October is one of the most exciting months in Franklin each year! Not only do we get to see the greenery all around us morph into the most beautiful shades of Fall, but we get to enjoy multiple events around town to celebrate the change of season. From Baking Competitions, to car shows, to live music, and the famous PumpkinFest, everyone will find something on Main Street to be excited about this month. And since Gracious Plates On Main is open 7 days a week, you’ll always have a front row seat to the fun on our Main Street Patio, along with locally-sourced food and cool cocktails (or a nice hot coffee, depending upon the weather!).
Local Highlight
27th Annual PumpkinFest
October 21 ~ 9:00am - 4:00pm
Franklin, North Carolina's 27th Annual PumpkinFest will roll into action on Saturday, October 21, 2023! People of all ages are sure to enjoy Franklin's largest street festival and celebration of autumn. Children and adults alike will have a blast taking part in traditional and some very non-traditional fall festivities including the "World Famous Pumpkin Roll" contest.
The Costume Parade and Contest is another highlight of the day. And don't miss out on over 80 vendors including mountain arts & crafts along with great food and more! PumpkinFest runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and is held rain or shine in Franklin, NC.
October (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. 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.
Tuesday Evenings
Rathskeller Coffee Bar & Pub hosts Karaoke with DJ Don every Tuesday evening. They offer a full espresso bar, an array of craft beers, and fresh baked goods.
October (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!
October 3 ~ 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% at the bookstore!
October 7 ~ 12:00pm
Are you an amateur baker? Would you like to compete for a cause? Please join us for our Sweet Fall Bake-off; A Night to Shine (NTS) Fundraiser - Hosted by Kitchen Sink & Renee's Bake Shoppe.
Choose from 3 categories to show off your skills: Candy, Cake, & Cookies
Incredible prizes for 1st & 2nd place from each category including Le Creuset Dutch Ovens, Cash, Ice Cream Parties for a group, Murder Mystery/Ghost Tour Tickets and so much more!!
Baked goods will be sold, and select stores will be giving a portion of the days' proceeds to support NTS.
October 7 ~ 8:00am
The Naturalist Trail Race - 25 / 50k, which is a part of the Outdoor 76 FALL CELEBRATION, is back for another round of leg hurting fun! This day encompasses our trail race, multiple bands throughout the day along with 18 draft craft beers for all post race celebrations.
WNC Pharoah’s 2nd Annual Fall Cruise-In Main Street - Downtown Franklin
October 7 ~ 11:00am - 3:00pm
WNC Pharoah’s will be hosting a car show on Main Street! Come out October 7th to Main Street in Franklin, NC for the 2nd Annual Fall Cruise-In! There will be 13 show categories and a $10 registration fee. All proceeds will benefit the Night to Shine event!
October 7 ~ 7:00pm
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: Remnants Band
October 12 ~ 11:00am - 9:00pm
We are proud to announce that we'll be hosting a Community Day of Giving to benefit Cartoogechaye PTO on Thursday, October 12. All Apps will be Buy One, Get One 1/2 Off and 10% of all sales from the day will go directly to the school. So come out and eat for a good cause!
October 12 ~ 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.
October 13 ~ 7:30pm
With13 top ten hits,6 number ones and over 7 million albums sold, Pam Tillis has made her mark in the Music City. She’s the daughter of country music legend, Mel Tillis; A singer/songwriter whose compositions have been covered in country, R&B, bluegrass and rock and an actor with a long list of film, tv and stage credits. Pam Tillis defied nepotism and other “isms” and carved out her own unique space as an entertainer.
Tillis’ 1991 debut country album, “Put Yourself In My Place,” went gold and yielded two no.1 and two top 5 singles. Her next three albums- “Homeward Looking Angel,” Sweetheart’s Dance” and “Greatest Hits,” were all Certified Platinum. She achieved six no. 1 songs during the’90s country explosion, including “Shake the Sugar Tree,*”Mi Vida Loca,””When You Walk In the Room,” ”In Between Dances,” “Don’t Tell Me What To Do,”and her signature song, ”Maybe It Was Memphis.”
Smoky Mountain @ Franklin Panthers Franklin High School Football Stadium
October 13 ~ 7:30pm
Football Season is here, and our own Franklin Panthers are going to have a great season! Let’s all support them by attending their Home games.
October 14 ~ 10:00am - 5:00pm
Enjoy a day of live entertainment, crafts, classic cars, food and more at the third annual Mountain High Music, Craft and Car Show. Outdoor entertainment, craft vendors and the car show are free admission and begin at 10am. Food vendors/ trucks will be on site and concessions will be available all day in the theatre lobby. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the entire day in front of the outdoor stage. The events for the day are as scheduled:
10am: Craft/ Car Shows Open
11am: Korn Bread Kreek - Mountain Bluegrass
12:30pm: The V8s - Rock N’ Soul
2pm: A. Lee Edwards Trio - Americana & Folk
5pm: Car/ Craft Show Close
*Additional special entertainment throughout the day including demonstrations, clogging, face painting and more.
October 19 ~ 11:00am - 9:00pm
We are proud to announce that we'll be hosting a Community Day of Giving to benefit REACH of Macon County on Thursday, October 19. All Apps will be Buy One, Get One 1/2 Off and 10% of all sales from the day will go directly to the nonprofit. So come out and eat for a good cause!
27th Annual PumpkinFest Main Street Downtown
October 21 ~ 9:00am - 4:00pm
Check out our monthly highlight at the top of the page for all of the details about this fun event!
October 21 ~ 1:00-4:00pm
As the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum prepares to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2024, we are going to have a pre-celebration event for Halloween. The pre-50th Halloween event is Saturday, October 21st from 1pm to 4pm at the Museum. The party is free to the community and all are welcome. There will be games, prizes, food, and maybe even a ghost or two from the Museum's past. Join us as we prepare to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. Sponsored in part by the Franklin Gem and Mineral Society and a grant from the Macon County Community Fund Program.
October 25 ~ 11:00am - 12:30pm
Local Authors Mark Muncy & Kari Schultz will present and sign copies of their most recent novel and share their own experiences of investigating the supernatural legends of Appalachia.
Lunch will be offered and 1/2 OFF ALL WINE.
*Copies of Eerie Appalachia can be purchased at the event
October 27 & 28 ~ 7:00pm
Follow the yellow brick road in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale, featuring the iconic musical score and characters from the classic MGM film. The timeless tale, in which young Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz, is sure to thrill, excite and remind each of us, “There’s no place like home.” Including fan-favorite songs “Ding-Dong the Witch Is Dead,” “Merry Old Land Of Oz” the award-winning “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and more, this live musical adaptation will have the audience singing and dancing with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tinman, Cowardly Lion and Toto too! A full two-act production presented by the Overlook Theatre Company.
Trick or Treat on Main Street The Gazebo in Downtown Franklin
October 31 ~ 4:00-6:00pm
Main Street businesses will be giving out candy and playing games with trick or treaters at the Gazebo on Halloween. This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to dress up and collect candy in a safe environment and from a trusted source.
