There’s nothing quite like autumn in Middle Tennessee. Known for its abundance of foliage and Southern charm, Williamson County in particular provides an enchanting backdrop to witness autumn’s anticipated arrival. The air is crisped to perfection, the leaves painted in their amber hues, and the small towns decorated to harvest-themed excellence.
Finding the perfect fall to-do list can be a daunting task, so we did the work for you! Here are some of our favorite events and activities to make the most of the season.
Gentry’s Farm
The spirit of autumn in Tennessee isn’t fully realized until you’ve visited Gentry’s Farm in October. This functioning farm sets itself up with all of the fundamentals for fall family fun, including hayrides, a corn field maze, nature trails, and so many more outdoor activities for the kids to enjoy. It’s open every weekend from September 28 through October 28 this year, and it takes less than 10 minutes to get there from the heart of Franklin!
PumpkinFest
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Back for its 39th year on October 26, PumpkinFest is Middle Tennessee’s largest fall festival and the highlight of the season that you cannot miss. This highly anticipated event stretches the span of Main Street and surrounding avenues in downtown Franklin and has everything one could hope for out of a fall festival. Enjoy dozens of autumn-based food and drink vendors, costume contests for children and pets, live music, and over 140+ arts and crafts vendors. This is also an excellent opportunity to shop at all of the historic district’s many local merchants and take advantage of the holiday promotions and specials. Check out their site for more details and tips on parking!
Morning Glory Orchard
For the quintessential “orchard in autumn” experience, come check out Nolensville’s not-so-hidden gem Morning Glory Orchard! This apple and peach orchard is a second-generation family-owned establishment and has a variety of events for the fall including mixology classes, food and drink tastings, and painting workshops. Guests can also participate in self-guided tours of the orchard for $5, so pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it! Be sure to stop by the shop afterwards for local honey, preservatives, baked goods, and deliciously in-season apples!
The Natchez Trace Parkway
This time of year is when we really shine, as our beautiful hardwood trees begin exploding with shades of gold, orange, and red. And when Nashvillians want to be right in the middle of it all, they hop on the Natchez Trace Parkway. This road stretches 444 miles across Tennessee and Mississippi and is home to the breathtaking double-arch bridge, which is the perfect place to take in the majesty of autumn in Middle Tennessee. Keep driving down the parkway as long as you’d like to catch some beautiful overlooks and waterfalls. We highly recommend stopping by Timberland Park on your journey for a variety of beautiful hikes to top off your perfect nature-filled afternoon.
Lucky Ladd Farms
The city of Eagleville is home to the family farm that thousands of local families will be visiting this year, Lucky Ladd Farms. Make the scenic 30 minute drive to check out all that this farm has to offer, including their famous pumpkin patch, a corn maze, petting zoo and pony rides, tulip and strawberry picking, and much more! For the dog parents out there, let your furry buddies tag along with you to the farm on the last weekends of September and October for their “Pups in the Park” events.
Franklin Ghost Tours
For spooky season lovers, a ghost tour is the perfect way to capture the spirit of the season. Franklin Walking Tours has three different chilling ghost tours to try. “Grim and Ghostly” is their most popular tour, taking you on a path through the historic district highlighting the most haunted buildings in the city with a guide detailing mischievous crimes and dark local legends guaranteed to make your hairs stand on end. Their “Tombstone Tales” tour is a particularly unique one-night event involving costumed actors telling the tales of the people buried in Franklin’s historic cemeteries in true theatrical fashion. Head over to their website to book a tour.
Wine Down Main Street
This is the event wine lovers will not want to miss. Franklin’s 23rd annual Wine Down Main Street will be taking place on November 2 this year from 7 – 10 p.m. and will offer you a night full of wine samplings from around the world plus great shopping and eating from local merchants, with live music to top the whole experience off. Book your tickets ahead of time, because it’s a popular event, and book the babysitter, because it’s a 21+ event. All proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee.
Pickin’ in the Park
Come check out Spring Hill’s free monthly music series featuring local musicians and food trucks! Their last event for the year takes place on September 21, so bring some blankets, camping chairs, and your people and listen to some good music accompanied by that crisp autumn breeze.
Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary
This 300-acre nature sanctuary is home to over 2,000 species of local flora and fauna and has several activities for you and the family coming up this fall. Their Fall Color Hikes are guided, moderately strenuous hikes through their grounds and take place every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. from October 12 – November 16 (ages 14+ only, buy tickets in advance). If you’re in the planting mood, head on over to the sanctuary on October 19 from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for their native plant sale! For an event that highlights their gorgeous owls, complete with heaps of family friendly owl-related activities including owl meet and greets and arts and crafts, stop by on November 2 for Owl Day! Check out more here.
Farmers Markets
Fall is for farmers markets, and our little corner of town has a couple of fantastic options to choose from! The Factory at Franklin is the home of the Franklin Farmers Market and is open every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Nolensville Farmers Market can be found at the Historic Nolensville School on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Both of these markets provide the area’s best local produce, fall flowers, crafts and jewelry, and local meat and seafood, and a trip to either will start your weekend off in the best way we know how.
Now get on out there and have an autumn to remember. Don’t forget to follow and tag us on social media @visitfranklin and #visitfranklintn to stay up to date on even more events happening in the area this season!
