The Downtown Franklin Rotary Club (DFRC), with the support of the Kiwanis Club of Franklin, will serve as the host of the 2023 Franklin Christmas Parade to be held on Saturday, December 2nd. For decades, the Franklin Christmas Parade has been a cherished holiday tradition,bringing together families, friends and community members to celebrate the spirit of the season. The Kiwanis Club had produced the parade for over thirty years andapproached the DFRC about assuming the reins starting this year.
“The Christmas Parade is an institution and the Kiwanis Club has been proud to present it for so many years,” said Marta Eynatten, a Kiwanis Club member who has personally kept the parade going. “We recognized it was time to pass the event along to another group that has the size and manpower to not only keep the parade going but to hopefully take it to a new level. We greatly appreciate the Downtown Franklin Rotary forstepping up to take this on.”
According to DFRC President CJ Monte, “Our mission is to the serve our community and the Franklin Christmas Parade is a perfect way to bring joy and give back to our wonderful city.”
Kathy Meadows and Alan Simms are serving as event co-chairs. “We are excited to celebrate our club’s inaugural year as presenter of the parade and looking forward to keeping this great tradition alive,” they said.
Franklin families are promised to expect to enjoy a wonderful display of holiday spirit, featuring floats, marching bands, dance groups and even an appearance by old St. Nick himself. The Grand Marshal of this year’s parade is Jane Crockett Franks. Judge Franks served as the only General Sessions and Juvenile Judge in Williamson County for almost twenty years, having been elected in 1978, 1982 and 1990. She was the first woman in Williamson County to serve as a Judge. She has received numerous honors and awards throughout her tenure on the Bench. She is involved in numerous organizations such as Williamson County Youth, Inc., My Friend’s House, Alternative Learning Center which is operated by the Juvenile Court in cooperation with the public school system, Williamson County CASA. She has also received a recognition award from the National Association of Women Judges.
The DFRC is offering opportunities for local business, organizations and individuals to get involved through participating with a float or becoming a sponsor. More information can be found at downtownfranklinrotary.com/christmas-parade.
Since its founding in 2017, the DFRC has been one of the fastest-growing Rotary Clubs in the nation, increasing membership from 61 to over 160 in just five years. DFRC was recognized as the Most Outstanding Club in District 6760 in 2021. The club had previously been recognized as the District 6760 Large Club of the Year in 2018 and 2019, the DFRC’s first two years in existence. The club now has more than 160 members dedicated to service both locally and internationally. More information can be found at downtownfranklinrotary.com.
