If you're looking for something fun to do around Franklin this week, there's a free community event happening at The Factory at Franklin on Wednesday, August 19. Taste, Shop, Explore Williamson brings local restaurants, businesses, and organizations together for an afternoon of food, shopping, giveaways, and a chance to meet some of the people and businesses that make Williamson County such a fun place to live.
The event runs from 3:00 to 7:00 PM in Liberty Hall at The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Road, and it's completely free to attend.
What to Expect at Taste, Shop, Explore Williamson
The idea is pretty simple: local businesses from around Williamson County set up throughout Liberty Hall, and you can wander from table to table, sample food, learn about local businesses, enter giveaways, and talk with the people behind them.
The participating businesses span quite a few different categories, so there's something for just about everyone. Food vendors include Hattie B's Hot Chicken, JamBox Sandwich Shop, Apple Spice Catering, Catering and Events by Suzette, Margaritas and More, Chillz on Wheelz, and Blue Bell Ice Cream. Twine Graphics and Tanger Outlets Nashville will also be there, along with businesses offering giveaways, demonstrations, and information about their services.
It sounds like a simple afternoon - and that's part of the appeal! You can come for a bite to eat, wander around for an hour or two, and leave with a few new local recommendations you may not have found otherwise.
A Little About The Factory
If you're newer to Franklin or just visiting, The Factory is worth exploring while you're there. The historic property originally opened in 1929 as a stove manufacturing plant and has since been redeveloped into a collection of restaurants, boutiques, antique shops, artisan businesses, galleries, and entertainment spaces.
Liberty Hall is one of the larger event spaces on the property, with the original smokestacks providing a pretty unmistakable backdrop. The Factory is just a few minutes from downtown Franklin, making it easy to pair the event with an afternoon exploring Main Street, too.
Parking at The Factory is generally free, although it's always a good idea to allow a little extra time when a larger event is taking place.
Will Flying Cow Be There?
We won't have a booth at the August 19 event this year, but our Franklin shop is just a few minutes away on Main Street, so we're staying open and would love to see you before or after you head to the event (just note we close at 5p)!
We're at 418 Main Street, directly across from the Franklin Theatre, and we're open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If you're new to Flying Cow, this is a great time to stop in and try the products for yourself. We keep testers available in the store, so you can smell and feel the different balms before deciding what might be a good fit. You'll also find A Place for the Maker, our in-store collective featuring handmade goods from local and regional makers.
Why We're Excited About Events Like This
One of our favorite parts of having a shop in Franklin has been getting to know the businesses and people around us.
We're still relatively new to the community, and we've learned so much from the people who have welcomed us, answered our questions, recommended other local businesses, and helped us feel at home here. We've also loved getting to know the makers whose work we feature in A Place for the Maker and the customers who have become familiar faces in our store.
That's why an afternoon like this feels worth sharing, even when Flying Cow isn't one of the businesses with a table. We love seeing local businesses come together, meeting new people, and discovering the places that make a community feel like home.
Make an Afternoon of It
If you're planning to attend on August 19, stop by Flying Cow first, then head over to The Factory for the event. Street parking along Main Street is free, so it's easy to pop in before you go. You can spend a few hours sampling food, meeting local businesses, and exploring the property before heading back downtown or home for the evening.
And if you go, we'd love to hear about it! Tell us which businesses you discovered, what you tried, or who we should get to know. We're always looking for another local recommendation, and we'll keep sharing events at The Factory whenever there's one worth going to.
