklin runs a free Trick-or-Treat Trail from building to building, 3 to 6 p.m., with candy, magic, face painting, games, a photo booth, and carousel rides. Last year's Factory event was held on Halloween itself. This year's event page puts it on a Wednesday afternoon.
- Saturday, October 31. Visit Franklin's 2026 Halloween roundup lists a building-wide trick-or-treat at Kings Dining & Entertainment. No start time has been posted.
Main Street does have one ticketed Halloween-season event. On PumpkinFest Saturday, Franklin Walking Tours runs Tombstone Tales from 7 to 9 p.m., with costumed interpreters in downtown's historic cemeteries. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for teens, $5 for children ages 1 to 12, and free for those under one. It starts an hour after the festival closes for the day, so you can do both on October 24.
November 6, 7 and 11: Three Evenings on the Same Street
After PumpkinFest weekend, Main Street hosts three gatherings in less than a week. Each one handles the street differently.
Friday, November 6: Downtown Franklin Art Crawl. The Arts Council of Williamson County organizes this free evening, 6 to 9 p.m. Artists set up inside downtown businesses, churches, The Factory at Franklin, and other historic sites. The Arts Council sends visitors to its map and app for each month's stops. November's host locations haven't been posted yet. Because the crawl is spread across many venues, it doesn't need to close the street to hold its crowd.
Saturday, November 7: Wine Down Main Street, 25th anniversary. The tasting runs from 7 to 10 p.m. on historic Main Street. Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee organizes it and receives the proceeds, and BancCard is the presenting sponsor. Tickets range from $75 to $200, according to FranklinIs. General admission includes a souvenir glass and access to the tastings. New for the anniversary is a VIP experience at The Franklin Theatre from 6 to 9 p.m., with premium wine, elevated food, and hospitality before guests head out to the street event. Like PumpkinFest, Wine Down is adding capacity by moving part of the evening indoors and starting it an hour early. The festival did the same thing with a second day.
The same Saturday starts at Harlinsdale. Family Day ends at 2 p.m. and Wine Down begins at 7, so you could go from the corn maze in the morning to the wine tasting at night without the two crowds overlapping.
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day Parade. The City's parade steps off at 11 a.m. and runs down Main Street from Five Points to the Square, then up Third Avenue North to Bicentennial Park. A reception for veterans runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Williamson County Archives. It's the only event in this stretch that uses Main Street as a route rather than a venue. Details are on the City of Franklin's parade page.
The Calendar at a Glance
- Sat., Oct. 24: PumpkinFest, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tombstone Tales, 7 to 9 p.m.
- Sun., Oct. 25: PumpkinFest, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tue., Oct. 27: Musical Trick or Treat, Howard Gamble Stadium, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Wed., Oct. 28: Trick-or-Treat Trail, The Factory at Franklin, 3 to 6 p.m.
- Sat., Oct. 31: Building-wide trick-or-treat at Kings Dining & Entertainment, time to be announced
- Fri., Nov. 6: Downtown Franklin Art Crawl, 6 to 9 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 7: Family Day at Harlinsdale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wine Down Main Street, 7 to 10 p.m., with the VIP experience at The Franklin Theatre from 6 p.m.
- Wed., Nov. 11: Veterans Day Parade, 11 a.m., Five Points to Bicentennial Park
The City's online street-closure map for PumpkinFest still carries a 2023 date, and no 2026 street-by-street closure plan had been posted as of October 10. If you live or work in the blocks between 1st Avenue and Five Points, check the Heritage Foundation's PumpkinFest page and the City's notices in the days before October 24. The Foundation has said more programming information will follow.
If the new weekend schedule has you thinking about how downtown Franklin's event calendar fits with where you live, or might live, Heather Hamel is glad to talk it through. Begin a private consultation whenever it suits you, whether that's before PumpkinFest weekend or after the parade.
