"PumpkinFest has grown year after year, and honestly, it's a great problem to have," Will Clark of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County told the Williamson Herald. "As the crowds kept getting bigger, we wanted to make sure every family could enjoy the festival comfortably and safely."
This weekend the 41st PumpkinFest takes over downtown Franklin for two days. That has never happened in the festival's history. It runs Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The two days run on different schedules, and the differences decide which one suits you.
A Street That Can't Get Any Wider
The Heritage Foundation explained the change in its March 25 announcement. The 2025 festival drew more than 135,000 people in a single day. The Herald's preview gives a lower count of more than 110,000 for last year. Even the lower number is a lot of people for one historic Main Street.
That street is the constraint. Many festivals can grow by spreading onto more ground. The Foundation says PumpkinFest "is constrained by historic streets, sidewalks, and access points," and that bigger crowds turn directly into "higher crowd density, longer wait times, and more difficult navigation for guests, vendors, and emergency services." The streets couldn't grow, so the Foundation added a day. The same release says it wants the two-day format to create "more consistent guest flow across operating hours."
"After hearing guests and community feedback, we worked with our board members and the City of Franklin to expand the event," said Bari Beasley, President and CEO of the Heritage Foundation, in that announcement.
Saturday Keeps the Festival's Biggest Moments
Splitting a crowd only works if the two days offer different things. The organizers kept the signature events on day one. Clark told the Herald that the people and pet costume contests are "staying right where everyone loves them" on Saturday.
- People costume contest: Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Main Stage
- Pet costume contest: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Saturday also has the longer music day. Southern Irish Dance opens the Main Stage at 10 a.m., and Brandon Scott closes it with a 5:10 p.m. set. If your family's PumpkinFest centers on a costume, a dog in a costume, or both, plan on Saturday. Expect that day to feel like the PumpkinFest you remember.
Sunday Is Two Hours Shorter, and It's Built to Ease the Crowd
Sunday starts an hour later and ends an hour earlier, for a six-hour festival day against Saturday's eight. Ann Carroll School of Dance opens the Main Stage at 11:10 a.m., and Brandon Scott returns to close the festival with a set starting at 4:15 p.m. The Herald says that on Sunday "the stages are packed with live entertainment." The vendors, food and stages stay. The contests do not.
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Sunday, Oct. 25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Festival hours | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Main Stage opener | Southern Irish Dance, 10 a.m. | Ann Carroll School of Dance, 11:10 a.m. |
| Main Stage closer | Brandon Scott, 5:10 p.m. | Brandon Scott, 4:15 p.m. |
| Costume contests | People at 12:30 p.m., pets at 4 p.m. | None scheduled |
| $1 shuttle service | 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. |
This is the first year with two days, so nobody knows yet how the crowd will divide between them. The design is clear, though. Saturday has the contests. Sunday is the version with fewer fixed events to plan around. Clark described the goal as giving "everyone the space and time to truly enjoy it" while "keeping that warm, hometown feel that makes PumpkinFest what it is."
What Fills Main Street on Both Days
Most of the festival runs the same way on both days. A FranklinIs release from October 5 lists more than 140 arts and crafts vendors and more than 30 food and beverage vendors. It names the sponsors behind each part of the festival:
- Three stages: the Main Stage presented by Nissan, the Road Show Stage, and the Acoustic Stage presented by Corcoran Reverie
- KidZone, presented by Hope UC Nashville, with children's games and crafts
- Autumn Alley, presented by Publix, with fall activities
- A beer garden run by Bavarian Bierhaus
Atmos Energy is the presenting sponsor. Merchant vendors named in the Herald include The Heirloom Shop, Welded Permanent Jewelry, Port Royal Woodworks and The Potters Hand. Musicians and performers beyond the Main Stage openers and closers include Rocky Top Revue, School of Rock, Mark Anthony Ensemble, Histown Dance and Performing Arts, Nashville Opera, Music City Strings and Musicville.
The second day matters most for the shops on the street. Landmark Booksellers is hosting 35 authors across nine signing sessions on its front portico, spread over both days. Main Street businesses are also running promotions during the festival. The Heritage Foundation counted this in its case for expanding, saying a second day gives local businesses and vendors "additional opportunities to connect with visitors." Admission is free both days.
Getting Downtown When Main Street Is Closed to Cars
The crowd problem starts with getting there. According to Fox 17, downtown parking is limited and there is no street parking inside the festival footprint. Here are your options:
- Take the Franklin Transit shuttle. It costs $1 per person and runs from The Park at Harlinsdale Farm to First Avenue and Main Street. It starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday and stops 15 minutes before the festival closes each day.
- Park in a garage. The Second Avenue and Fourth Avenue garages will be open. Fox 17 notes that accessible parking is available there or through the shuttle.
- If the dog is entering the 4 p.m. contest, drive. Pets are not allowed on the shuttles. The pet contest is on Saturday, so that's the day with the tightest parking. Leave extra time.
On Sunday the shuttle starts an hour later and stops an hour earlier than on Saturday, matching the festival hours. If you plan to come back from Main Street after 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, you'll need another way home.
The Franklin Theatre Runs Its Own Halloween Schedule the Same Weekend
The Franklin Theatre has its own all-day plan for the weekend. Its Fear Fest lineup runs both festival days, so a screening can fill the gap between stage sets or follow the festival into the evening.
Saturday, Oct. 24: Ghostbusters at 10 a.m., The Addams Family at 1:30 p.m., Hocus Pocus at 5 p.m., Backrooms at 8:30 p.m., Psycho at 11:59 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25: Monsters, Inc. at 10 a.m., Hocus Pocus at 1:30 p.m., a TERRORTHON double feature at 5 p.m.
Monsters, Inc. at 10 a.m. Sunday ends at about the time the festival opens. Psycho at 11:59 p.m. Saturday starts long after the last shuttle has left Main Street.
The Rest of the Season Downtown
On Monday, PumpkinFest gives Main Street back. The next events are on Saturday, November 7. The City of Franklin's events calendar lists Family Day at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm and Wine Down Main Street that day. After that, the Heritage Foundation's next turn on Main Street is the 41st annual Dickens of a Christmas on December 12 and 13. It runs from 10 a.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday, and like PumpkinFest it is a two-day event.
Living near downtown Franklin means planning around weekends like this one. If you're thinking about what your home is worth this close to Main Street, the team at Your Nashville Agent can walk you through it. Request a Free Home Valuation, and we'll talk about what the coming season looks like for your street.
