DFA Membership Handbook

CONGRATULATIONS – As a DFA member, you support economic vitality downtown and access exclusive benefits!

While DFA membership is designed to create an ROI without any further effort on your part,

Enjoy the additional benefits below to maximize your investment!

DFA Membership Handbook

Connect through DFA's in-person and online community:

  • Book a call with DFA Managing Director Heidi Hood anytime HERE> and book a visit with DFA Manager Maria O'Malley anytime HERE>
  • Exclusive Meetings, Mixers, Masterminds, Masterclasses (monthly) – view the calendar below and register for the events coming up next!
  • Invitation to Breakfasts w/the Aldermen (for building owners) – if you own or manage property downtown, register for an upcoming breakfast discussion w/the aldermen when you scroll our events below!
  • Private Facebook Group – join the FB Group to introduce yourself HERE> and introduce yourself!
  • For support & referrals – review our online directory HERE> and email momalley@williamsonheritage.org for an introduction!
  • Preferred sponsor/vendor/venue consideration for DFA events – if you'd like to be considered for a business spotlight or vendor/ venue for one of DFA's events, email hhood@williamsonheritage.org.

DFA Annual Events Calendar:

PUBLIC CALENDARS 

  • City of Franklin – HERE 
  • Visit Franklin – HERE 
  • Downtown Franklin Association – HERE 
  • Heritage Foundation of Williamson County – HERE 

NOTABLE Annual Downtown EVENTS 

  1. The Art Crawl/Scene (by the Williamson County Arts Council) – First Friday of each month from 6-9pm downtown. Free event with free trolley rides.  
  2. Main Street Festival (by the Heritage Foundation and DFA) – This year, to be held on April 25-26, 2026. Free street festival in Historic Downtown Franklin with music, arts & craft vendors, beer tent, food vendors, children’s activities, etc. Shuttle Service from off-site parking lots available.  
  3. Franklin Rodeo & Parade (by the Franklin Noon Rotary Club) – May 9, 2026, is this annual parade on Main Street. May 14-16, 2026, is the rodeo at Williamson County Ag Expo. 
  4. Franklin on the Fourth (by the Lions Club) – Patriotic festival on the 4th of July each year in Downtown Franklin, sponsored by the Franklin Lions Club, with arts, crafts, food, and entertainment. The event concludes with incredible fireworks display at the Park at Harlinsdale Farm. 
  5. Bluegrass Along the Harpeth – This year, to be held July 24-25, 2026, on the Public Square. Musical festival featuring Bluegrass music, fiddling, buck dancing, crafts, food and more. 
  6. Pilgrimage Music Festival – This year, to be held on September 26-27, 2026, at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm 
  7. Heritage Ball – The first Saturday of October each year, to be held at Bicentennial Park.
  8. PumpkinFest™ (by the Heritage Foundation and DFA) – This year, to be held on October 24, 2026. Free street festival in Historic Downtown Franklin with music, arts & craft vendors, food vendors, children’s activities, etc. Costume contest for humans and pets, beer tent, pumpkin carving demonstrations, and photo ops. Shuttle Service from offsite parking lots available.  
  9. Wine Down Main Street (by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee) – This year, to be held on November 7, 2026. Purchase tickets to enjoy tastings at sites throughout Historic Downtown Franklin. Benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee. 
  10. Small Business Saturday – November 28, 2026 hosted annually the Saturday after Thanksgiving in collaboration with American Express, encouraging everyone to Shop Local and Shop Small!
  11. Hop and Shop Trolley (by the Heritage Foundation and DFA) – Enjoy riding the trolley free on most Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas transporting shoppers from The Factory to Historic Downtown Franklin and back.  
  12. City Christmas Tree Lighting (by the City of Franklin) – This year, to be held on December 4, 2026. Typically, the first Friday of December. Free event with live entertainment, photos with Santa and more!  
  13. Christmas Parade (by the Downtown Franklin Rotary) – This year, to be held on December 5, 2026. Typically, the first Saturday of December. 
  14. Dickens of a Christmas (by the Heritage Foundation and DFA) – This year, held on December 12-13, 2026. Free street festival in Historic Downtown Franklin with music, arts & craft vendors, food vendors, children’s activities, etc. Musicians, dancers and characters fill the streets! Victorian dress or holiday attire encouraged. Live artisan demonstrations, town sing of Christmas carols. Shuttle Service from off-site parking lots available. 

Build your brand and grow your business/organization:

  • Social Media Promotion to ~100K audience (FB/IG) – BUSINESSES can share/submit weekly content to DFA channels HERE>
  • Job Listings – If you're hiring, submit your job listing to our website HERE> (password: dfamemberjobs) and/or a graphic through the link above
  • DFA BUSINESS Members can an interview to be featured exclusively on our social media channels once/year by booking with our DFA Manager HERE>
  • Event Listings on DFA Website – submit your event listings to DFA's website HERE> (password: dfamemberevents)
  • Event Co-hosting on FB – Invite us to Co-host on FB submit your graphics for social media HERE>
  • Annual Small Business Saturday Promo Opportunities (business members only) – sign-up in October to be included in the November Small Business Saturday campaign (blog, email, social media)!
  • Business Spotlight Opportunities at Member Meetings (business members only) – email momalley@williamsonheritage.org to inquire about these sponsorship opportunities.
  • Exclusive discounted rates with DFA’s print & radio partners – email momalley@williamsonheritage.org to inquire about these advertisement opportunities and partners.
  • DFA Directory Listing (linked to Main Street signage + Website) – explore the online directory and make sure you're listed properly HERE>
  • Member-to-Member promotions year-round (FB Group) – post your news/offers and questions to the members here anytime!
  • Downtown Franklin Awards Ballot Inclusion (voted on by the public) – keep an eye out for this and share it to your audiences to gain voters each year in January!
  • Holiday Window Display Contest Opportunities (voted on by the public) – deck the halls and enter the Window Wonderland Contest when sign-ups are released in November!
  • Option to post a webinar/advertisement to the DFA University ONLINE  – email momalley@williamsonheritage.org to inquire about this opportunity and submit your webinar!
  • Download and display your DFA digital membership trust badge for your websites, email signatures, etc. HERE>

Participation in Heritage Foundation Signature Arts & Crafts Festivals

(Main Street Festival, PumpkinFest, Dickens of a Christmas - these events are rain or shine)

Businesses can participate in our signature festivals in one of the following ways:

• As a paying sponsor with the Heritage Foundation (HF), or
• As a Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) member, taking advantage of the discounted booth options below.

Booth Options for DFA Members

1. Early Bird Booths
• $150 – our deepest discount
• Available to ground-level DFA member storefronts located within the festival footprint
• First come, first served until the deadline or until booths sell out

2. General Member Booths
• General Discounted rates available to all other DFA members
• First come, first served until the application deadline

Food Truck Participation

Food trucks must apply under the Food Truck Vendor Rate, which is separate from the standard arts & crafts vendor booths.

However, DFA member food trucks receive preferential consideration during the application process, giving them priority acceptance over non-member applicants when space is limited.

Nonprofit Participation

DFA nonprofit members may apply to participate as a Community Partner, which offers a dedicated pathway for nonprofit organizations to engage with festival attendees and share their mission.

Storefront Activations Within the Festival Footprint

Ground-level storefronts located within the festival footprint are also invited to participate in our themed festival activations, which are designed to drive foot traffic directly into brick-and-mortar businesses located behind the booth rows.

Examples include:

• Caterpillar Crawl during Main Street Festival - Sign Up HERE>
• Scarecrow Crawl during PumpkinFest – Sign Up HERE>
• Nutcracker Crawl during Dickens of a Christmas – Sign Up HERE>

These activities encourage festival guests to explore storefront businesses while participating in interactive themed experiences.

Storefronts interested in participating in these activations are encouraged to contact our team for additional details and participation guidelines.

DFA Booth On Sale Dates

DFA booths sell out quickly, so SAVE THE DATES for on-sales at THIS LINK>

• Main Street Festival: January 15
• PumpkinFest: June 1
• Dickens of a Christmas: August 1

If Booths Sell Out

If the festival reaches capacity or the application deadline has passed, DFA members receive priority placement on the waitlist in case booth spaces open due to cancellations.

Rule Highlights

  1. When reserving a booth space, members are required to activate their spot with a white tent exhibit or another engaging setup.
  2. Unused or unactivated spaces may impact eligibility for participation in future festivals.

 

Access downtown related news, updates, and resources:

  • Request exclusive access to DFA University ONLINE content when you email momalley@williamsonheritage.org
  • Join Our Private Facebook Group – join the FB Group to introduce yourself HERE>
  •  Exclusive member newsletter with pertinent news + resources – watch for this monthly in your inbox! Also, review the resources below:
    1. Click HERE to access DFA's resource library.
    2. View the Smart Start™ guide for downtown business HERE>

Exclusive offers and savings with the Heritage Foundation:

Email momalley@williamsonheritage.org to inquire about the following –

  • Comped Heritage Foundation Membership
  • 4 popcorn vouchers at The Franklin Theatre
  • Discounts on ribbon cuttings for first-time members (via Williamson Inc.)

Influence downtown culture, development, festivals, and advocacy:

  • Shape downtown advocacy (zoning, safety, parking, etc.) – submit your concerns HERE>
  • Influence DFA initiatives, festivals, & economic vitality – email hhood@williamsonheritage.org to inquire.
  • Eligibility for DFA Advisory Board & committee leadership – email hhood@williamsonheritage.org to inquire.

Annual Bonus: