Travel + Leisure Magazine has named Franklin, Tennessee one of “America’s Favorite Towns,” following an online readers’ poll conducted during Fall 2013. Coming in at #8 on the list, Franklin was included among other popular small-town tourism destinations such as Park City, Utah; Telluride, Colo.; and Amelia Island, Fla.
“There’s a festival for virtually every month of the year hosted in 18th-century Franklin’s brick-paved downtown—named among the country’s best by the National Trust for Historic Preservation,” the Travel + Leisure entry reads. “You might sample beer and Irish whiskey at the Main Street Brew Fest each March or bluegrass fiddling in late July, or join a Dickens-themed Christmas celebration. The town also ranked No. 3 for Christmas lights.”
The honor follows another T + L shout out, announced just last week: the publication ranked Franklin as the #18 on the “America’s Best Towns for Halloween”–citing the 30th Annual Pumpkinfest, Franklin Tomorrow’s Chili Cook-off, tour company Franklin on Foot’s actor-led ghost tours, and the Lotz House Civil War museum as viable reasons to journey to Franklin for the fall holiday.
Poll results also show that readers voted Franklin the #7 “Friendliest Town in America” and #14 for “Most Romantic Town.”
“These kinds of honors are a great reward for the efforts of so many people who work to make Franklin such a great place to live and work. Our Main Street program’s success is largely attributable to the business owners, and the passion they have for our community,” said Nancy Williams, Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) director. “It’s encouraging to continue to see Franklin being recognized as an authentic, eclectic place that offers something for everyone. Like we always say around here, downtown Franklin is 14 miles and 100 years from Nashville.”
In 1995, Franklin was honored as one of five “Great American Main Streets” in the inaugural annual competition held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since then, it has been recognized by various outlets with titles including “Best Small Town in Tennessee,” “America’s Most Romantic Main Street,” “One of America’s Greatest Antique Destinations,” and “Best Places to Visit for Historic Preservation,” among others.
The DFA works in partnership with its members and the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County to protect and preserve the city’s cultural resources, and continues to help spearhead the revitalization of Franklin’s historic downtown core. Together, the two non-profit organizations organize and promote several festivals and happenings each year, including the upcoming Dickens of a Christmas, Dec. 14-15. For more information about the DFA’s work and the events it coordinates, go to www.downtownfranklintn.com.
To view Travel + Leisure‘s “America’s Favorite Towns” poll results, go to www.travelandleisure.com/toc.