Local Families enjoy shopping for local farm fresh produce each Saturday of the year
Since the Franklin Farmers Market opened in 2002, we’ve always called the Factory our home. But a lot of things have changed in the past 12 years. Instead of 8 farmers, we have over 70 farms at the market throughout the year plus local artisans, prepared food vendors and food trucks which makes the market a pretty popular place to go on Saturday mornings. It’s great that so many of you support local foods and local farms and we enjoy seeing everybody each week.
Rocky Glade Farm sold out of their produce by 11am many days
Zadok the Natural Farmer is a popular stop for farm fresh veggies
Bloomsbury Farm is one of many farmers known for their Heirloom Tomatoes
A long line of customers waiting for Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnuts
We love our home at the Factory. We’ve been there over a decade and it’s been a great place for us to be in. The Factory has been diligently listening to our growth needs along with what improvements can be made to make it the best location for you and our farmers. The market board is in active discussions with Factory officials about extending our lease and what can be done to make things easier for access to the market.
During peak Spring and Summer months there is a long line of cars lined up for entrance into the market
The aisles under the shed crowd quickly starting in early spring
Even our vendor tents next to the shed get really busy
We also have been looking at other possible locations for the market, including the Bicentennial Park location, which is two blocks off the downtown square of Franklin. Some of you may remember it as the old boot factory location on North Margin Street. There’s a lot of activity going on in the area, including the 3rd Avenue extension project, which gives the park easy access from Hillsboro Road as well as downtown routes. We appreciate all the efforts from the City of Franklin in offering us new possible market locations.
But would that be a good home for the market? Is there a better location or is our current home at the Factory the best place for the market?
We’ve listed a few questions below and would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for supporting our Tennessee farmers and Artisans who work hard to bring the best quality produce, meats, baked goods and Artisan Crafts each Saturday to market.
The Polls are now closed, thank you everyone for voting and leaving your valuable comments.
How satisfied are you with parking for the Franklin Farmers Market (FFM) during our peak Spring, Summer and early Fall times?
- Always plenty of parking (9%, 16 Votes)
- I can find parking if I come early or late (52%, 97 Votes)
- It's too congested to get into the parking lot quickly (30%, 55 Votes)
- I've stop coming because of the lack of parking (10%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 186
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How is your shopping experience during our peak Spring, Summer and early Fall times?
- There's plenty of room to shop among the vendors (2%, 3 Votes)
- It's crowded but I don't mind the crowds (37%, 70 Votes)
- I come early to beat the crowds (45%, 84 Votes)
- I've stop coming because it's too crowded under the shed (16%, 30 Votes)
Total Voters: 187
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How long have you been a FFM customer?
- Since the beginning in 2002 (21%, 44 Votes)
- 5 years or more (31%, 64 Votes)
- 3 years or more (24%, 50 Votes)
- 1 year or more (20%, 40 Votes)
- I'm a newbie, less than a year (3%, 7 Votes)
- Never have visited the FFM (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 205
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I like the current location. But would not be opposed to having it somewhere else that is close to current location. some suggestions for helping the congestion would include putting putting your meat, eggs, milk vendors together in one area of the market, your produce vendors in another area of the market, and your prepared foods and artisan vendors and food trucks in still another area of the market. That way, those customers coming for mainly produce can shop with other like-minded customers. Those just wanting their meat and eggs may be able to get in-and-out quicker. One idea for an alternate location could be Centennial HS parking lot. Or you could add a mid-week evening market to lessen the traffic on Saturdays.
What a great problem to have. Part of the appeal is the crowded vendor area, lack of parking, and entry/exit problems. It is this way because people like to feel they are part of the “happening”. If you move stay near the present location (Harlinsdale Farm Park, Bicentennial Park, etc.) Shopping the FFM is a unique experience even if you do not purchase anything. are part of the appeal o
I love the idea of keeping it at the Factory, but it does get very crowded as Franklin continues to grow. I think having it at Harlinsdale, if possible, would be a great option, because it is very close to the current location but allows for even more room to grow. I also love the idea of having a smaller market on a week day for people who want to just get in and out quickly and not shop around like most people seem to do on Saturdays. I also love having food trucks at the market on Saturdays, so if there is a location change, be sure food trucks are allowed, please!
I would like to see more than one Farmers Market. Perhaps two or three smaller markets spread around the Franklin area. Also, I would like to see them open an additional morning, maybe Wednesday mornings. I’m from Ann Arbor, Michigan and we’ve had markets two days a week for as long as I can remember. For those who don’t want the crowded conditions on Saturday, Wednesday is a nice option. Thanks for taking the survey, it’s nice to get constructive ideas.
Though I Love the factory it really can be a but much in the morning, especially when you need to get in and out quick.
Really liking the idea of Harlinsdale but you would need an officer directing traffic or a traffic light as getting out of there to go north on Franklin Rd can be tricky.
Downtown Franklin at the park sounds great as well- i like the idea of all of the downtown activity on Saturdays we can do the market and then hit main st. –
Whatever your decision we will still be big fans and supporters of the FFM. Thank you for asking.
PS- Stay outside!
With the amount of traffic,ANOTHER ENTRANCE would EASE EVERYTHING. With the location now, there is no growth potential. It is nice to be outdoors.
As someone else mentioned,a day such as THURS/FRI(NOT SATURDAY!) would BE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! Farmers would LOVE having Saturday & Sunday off!! We LOVE to buy before Friday evening for the weekend! COULD YOU GIVE THAT A ‘VOTE’ to see who would like that?
Our family does not like animals walking around what we will EAT- with the dust/hair going UP, then coming back down (Where?!)…right on the lettuces/food! UCK!!! INDOORS would make this worse I suspect!
Thx 4 listening.
I agree, another entrance and doing all modifications that are possible to increase parking spaces. Like less grass around the outside of lot and less of those island things in the middle. One entrance for in, the other for out, might work.
Already tried a weekday afternoon market, wasn’t to successful.
I’m with you on the dogs. You don’t see Publix or Kroger letting folks bring dogs in where people are shopping for food. May help ease the foot traffic congestion some too, no more leashes to tangle folks up.
I love the Franklin Farmer’s Market all year round! So many other people are learning to love it too, especially in Spring and Summer! Parking can be an issue but it’s not impossible. That said, may I ask that you please not move out of downtown Franklin, I could handle Harlinsdale Farm across the road but the Factory is a charming location and a special place to bring friends visiting from out of town too.
I come all the way from the north end of Brentwood, because I love this farmers market. And I come year round. Please don’t move further south.
I LOVE the idea of that new Bicentennial Park location! It’s still covered and would preserve some of the charm and feel of the original location. It would have more than one good street access, especially since the Hillsboro Road construction will be complete. It still will draw people toward downtown, as well as providing access from the downtown area, and it would actually be easier to walk to and from downtown at the Bicentennial Park location than it is from the Factory so will foster more of a “small town feel”. It will feel like part of the town! It also will have other benefits with the added interest of the park for kids/pets and families to walk and enjoy before and after the market! We sometimes drive to the Farmer’s Market and turn around and don’t go in because it’s just too crowded. It really takes away from the fun to have to fight parking congestion AND crowded aisles of frustrated shoppers.
I like the Harlisdale Farm location, infinite space, easy in and out and not far from the original location. I think it would open it up to more vendors, maybe a monthly antique show area, dog rescues could also come because they could be far enough away, maybe tie in a car collector show. I think it would be great to see the market have more space to spread it’s wings and grow.
I love the location of the FFM and moving it further out of Franklin (like the Ag Expo) would not benefit the market. People come from Nashville & outlying areas & pushing it out of Franklin further would not benefit the city of Franklin. Many head downtown after the market to shop or eat & if at the Ag Center, the downtown area would be bypassed all together. I do agree that better organization of the booth area could be drawn up so that crowds could be handled better but the market is a quaint shopping experience and we are so very blessed to have such wonderful farmers & their families sharing their goods with our community. Most communities do not have the wonderful, mostly organic foods to choose from, the uniqueness of our vendors and our awesome musicians that just make our Saturday morning trips to the market a fun experience. And…being outdoors IS a farmer’s market. Spring thru Fall, especially, should be celebrated outdoors! Please keep the market where it is or very close by…thank you!
I walk or ride my bicycle to the market most of the time and I use the market year round. Your survey didn’t allow for that possibility.
I think the idea of moving the farmer’s market to another location would be a big mistake. There is SO much charm to having it outside at the factory under a shed. It couldn’t be MORE charming. We moved here from another state 2 1/2 years ago and this was unlike anything we had ever seen before. It is unique and special the way it is presented. It does get crowded, but that just adds to the charm off how popular it is!
I don’t know the codes and zoning requirements of the area, but I would suggest building a second shed if possible and a second vehicle access at the far end of the parking lot. Then people could come in one as an entry point and exit from the new access. Slightly longer hours might be convenient for visitors, but might not be convenient for vendors.
I like the idea of possibly moving it to the Agg Expo, but they might require an entrance fee and that would not be good. But if not, once the 65 off ramp is finished it would be a great place with lots of room indoors and out, not to mention plenty of parking!
The Park at Harlinsdale Farm would be an ideal location, with the addition of some restrooms!
What is wrong with just moving it inside the factory???? Plenty of room, climate controlled and weather is not an issue. It could be more like the Nashville Farmers Marke, be open more days and longer hours.
PLEASE!!!!
Getting there on Saturday morning is hard enough.
The Franklin Farmers Market has the best to offer of any market around no question. That is why EVERYONE wants to go. I know the parking and lack of space is a problem, but I also believe that the small window of 8:00 to noon is another problem that is causing the bottleneck. If the hours could be extended a little I think it would help.
The market is great and extending the hours would be excellent. The hours of 8-12 or 9-1 are just to confining. Give us a few more hours and you mught find the crowds lessen or better yet…more people coming.
Harlinsdale Farm would be a great location.
I agree that Harlinsdale Farm is a perfect location with added space.
Like This idea. Why not use the park, lots of parking and what a great place to have a farmers market. Downtown Franklin has gotten to crowed, I wouldn’t bother going.
Any thoughts on Ag EXPO Center?
PLEASE find a new home for the FFM. Preferably one INDOORS!!!! I’m sure an indoor facility with a/c and heat will bring many more shoppers to the market when it’s hot outside and when it’s freezing out too. Not to mention many more crafters and artisens will be willing to show up week after week. An indoor market will have enormous growth potential for the FFM, which is what Franklin and the economy in general really needs!
If the market moves indoors to a climate controlled building, then it’s no longer a market…it’s a grocery store.
I think being near downtown franklin would get a lot of foot traffic from all the people milling around on saturdays as the area is always over flowing with visitors.