Evening Preview Celebration Offers Local Fare, Franklin Brew and Live Music
ON LINE TICKET SALES ARE CLOSED. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE GATE (INTERSECTION OF 4TH & MAIN) FOR $25.
The 29th Annual Pumpkinfest kicks off the party early this year, introducing the public to its “Taste of the South” evening preview celebration on Friday, Oct. 26 at Fourth Avenue from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For $25, patrons can sample Southern favorites from five local restaurants, including Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, Stroud’s Barbeque, Uncle Bud’s Catfish Shack, Pig & Pie and Papa C Pies. Guests will also enjoy complimentary seasonal product from nearby brewers and dance to live music by Cajun band Roux Du Bayou and dance band Time Frame.
“This is a great opportunity to show off some of our local chefs and brew masters, and give the community a chance to interact with them,” said Nancy Williams, director of the Downtown Franklin Association. “We wanted to add another layer to the fun surrounding the weekend.”
Partygoers will have an exclusive first look at Cool Springs Brewery’s newest seasonal beer, “the Drunken Punkin”—a spice ale created from pumpkins picked off of Gentry’s Farm in Franklin. The brewery, which also carries product like smoked chili porter and specialties to pair with holiday dinners, will use the Friday soiree to unveil the beer.
“I really wanted to tie this into the local market with something fun and interesting,” said Brew master Derrick Morse. “The essential flavor profile is what you’d consider pumpkin pie to taste like. We utilize very similar ingredients.”
With a hint of yeast and touch of spice on the back end, the nut-brown ale tastes every bit as good as the pie it’s named after. Morse said this is the first pumpkin beer brewed in Williamson County, and that his crew used traditional methods to achieve the seasonal taste.
“This is the American version of what they did in the 1700s in the Belgium French quarters, but we’ve totally taken it to a whole new level of creativity with flavor components,” he said. “We are very much into sustainable brewer methods that allow us to use local farms for the various ingredients.”
Guests may also enjoy local product by Turtle Anarchy, the downtown Franklin brewery that opened its doors this past summer and specialize in craft beers.
Pumpkinfest is produced by the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County and its division, the Downtown Franklin Association. Proceeds from the party go to the continued revitalization and promotion of Historic Downtown Franklin.