Harvest Moon Festival, Red Ribbon Week on tap

Franklin’s Harvest Moon Festival is set for October 29, and the city council got an update from two organizers Tuesday, Tammy Rogers and Diane Wiltz.
The event begins with the 5K Run/Walk by Teche Action Clinic at 8 a.m. The festival kicks off at 9 a.m. and continues to 6 p.m.
The Franklin Art Walk will be held in conjunction with the festival from 3-6 p.m.
Bands, a car show and a children’s area are among the entertainment for the day. The United States Coast Guard, LSU AgCenter, local police and fire departments and more have agreed to participate.
A magician will also be a day-long attraction, Rogers said.
Wiltz said that the organizers are “small town business owners” and “tonight we stand as a collective group. We are working with the Harvest Moon Festival, but we also have a goal of revitalizing downtown Franklin as a shopping district.”
She commended the mayor and council for working with and incentivizing businesses.
“We are ready, willing and able to roll up our sleeves and do our part in working with you to resolve some of the economic challenges that face us,” Wiltz said. “The responsibility of economic development is a responsibility that we, as business owners, share with you. Like you, we love Franklin. We know we’re not bragging when we say that Franklin is the prettiest little town around. We hear it all the time from folks visiting our city for the first time.”
Wiltz said the group is revisiting the First Thursday shopping event concept for a possible revamp; a Fourth of July celebration is under consideration; a “familiarization bus tour”; working with the Cajun Coast tourism bureau to have Franklin become the host city for the state bed and breakfast conference; and Christmas Under the Lamp Posts is under development.
Also Tuesday, Pearl Rack asked the council to proclaim next week Red Ribbon Week, which the council approved.
She is a committee member and said the council “can help the children” with the proclamation.
“We encourage the fine citizens of Franklin to actively support the Red Ribbon Campaign,” Rack said.
She presented the mayor and council with red ribbons to wear and the annual calendar made up of student art work.
There will be the traditional motorcade of law enforcement, as well as a day of prayer; a day to wear orange in opposition to bullying; tobacco free day; purple day for domestic violence awareness; and the parade of schools and Zoo to Boo.
More information on both events will be forthcoming.