August is the peak of our perfect, warm summer weather in Western North Carolina. Locals and visitors alike are enjoying food and drinks on our Main Street patio every day, and the outdoor activities around town are in full swing! There is also plenty of fun indoor entertainment throughout the month for those dreary, wet days. Franklin has got the last month of your summer vacation covered, rain or shine. See our list of all the fun going on in town this August and choose what you want to do! Don’t forget to join us at Gracious Plates on Main for the best Farm to Fork experience in Western NC. Fresh tastes better!
Speaking of warm summer weather, when was the last time you explored one of the many hiking trails that Macon County has to offer? The Nantahala Hiking Club not only helps to maintain over 58 miles of the Appalachian Trail and some of the other trails that connect to the A.T., but they also conduct scheduled hikes in the area on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of August. Check out the printable hiking schedule, and plan your next hike!
June - August
August is the last month to participate in The 2023 Grown-Up "Book-It" Challenge, presented by A Novel Escape bookstore on Main Street. You can continue to earn prizes until the end of the month by collecting stars for completing books. And remember that you’ll be entered to win the Grand Prize if you earn all 6 stars before August 31.
July (various dates)
Lost In Time Tours of Franklin offers exciting and historically-based ghost tours throughout the downtown area nearly every day of the week during the month of July. The tours range from the streets of downtown to haunted homes, graveyards, and even a brewery! Check out their schedule and make your reservation early.
Friday & Saturday Evenings
Rathskeller Coffee Bar & Pub hosts live music by various artists every Friday and Saturday evening. They offer a full espresso bar, an array of craft beers, and fresh baked goods.
July (various dates)
Silver Threads & Golden Needles is a friendly and fiber obsessed yarn shop located in the Historic Downtown shopping area of Franklin, North Carolina. Whether you are a local or taking a vacation in the Smoky Mountains, we are your one stop destination for all things yarn and fiber!
August 1 ~ 6:30pm
On the first Tuesday of every month, A Novel Escape hosts Book Club. It’s a fun group that delves into a variety of different genres, with each month’s book selected by popular vote. And to make it even better, each month’s chosen book is 15% off at the bookstore!
August 4 ~ 7:30pm
Chi-Town Transit Authority is an 8-piece Chicago Tribute band based out of Atlanta, Ga. Established in 2017 and dedicated to reproducing the “Chicago” concert experience. Chi-Town features a tight horn and woodwinds section which are combined with dynamic vocals and harmonies to fill the stage with the spectacular sounds of the legendary band, Chicago. Chi-Town performs all of the familiar hits and famous songs covering over 4 decades of music. These songs are guaranteed to revive memories and bring down the house, commanding encores and standing ovations with every audience.
August 5 ~ 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Who hasn't dreamed about performing the famous Ferris Bueller's Day Off float scene through downtown Franklin, N.C.? What about rockin' out on a float to the sounds of Poison as you pretend to be C.C. DeVille on your "air-guitar" and your best friend is lip-syncing to " Unskinny Bop" like he's Bret Michaels? Well, here's your chance to live out your 80's fantasy! Join others for the 80's Flashback parade hosted in downtown Franklin. The parade is the second event of 80's Flashback Weekend: Always The First Weekend Of August and will start at Franklin's Town Hall parking lot and travel down Main Street to Harrison Avenue. There will be a variety of social clubs, etc from all around the southeast joining the weekend celebration and the parade.
August 10 ~ 5:30-7:30pm
Each month, Gracious Plates On Main offers a "Wine Pack" of 3 exclusive bottles at a reduced rate for our Wine Club members, as well as a tasting of next month's wine pack led by their Sommelier! Joining Wine Club and attending the monthly tastings are both free.
August 12 ~ 6:00pm
For over three decades the Town of Franklin, NC has hosted this FREE event at the Gazebo on the Square in Downtown Franklin from May through mid-October.
Featured Band: Ourway Band
August 26 ~ 6:00pm
For over three decades the Town of Franklin, NC has hosted this FREE event at the Gazebo on the Square in Downtown Franklin from May through mid-October.
Featured Band: Three Amigos
August 19 ~ 10:00am - 4:00pm
The 17th Annual Franklin Area Folk Festival, “A Celebration of Appalachian Heritage” will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2023 from 10 am to 4 pm at Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center. Nestled in Cowee West’s Mill Historic District at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin, NC, the Center is a unique showcase for demonstrating the everyday skills, crafts and music of our ancestors. And it is a FREE event!
Celebrating all things Appalachian, this family-friendly festival features live heritage demonstrations, Appalachian crafts, jammin’ sessions that feature old-time mountain music and bluegrass, kids’ activities, food, textiles & more! Artisans inside Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will exhibit Macon County’s rich heritage by teaching us about pottery, textiles, painting, and local history. By linking our future to our past, the Franklin Area Folk Festival sponsors hands-on activities to allow visitors to experience what mountain life was like years ago. These folks learned at their parents’ knee woodcarving, moonshinin’, weaving and spinning, and all the many other heritage skills they’ll be demonstrating.
August 25 ~ 7:30pm
There’s more to the duality of Clay Walker’s debut Show Dog Nashville album Texas To Tennessee than the title. Certainly, the realities of place are as central as this comeback album’s name implies: Nashville busily working toward the next fresh hit; Texas moving at its inimitable and familiar pace. There’s also a mix of songwriting and production approaches, evident and more nuanced relationships between the songs themselves, and the overarching presence of a naturally gifted vocalist who relentlessly pursues his own development as a singer. But don’t mistake those dualities for dichotomy – and certainly not polarity. In a storied career dotted with smash singles, platinum albums and countless honors and acclaim, maybe the connection between country’s timeless themes and music-of-the-moment timeliness has been there all along.“Right now,” claims Walker, “I’m in a sweet spot in music, in life, and I definitely feel the audience has swung around to appreciating music that makes those connections.”
