December in Franklin, Kentucky is a magical time for our historic downtown district. Franklin is known for their lights, decorations, and photo opportunities at Christmas, but this year will be extra extraordinary. For the first time in over 15 years, our historic downtown courthouse will shine bright once again. The lighting ceremony will take place along with all the other annual Small Town Christmas activities on December 7th. Our little town knows how to do big things, and this will be a night that many will never forget. “I have spent a couple years searching for the right company and lighting product, since this is a permanent fixture to our courthouse to use for years to come. I wanted to make sure the quality would be there, and the look would not take away from the building. We found the perfect product and installation has already begun,” said Kim Roberts, Executive Director of Franklin-Simpson Renaissance.
Small Town Christmas will consist of Meet and Greets with Santa Claus at the North Pole Pavilion, so make sure to bring those letters to Santa along with you. The Toyland Express train will be back in town giving the kids a free train ride. The annual Kiwanis Christmas Parade will begin at 5pm and this year’s theme is “The Magic of Christmas,” which is very fitting for the events we have planned. A new addition to the activities this year will be Storytime with the Grinch. We will open the courthouse for the kids to come in and listen to a Christmas story told by the Grinch. Some of our other characters from the day may just be there, also! S’more stations have been a big favorite the last couple of years. Fire pits will be burning, and our local Project Graduation planning committee will be on site selling S’more kits. They will even provide you with roasting sticks. The lighting ceremony for the courthouse will take place at approximately 6:30pm with music to follow. We are working on having carriage rides available after the lighting ceremony to get a full view of the downtown decorations. Food vendors will be set up with all types of food and sweets, but if you need to warm up, visit some of our local downtown restaurants and coffee shops, plus Franklin has a multitude of merchants selling all types of merchandise perfect for gifts or maybe just for yourself.
“I cannot wait until December 7th. It will truly be a magical experience and place to visit all through December. Franklin has a lot to offer all the time but especially around the holidays. I am so proud to live and work in Franklin and being Renaissance director is truly an amazing job,” says Roberts.
For the times of all the activities visit www.franklinsimpsonrenaissance.com or follow our Facebook page. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 270-586-8482 or by email at kim.fsrenaissance@yahoo.com.
-submitted by Franklin-Simpson Renaissance
