By Heidi Hood, Managing Director of the Downtown Franklin Association
2022 was nothing short of amazing for the Downtown Franklin Assocation and Main Street! We hosted our annual events and introduced new, exciting programs for prospective and current members!
BELOW IS OUR 2022 RECAP!
WINTER
- DFA hosted the Inaugural Downtown Franklin Awards, celebrating the small business community.
- The Downtown Building Owner Group was launched – advocating for small businesses and educating the community on its mission.
SPRING
- DFA relaunched the beloved Franklin Locals volunteer program.
- DFA hosted the thirty-eighth annual Main Street Festival, drawing around 142,000 guests.
- DFA hosted its first DFA University session with guest speaker Joni Cole, co-owner of Gray's on Main, sharing educational content on "Creating Culture & Retaining Talent."
- Downtown Franklin was announced as an official Smart Start™ community, building an online resource for local start-ups and businesses.
SUMMER
- DFA Masterminds was launched. It is a program to benefit members of the organization, creating space for intentional, solution-focused conversations for nonprofits, retailers and professional services.
- The new wayfinding signs on Main Street were installed in the fall.
FALL
- DFA hosted the thirty-seventh annual PumpkinFest, with over 112,000 people in attendance.
- DFA hosted its thirty-eighth annual Dickens of a Christmas festival.
DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN AWARDS
With 2023 upon us, DFA is continuing the Downtown Franklin Awards program, with a ballot of DFA members for a public vote on social media before January 22nd. The award winners will be announced in February. We remain excited to advocate for our local merchants and businesses who make the charming experience of downtown Franklin truly one of the best in the country.
WHAT IS THE DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN ASSOCIATION?
The Downtown Franklin Association is a membership organization. We support all the downtown Franklin businesses through Main Street America® accreditation and programming, and we also get to serve our members in special ways throughout the year. All Downtown Franklin businesses are welcome to join or renew their DFA membership anytime. To join, contact downtownfranklintn.com/membership.
To keep up with our new ventures and get involved, visit DowntownFranklinTN.com. We'll see you on Main Street in 2023!
ONGOING DFA PROGRAMMING:
- DFA Masterminds
- DFA University
- Downtown Franklin Awards
- Franklin Locals
- Membership
- Smart Start
The Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) is a membership-based division of the non-profit organization, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, TN. DFA is dedicated to the historic preservation, revitalization and community vibrancy of historic downtown Franklin.
