Franklin Travel Guide: Music, Dining And Nightlife
Your Franklin Travel Guide to dining, music and concerts.
Franklin, TN (just 30 minutes South of Nashville) is one of the best music cities and the scene keeps growing. Music is at the cities core: the region gave birth to nine musical genres including southern gospel, bluegrass, blues, jazz and rock and roll. With such strong tradition, it’s no wonder the city also has some of the best spots to catch a live show with local talent and eat some great food at the same time.
Here are some of our favorites.
1. Factory at Franklin
Check out the Factory at Franklin, a complex of 12 depression-era factory buildings dating back to 1929 that have been renovated into unique shopping and dining spaces. For live music, check out Music City Roots, which is a weekly concert and live music show broadcast from the Factory in Franklin complex. The two-hour radio show is broadcast on Wed nights from 7pm to 9pm CST and pays tribute to Nashville’s live musical radio legacy. The program showcases a few different artists each week and includes genres from Americana to country, and besides music includes short interviews with the artists featured. Best of all visitors can attend the tapings – check out the website for upcoming shows and to purchase tickets.
Pro Tip: Before or after the show, check out, Saffire, one of the building’s staple restaurants that serves food with flair: think culinary meets southern comfort. Try the black-eyed pea hummus and corn fritters to start.
2. Gray’s on Main
And then there is Gray’s on Main, which is located in a former pharmacy (look for the old bottles still on the shelves) built in 1876. Covering three floors, they boast one of the largest stages in the region and serve up live music Thursday through Saturday. Come on Thursday nights for no cover and up-and-coming singer/songwriters, while Friday and Saturday nights draw more established acts. Beyond the music they serve good food and some of the most talked about prohibition era cocktails in the city like the Prescription Fizz made with cognac, lemon, orange, honey and Pilsner.
3. Pilgrimage Music Festival
Franklin is also home to a burgeoning festival scene and this year welcomed the Pilgrimage Music Festival for its inaugural year. Held over a weekend last year in September, this first year festival managed to get an incredible line-up booked that included Weezer, Wilco, Sheryl Crow and more. And it all happened in a farm setting with rolling hills and historic buildings. Beyond listening to the bands, guests were able to explore pop-up shop booths and food vendors, plus chill in many set-up outdoor spaces.
“It’s not just music, but food too… It’s a Southern Renaissance (style festival) with southern food and southern art. There’s not a lot of places you can experience this, so it is pretty special,” said musician and performer Will Hoge.
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