"More event, more people, more activities, more art and more camaraderie." That was Franklin Cultural Council Chair John Ristaino's promise for year two when the first A Wreath of Franklin ended in December 2024, as Franklin Matters reported. Two years later, the event has a new job. On Saturday, December 12, 2026, A Wreath of Franklin also opens Franklin's second Restaurant Week, which runs through Sunday, December 20.
Franklin has now run Restaurant Week twice in one calendar year, and both times the town started it on a day it already expected crowds downtown. On December 12, that means you can arrive for the wreaths and the arts market and stay for dinner, with a nine-day window of restaurant offers ahead if you don't.
A holiday stroll that turned into a launch day
A Wreath of Franklin is only in its third year, and it has changed shape every December so far.
| Year | Date and hours | What anchored the day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturday, December 7, noon to 7 p.m. | "Sip, Shop, Stroll & Roll," with wreath voting by QR code, music, raffles and specialty drinks |
| 2025 | Saturday, December 13, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | A pop-up arts market at THE BLACK BOX with more than 20 artisan vendors, plus activities around downtown |
| 2026 | Saturday, December 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Wreath day, plus the first day of Restaurant Week |
The first year ran into the evening. Starting in 2025, the event became a daytime program that ends at 4 p.m. This year, Restaurant Week starts the same day, so when the downtown activities end, the restaurant offers are already running. The Franklin Observer put it in nearly those words. The town expects the shared date "to create a festive kickoff to the holiday season while encouraging visitors to shop, dine, and celebrate local throughout the week."
The core idea hasn't changed since 2024. Local artists, schools and residents make wreaths, organizers pair each one with a downtown business for a window display, and visitors vote by QR code. The 2026 theme is "The Magic We Make," suggested by Franklin resident Hiran Jani through the Franklin Cultural Council's social media, according to Franklin Town News.
June showed how the town uses Restaurant Week
The first Restaurant Week ran May 31 through June 6, 2026. When the town invited restaurants to sign up in April, the announcement tied the week to PorchFest on June 6 and to the visitors expected for the international soccer matches at Gillette Stadium. The June week started when people were already coming to town, and December follows the same approach.
Nine businesses were on the list Franklin Matters published a week before it started:
- La Cantina Winery
- Franklin Pizza and Deli
- The SHED craft bar & kitchen
- The Little Shop of Olive Oils
- Dave's Hot Chicken
- The Tavern on Central
- Teddy Gallagher's Irish Pub
- GlenPharmer Distillery
- The Rome Restaurant
The list includes a winery, a distillery and an olive oil shop alongside the pubs and pizza. That range comes from the format. The town didn't require one set price. Each business picked its own offer, and the suggestions included prix fixe menus, featured dishes, drink specials, raffles, limited-time promotions and Kids Eat Free. Afterward, the town called the week a success and asked for public feedback to help shape the next one.
The December lineup hasn't been announced yet. When the town announced the second week in October, restaurants were still being invited to join, and participants and offers will go up on a program website built for this winter's event. Treat the June nine as a starting point, not a promise for December.
What last year's Wreath day looked like on the ground
The detailed 2026 schedule isn't out yet. The 2025 program is still the best guide to how the day moves through downtown, because so much of it happened along West Central, East Central and Main Streets.
- Early morning on West Central Street. Franklin United Methodist Church at 82 W Central Street held a coat giveaway from 9 a.m. to noon.
- 10:30 a.m. at the library. A pancake breakfast was held at Franklin Public Library, 118 Main Street.
- 11 a.m. at THE BLACK BOX. The pop-up arts market opened the official day at 15 W Central Street with more than 20 artisan vendors.
- All afternoon along the Central Streets. The Franklin Historical Museum at 80 W Central Street ran a miniature train exhibit. Franklin Kitchen Center at 22 E Central Street offered free holiday photos. Birchwood Bakery + Kitchen at 17 E Central Street hosted Franklin High School student musicians from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- On Main Street. The Little Shop of Olive Oils at 9 Main Street had live acoustic music and a "Passport to the World" giveaway.
- A short drive away. The Children's Museum of Franklin at 157 Cottage Street held wreath decorating sessions at 1 and 1:30 p.m., with registration required.
The BLACK BOX vendor list gives a sense of the market. It included Franklin Books, J Bell Ceramics, Old Exit 17 Farm, Dandelion Days Studio, A Tale of Two Candles, Jack in the Box 3D Design and The Moonlight Chef, among others, according to the program and a Franklin Matters preview.
The Little Shop of Olive Oils shows up in both places. It was a Wreath day stop in December 2025 and one of the nine Restaurant Week participants in June 2026. If the shop takes part again in December, Wreath day and Restaurant Week will overlap there in the same week.
The wreaths also stay up well after the day ends. In 2024, the community wreaths were still on display into the first weeks of January 2025. If that happens again, the window displays will still be up on downtown streets through all nine days of Restaurant Week and past the new year.
The weeks leading up to December 12
Downtown has a few dates before then that set things up.
Friday, October 30. This is the last scheduled 2026 session of the Franklin Farmers Market, with performers listed from 3 to 6 p.m. The October 16 market was canceled, and when the market announced it, only two sessions were left. Check the market's latest announcement before you go.
Saturday, November 21. The Franklin Downtown Partnership has scheduled winter decorating, a volunteer effort to refresh and decorate downtown for the season. The same morning, Franklin United Methodist Church at 82 W Central Street hosts a holiday pop-up from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Franklin resident Ali Rheaume plans to sell art, books, hats, embroidery and other gifts, with a Rise Up fundraiser and a Community Closet clothing drive also planned, according to Franklin Matters.
If you saw the Harvest Festival on the Partnership's events page, it's off. The page still lists September 26 but also carries an update canceling the festival over wind-related safety concerns.
Planning your December 12 and the week after
The arts market opens at 11 a.m., and everything happens inside a five-hour window. The pop-up shopping is at THE BLACK BOX, the historical museum and library are a short walk apart, and by 4 p.m. the Restaurant Week offers are already running. Two places will have the official details as they're announced. The Town of Franklin's A Wreath of Franklin page will carry this year's schedule. The Restaurant Week program website will list which restaurants signed on and what each is offering.
Restaurant Week ends Sunday, December 20, so you can spread your visits out. If June's format carries over, the offers will vary a lot from place to place, from a prix fixe dinner to a Kids Eat Free night, so check the list before you pick a weeknight. The town asked for public feedback after the June week, and questions about December go to Communications Director Liz Kalaijian at the Town of Franklin or to Franklin Downtown Partnership Executive Director Jenna Reilly, both named as contacts in the Observer's announcement.
If you're planning your December around downtown Franklin and have questions about the town beyond its restaurants, Homes With Holly is glad to help. Tell Holly which Wreath of Franklin window got your vote and where you ended up eating that night. Let's Connect.
