برچسب: Tennessee

Understanding the Civil War in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Over the past couple years, we’ve worked on tourism projects with cities large and small across Tennessee, unearthing just how pivotal a role places like Franklin played in the Civil War. We’ve already covered a bit of Civil War history in Franklin but thought the Battle of Stones River and some of the lesser-known Civil War sites in Middle Tennessee also deserved a deep dive.

This post was last updated in August 2025.

The Civil War in Murfreesboro and beyond

It’s impossible to understand the geography and psychology of the American Civil War without including Tennessee—Rutherford County, in particular, had a front-row seat to the most devastating war in the history of our country. Armies on both sides, hundreds of thousands of men, marched across the centerline of the Volunteer State in the early 1860s, setting up bulwarks and camps, conquering strategic locations and suffering crippling losses—until almost the bitter end.

Situated in the heartland of the United States and at the crossroads of civilization in North America, Tennessee was an epicenter and busy intersection of opposing forces during the conflict, with only the great state of Virginia taking the questionable lead in the number of individual battles fought throughout. A strategic prize that both sides valued because of its major rivers, abundant resources and crisscrossing rail lines and turnpikes, Middle Tennessee became a superhighway of marching troops and supplies for the entire four years of the war.

Artifacts of warfare are still buried across the region among the soybean, wheat and cornfield landscapes, which were transformed into an angry battle of ideals and property rights. The countryside is infused with the legacy of the War Between the States, and while it’s easy to breeze through the area on Interstate 24 in search of country music or a scenic waterfall, these monuments to the struggles of our ancestors are beautifully appropriate places to pay some respect.

The battles that raged across the flatlands of this area range from skirmishes to all-out war, and Rutherford County was no stranger to bloodshed and spent ammunition; the Battle of Stones River alone resulted in 24,000 casualties, one of the worst of the entire conflict.

Key Civil War sites in Middle Tennessee

If you’re wanting to understand more of Murfreesboro’s Civil War history, here are some of the sites of fights that happened more than 2,900 times on the soil of Tennessee throughout the span of a few years.

Battle of Milton / Vaught’s Hill

A small skirmish that, nevertheless, resulted in the deaths of hundreds, this battle was waged just north of Readyville and east of Murfreesboro. Besides being an attack by the Confederate army that failed to overrun the Union soldiers on Vaught’s Hill, it also solidified the strength of an organized cavalry, with Colonel John T. Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” being among the defenders that repelled a larger force.

Battle of Hoover’s Gap

Once again employing Colonel Wilder’s fast-moving brigade with a high degree of effectiveness, General William Rosecrans sent these mounted troops, followed by the regular army, in a big push to control this critical section of the war zone in 1863. Soldiers from both sides of the conflict were spread out from Wartrace to McMinnville and across Rutherford County before converging on areas near Beechgrove, right on Interstate 24 where the road narrows. Spencer Repeating Rifles, a favored firearm for Wilder’s troops, were a fairly new introduction to the Union Army, and had devastating effect.

map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com

This battle, and subsequent engagement in Tullahoma, forced the entire Confederate army to retreat to Chattanooga, setting the stage for the Battle of Chickamauga, Battles for Chattanooga, and eventually a clear path for General Sherman’s army to conquer Atlanta and the remainder of the deep South.

Battle of the Cedars / Third Battle of Murfreesboro

General John Bell Hood, in a desperate attempt to force the Union’s hand in the Southern Theater and halt Sherman’s march from Atlanta to Savannah, led a series of assaults up and down the Middle Tennessee corridor in late-1864. The Battle of Franklin was the most notorious of these engagements due to massive casualties, but the Third Battle of Murfreesboro, led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest, was a raid intended to reinforce the Franklin-Nashville campaign by cutting off rail service between Nashville and Murfreesboro.

map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com

While Forrest had some success in destroying tracks and depots, the stage had inevitably been set for the end of the war, and his efforts were some of the last battles of the Confederates in Tennessee before the war concluded the following year.

Battle of Stones River

Mustering more than 76,000 troops on both sides, Union and Confederate armies closed ranks in late-1862 for this battle, viciously fighting for control of Middle Tennessee. The federal army, commanded by General William Rosecrans, was positioned along the banks of the Stones River near Murfreesboro on the eve of the year, awaiting an attack from the Army of Tennessee, commanded by the erratic general, Braxton Bragg.

What followed was wholesale slaughter—on both sides—that ended in a draw. Bragg later retreated and regrouped in Tullahoma while federal forces claimed victory, despite the staggering number of dead and injured, estimated to be more than 25,000 over the course of three days.

Tullahoma Campaign

When General Braxton Bragg made his headquarters in Tullahoma following a retreat from Rutherford County, he was actively fighting with his subordinate commanders; Nathan Bedford Forrest, a brigadier general under his command, in particular, had threatened to kill him. While the rain poured down, turning the area into a sludge pool, Rosencrans gathered his forces in Murfreesboro in preparation for an assault down the sharply-terraced and well-defended spline of Middle Tennessee.

In late June 1863 when the machinery of war started rumbling up again, nearly 100,000 men on both sides were stationed at various points across Columbia, Shelbyville, Tullahoma, Manchester and McMinnville. The Duck River Line, formed by the Confederates, couldn’t hold as the Union side made a series of feints and smashed through critical choke points, such as Hoover’s Gap and Liberty Gap, both times heavily armed with the Spencer rifle, which proved absolutely deadly against regimental charges. The Confederate Army of Tennessee—at that point diminished by infighting and miscommunications between commanders yet still lethal—attempted to set up a command in Decherd before retiring across the Tennessee River to the Chattanooga area, setting the stage for the next phase of the conflict.

This is just a sampler of the numerous battles that took place on Tennessee soil, and if you’re interested in reading further, I recommend starting your education with this three-volume set by late historian Shelby Foote.

If you’re planning to visit Middle Tennessee soon, here are a few sites that will start your deep-dive into the Civil War history of the region:
- Stones River National Battlefield
- Fortress Rosecrans
- McFadden Farm
- General Bragg Headquarters Monument
- Evergreen Cemetery
- Hazen Brigade Monument
- Artillery Monument
- Rutherford County’s Historic Cemeteries
- Sam Davis Home & Plantation
- Oaklands Mansion
- Maplewood Cemetery
- Bell Buckle
Source link
20/08/2025
Where to Stay in Franklin, Tennessee: the Harpeth Hotel

One of my favorite weekends getaways is Franklin, Tennessee. It’s just an hour from where we live, but sometimes it feels necessary to break up your routine and reset your mental battery for a weekend—the closer, the better. And with the opening of the Harpeth Hotel a few years back, we love to stay in Franklin and ditch our cars for a weekend getaway that is walkable and brimming with good food and even better cocktails.

This post was last updated in August 2025.

So if you’re coming to Williamson County for a week, a weekend or just a night, here’s what to expect with a stay at the Harpeth Hotel.

Staying in Downtown Franklin

The Harpeth Hotel is the place to stay in downtown Franklin, and it’s also the city’s premier boutique hotel option. With 119 guest rooms spread throughout the four-story hotel, it embodies the look and feel of Williamson County, which is to say: upscale, yet approachable; historic in honoring Franklin’s roots while simultaneously contemporary in design and offerings.

Check rates for the Harpeth Hotel here

What I love the most about the location is how walkable it is. You can check your car into the valet and explore Franklin on foot for the majority of the weekend, no car needed. Everywhere on Main Street is walkable from the Harpeth, as is the Factory at Franklin, the Franklin Farmers Market, the Park at Harlinsdale Farm and so much more.

What to know about Franklin

But first, if you’re new to this area of the South, you need to know a bit about Franklin’s backstory. Fiercely fought over throughout its history as a Western settlement, Franklin and the surrounding counties suffered losses of American life that are gut-wrenching to contemplate. The steamrollers of war spared quite a few architectural treasures in this part of the world that you can tour and a network of interlinked cultural sites illustrate with excruciating detail how the thousands of acres of graveyards scattered on the countryside were populated with the bodies of men. Some of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War happened in this well-preserved Tennessee town, a fact that’s easy to forget unless you visit the battlefields and museums, which we must insist you do.

The hotel is part of a greater development project that fuses 150 residential spaces with commercial concepts; you’ll find everything from the Bakehouse to the NOW Massage day spa in Harpeth Square, just minutes outside of your door. The square also has its own restaurants like Culaccino and Culamar, plus an olive oil shop to boot.

Named after the river that snakes its way through town, the Harpeth Hotel is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, so it meets the brand’s standards while still being completely unique. This means that you can accrue Hilton Honors points if you’re a member and also use the Hilton Keyless App if you prefer.

The Harpeth has a couple of different lodging options, including standard and accessible rooms, as well as various suites: junior, king and presidential. Many rooms have balconies with seating areas, a definite plus in warmer months.

Oh, and did I mention that the Harpeth Hotel is pet-friendly, too? This seamlessly ties into Franklin’s pet-friendly approach to welcome dogs into the town’s various spaces: the shops, the cafes, the restaurant patios, the galleries.

The hotel also boasts some really gorgeous event spaces; if you have a group of 250 or less, the Harpeth is the perfect place in Franklin in which to host your meeting, conference or other event.

For more Franklin hotels, check availability here

Drinking and dining at the Harpeth Hotel

What I love the most about the Harpeth Hotel is that it truly lives up to its motto of being “Franklin’s living room.” When I’m staying in a plush boutique like this one, I prefer to spend time physically in the hotel, but not necessarily inside the confines of my room, which is why the Harpeth is the perfect place to stay in Franklin for me.

There are nooks and vignettes all over the hotel that lend themselves well to grabbing a cup of coffee (or if you’re us, a cocktail) and settling in for a long chat with a friend or an afternoon with your laptop if you’re always working on the road.

The Library also hosts a daily whiskey tasting for guests at 4:45pm, in which a skilled connoisseur will guide you through a sampling of a special whiskey, some from the area and others hand-picked from destinations across the world.

There’s a courtyard right smack in the middle of the hotel that connects to the lobby bar and the Riverside Ballroom with staircases leading up to the second level of the hotel, in addition to ample seating for those who prefer to lounge in the open air. In the summer, there’s live music in the courtyard several nights a week, but no matter the season, you’ll find someone taking the mic in the Harpeth’s 1799 bar on every weekend as the singer-songwriter industry is at the core of Franklin’s culture.

In fact, there are even Gibson guitars hanging in the lobby that guests can check out for free to play!

Eating and drinking at the Harpeth Hotel in Franklin

The centerpiece of the hotel’s lobby is the chef-driven 1799 Kitchen & Bar Room, which is as visually striking as it is delicious. Built around the abstract deconstruction of the inside of a whiskey barrel, with large, circular nook booths encased in the restaurant’s staves, this corner of the hotel is incredibly pleasing to the eye with all of its lines and symmetry.

The homage to the colors and texture of whiskey beer mash inside of the oak is stunning, and surprisingly the design limitations of working in the round appear to have only enhanced the experience of dining with companions because we could actually hear each other speak, an essential quality that unfortunately has been forgotten all too often if you’re breaking bread with others.

The menu trends to high-end French and Italian, with locally sourced ingredients for menu items like the trout, pork roast, leg of lamb and steak. Brunch is also spun up as an option and includes all the usual suspects like crab Benedict, chicken and waffles, and flank steak, among other choices for a lazy weekend meal.

There’s also a bar in the central lobby area that carries local spirits like Leiper’s Fork Distillery, as well as craft beer from Jackalope, Wiseacre and other Tennessee breweries. No big surprise that this is where we made our base during the length of our stay!

And if you’re looking for a more casual grab-and-go option, McGavock’s Coffee Bar & Provisions is the place for you. Tucked in the corner of the building right along Main Street, this bistro has specialty coffee drinks, beer, cocktails, fresh pastries, handmade ice cream and a selection of lunch items. We loved it so much, we’ve now been for lunch at McGavock’s three times in less than two weeks; SVV always gets the bahn mi, while the roast beef sandwich is my go-to.

Whether you are staying in downtown Franklin or are just passing through, lunch at McGavock’s and/or a meal at 1799 should definitely be on your to-eat list in a city crowded with culinary delights.

Around the Harpeth Hotel

Of course, the hotel is right on Main Street, meaning there’s plenty to do, see and eat beyond its walls. So many of my favorite shops in Franklin are located within blocks’ of the Harpeth, including Emmaline, Tin Cottage, Hester & Cook, White’s Mercantile and Rooted by Yarrow Acres, a plant store with the most gorgeous greenery.

If you’ve already eaten at 1799, there are plenty of whiskey stops—like Stable Reserve, OBJ and Leiper’s Fork Distillery’s House of Spirits—along Main Street, as well as plenty of places to eat within walking distance from the Harpeth Hotel. A few of my favorite downtown Franklin restaurants include: Gray’s on Main, Red Pony, Cork & Cow, 55 South and Biscuit Love.

And while McGavock’s is divine for a cup of joe, downtown Franklin also houses an outpost of one of my favorite regional coffee brands: Frothy Monkey. You can also walk to the Factory at Franklin, a beloved spot of both SVV’s and mine thanks to the artisan-backed shops and eateries that populate this old textile mill just outside of downtown.

I suggest staying in downtown Franklin a three-day weekend so you can make the most of the area’s Civil War history, as well as hitting up the Masters & Makers trail, Leiper’s Fork and the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. Franklin is also a great base for exploring the Natchez Trace Parkway, which travels right through the heart of the county.

When to visit Franklin

Like most of Tennessee, Franklin’s most popular months are often April and May and September and October, though the height of summer promises greenery in spade. That said, it depends on the year, as our winters are getting shorter, meaning it’s warmer through late November and starts to thaw by March. That also means you shouldn’t discount the holiday season, though. In fact, at the moment, it’s mid-60s and prices are lower, but yuletide spirit is high!

Franklin has a few banner events, my go-tos being Pilgrimage Music Festival every September and Dickens of a Christmas in mid-December. Both are located in or adjacent to downtown Franklin and walkable from the hotel.

Looking for more Franklin travel tips? Start here:

This post contains affiliate links.

PIN IT! SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER

Source link

19/08/2025
Where to Take Your Pet in Franklin, Tennessee
Long-time readers know that no one loves a good road trip quite like our pup Ella If she could, she’d go with us everywhere. The problem? Not everywhere is pet-friendly—well, not everywhere is pet-friendly like Franklin, Tennessee, I should add.

This post was last updated in August 2025.

Sure, there are plenty of trips she can go on, but we’ve been down that road before: taken her to a city that on its surface appears to be pet-friendly (Denver, we’re looking at you), but really, truly is not, so we end up compromising our adventures to keep her safe and happy. There’s nothing more stressful for pet owners than to have to leave their pup behind in a hotel room for long days on end or, worse, a locked car with the motor and air-conditioning running. So more often than not, she stays home with my mom and we count down the days until we’re all reunited again.

Taking your dog to Franklin

Lucky for us, many of Tennessee’s cities have jumped on the pet-friendly bandwagon, and Franklin is at the forefront of that movement. Mars Petcare’s corporate campus and global innovation center are both in Williamson County, and in addition to creating a pet-friendly work environment, they’ve committed to teaching businesses like shops and restaurants with patios how to be more accommodating to animals like me, the company also is trying to encourage more offices across the country to implement a pet-friendly workplace policy.

In 2017, Franklin became the pilot city for Mars Petcare’s “Better Cities for Pets” initiative. But what does this mean exactly? While some local businesses like Gallery 202 have always allowed pets, the program has brought in more than 100 Franklin businesses in an effort to make that more ubiquitous by creating urban spaces where pets are welcomed and supported, contributing to the well-being of both pets and their owners.

Part of the program is providing businesses with a toolkit to better serve pets and their people by creating a stress-free environment for all. The result is dozens of dogs strolling Main Street on any given afternoon—and that we can take Ella along with us on a day in Franklin. The initiative also aspires to build true pet-friendly communities by supporting shelters, homes, businesses and parks, touching on four key cornerstones: shelters, parks, homes and businesses.

Pets can’t speak for themselves, so the mentality behind the program is that it’s up to people and communities to advocate for them and the many ways they make our lives better. For us, as Ella’s humans, it’s comforting that we can take her all over Franklin and aren’t going to run into “NO DOGS ALLOWED” signs around every turn.

The expansion of the program has meant signage directing you to businesses that allow your pets inside, water bowls stationed along Main Street, waste bag stations and other amenities.

And for the rare downtown business that doesn’t accept dogs–and for restaurants for whom it’s a health code violation—there’s polite signage alerting you when they are not allowed inside.

Ella gives Williamson County’s efforts two paws up and can’t wait till her next day trip to Franklin!

Where to stay in Franklin with pets

Our favorite place to stay in Franklin is the Harpeth Hotel, and lucky for you and your pup, they allow dogs. But there are dozens of Franklin hotels that accept dogs, many of them along the I-65 corridor. Pet-friendly hotels include:

Other pet-friendly places in Franklin

Franklin is more than just Main Street, so if you’re exploring beyond downtown, you may want to factor these pet-friendly stops—parks, restaurants, bars and shops that accept pets in Franklin—into your plans:
- K-9 Korral dog park at Harlinsdale Farm
- The outdoor spaces at the Factory at Franklin
- Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
- Scout’s Pub in Westhaven
- Sarah Benson Park in Thompson’s Station
- McEwen Northside
- Neighbors Franklin
- Camden Commons
- Mill Creek Brewing Co. in Nolensville
- Triple Crown Bakery’s front lawn
- Timberland Park
Source link
09/08/2025
The Best Cities for Murals in Tennessee: A Public Art Road Trip

Tennessee draws visitors for myriad reasons: music, food, nature, civil rights history and art (yes, art). And if you’re heading this way and love a good free road trip activity, you may be looking for the best mural cities in Tennessee. As a bona-fide mural chaser, traveler and a public art nonprofit president, I’m here to be your guide. After all, I want you to see the very best art my home state has to offer!

“Art of Harmony” mural by Ty Christian; beauty image mural in Tullahoma by Sophi Odling

My husband and I have been seeking out cities with great public art—think: Cincinnati, Austin, Lisbon, Oklahoma City, Portland—for more than two decades. And for seven years now, we’ve also been helping develop the face of public art in rural parts of Tennessee through our nonprofit work. Murals drive tourism, and they have the domino effect of attracting visitors, who then spend money at local businesses. It’s a win-win for everyone.

If you’re traveling to the Volunteer State and want to go on your own public art road trip, I’ve got some ideas for you. Starting from west to east, here are the best mural cities in Tennessee and what to see while you’re there.

Memphis, Tennessee

If you want the true pulse of Tennessee, start in Memphis. This city is the home to blues, jazz, gospel and a whole host of creatives during their thing. From Beale Street to the Mississippi River, Overton Park to Broad Avenue, Memphis has so many nooks and crannies to explore and murals to unearth. I have a full guide to the best murals in Memphis here, as well as other guides to planning a weekend in Memphis.

Memphis murals by Damon Lamarreed and Pugs Atomz, Dustin Spagnola, Qwynto, Alive Paint and Siphne A. Sylve, Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes

Where to stay in Memphis: The Central Station Memphis

Waverly, Tennessee

The story of Waverly’s art scene is the result of one local entrepreneur’s love for train graffiti. He wondered, if given legal permission to paint, what these artists could be capable of if they weren’t trespassing or vandalizing. So he started the Walls Art Park in Waverly to allow creatives the space to do just that. The Walls Art Park first opened in 2018 with 14 walls scattered among three wooded acres; a year later, Klein added two acres, which allowed for even more walls once trees were cleared and trails added. Today, the park spans 80+ paintable surfaces, and Klein has plans to expand into the adjoining 10 acres with camping areas and other forms of three-dimensional art like sculptures and wood carving. Waverly is also home to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Johnsonville State Historic Park.

Where to stay in Waverly: vacation rentals in Waverly

Nashville, Tennessee

When it comes to sheer volume, Nashville’s murals are unmatched. Corporations like the Tennessee Titans have seen the value of public art, and several neighborhoods like the Nations have developed policies where new developments must sponsor art installations as a gift to the community. Some names to watch out for include local muralists Cymone Wilder, Mobe, Folek, Kim Radford and Whitney Herrington, as well as international names like Beau Stanton and Guido van Helton, who designed the famed Silo mural. And yes, there’s even a Kelsey Montague wings mural, much as I hate to even mention it. If you’re coming to Music City, the art scene is very spread out, so I made this mural guide to Nashville, which I update frequently, to make your experience a bit more seamless.

Nashville murals by Sarah Painter and Cymone Wilder, Jason Woodside, Thomas Halloran, Sentrock

Where to stay in Nashville: The Joseph or the Dream Nashville

Manchester, Tennessee

Manchester is where we first started our public art nonprofit—much to the chagrin of some of the older folks in town—and we were able to make an immediate impact by transforming the entrance to the downtown Manchester square almost overnight. In the years to come, we added pieces throughout the Manchester greenway, as well as one at exit 110 at Foothills Craft to raise awareness of suicide prevention. This mural happens to be on the way to Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park for those who are coming down to visit Manchester’s lovely state park and waterfalls.

Manchester murals by Tara Aversa, Matt Willey, Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes, Ivan Roque

Where to stay in Manchester: Holiday Inn Express or a vacation rental in Murfreesboro

Tullahoma, Tennessee

Tullahoma is where I was born and raised and the place I chose to come back to as an adult. It’s also a town that is plagued by a state highway and a rail line running right through its core, disturbing the walkability of the downtown—but one that draws so many visitors thanks to the presence of Arnold Air Force Base, George Dickel (dba as Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.) and Jack Daniel’s Distillery. So we decided to make it our personal project by focusing on driving people to various downtown Tullahoma businesses with the draw of public murals. We have 18 murals in Tullahoma and counting, and for as long as we live here (and there are walls to paint), it will continue to be a passion of ours. If you’re coming to Coffee County, you can use this map to see all the murals in Tullahoma and Manchester.

Tullahoma murals by Kris Kanaly, Ty Christian, Nathan Brown, JUURI, Mobe, Daria Hammond

Where to stay in Tullahoma: Grand Lux Inn or a vacation rental on Tims Ford Lake

Chattanooga, Tennessee

A decade ago, Chattanooga’s art scene wouldn’t have made my list for best murals in Tennessee—too much art by committee, too little allowance for creative liberties—but the city has seen a serious renaissance in recent years. The addition of local artists like Nathan Brown making a splash with full-blown, block-long murals has made the Scenic City one I love driving through to look for new murals. Chattanooga, in general, is a great town to visit, with neighborhoods like St. Elmo and Northshore some of my favorites.

Chattanooga mural by Nathan Brown

Where to stay in Chattanooga: The Chattanoogan

Sweetwater, Tennessee

There aren’t enough powerful adjectives to describe just how much I love the town of Sweetwater. Four years ago, I only knew it by name, then we were awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant to do an original piece in a town that had ties to the suffrage movement. Sweetwater was the unanimous pick. What we found in the coming months—and later, the years—was a town that supports its small businesses, one that is devoted to the visitor experience, and a city staff who truly cares about its community. Today, Sweetwater is well on its way to 10 murals in town thanks to the visionaries in charge, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of that. But there’s plenty more to do beyond murals, too: There’s the Lost Sea Adventure, Tsali Notch Vineyard, Sweetwater Valley Farm and the sweetest Smokies-adjacent town Tellico Plains just down the road.

Sweetwater murals by Jenny Ustick, Kim Radford, Megan Lingerfelt, Whitney Herrington

Where to stay in Sweetwater: Remedies Inn right on Main Street

Knoxville, Tennessee

If I had to name the artiest town in Tennessee, I would respond with Knoxville, no contest. Large university towns often pump out some of the most creative endeavors, and UT’s The School of Art has helped pave the careers of many notable alumni like designer/illustrator Paris Woodhull, who has her own downtown storefront. But what I love most about Knoxville’s artistic fabric is the mindful placemaking: the ever-changing murals of Strong Alley, the inspiring sculptures in Krutch Park, the brand-new Knox Walls. If every city approached creativity the way Knoxville does, the world would be in great shape.

Knoxville murals by Megan Lingerfelt and Curtis Glover, Paris Woodhull

Where to stay in Knoxville: The Tennessean

Where to find other murals in Tennessee

We’ve installed many more murals in small towns that could eventually earn a spot on this best mural cities in Tennessee list with the addition of more original pieces in the future (and absolutely no wings). Here’s a map of all of our DMA installations throughout the state.

More Tennessee travel inspiration

Planning a trip to Tennessee? Start here:

SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER

Source link

21/04/2025
What to Expect from Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tennessee

Every September brings with it a number of festivals in Tennessee, and one of my absolute favorites is Pilgrimage Music Festival in the charming town of Franklin. While other music festivals in Tennessee like Bonnaroo and CMA Fest are in the camp of “you’ve got to go at least once,” Pilgrimage is one I would return to every year if I could make it work. Here’s why.

The post was last updated in September 2024.

The origins of Pilgrimage

Franklin resident and Better than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin wanted to create something in Franklin that embodied the region’s musical roots while also showing off its pastoral farmland. As it turns out, a century-old horse farm, the Park at Harlinsdale Farm—which is now owned by the City of Franklin and boasts a dog park, fishing pond, soft track and equestrian trails—was the ideal spot to launch such an undertaking.

It’s also located directly across from the Factory at Franklin, a mixed-use facility in an old hosiery that has gotten a serious upgrade over the years, as has Pilgrimage itself. The first year I attended back in 2015, there were maybe 8,000 attendees. The busiest Pilgrimage I ever attended was when Justin Timberlake was headlining, and it was quite a scene with at least four time the attendance numbers.

But the beauty of this laid-back event is that while you can see A-list acts like Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile on the main stage, you’ll see great talent no matter the time slot or size of the stage. I’ve seen everyone from Lucie Silvas and Brothers Osborne to Keith Urban and Lauren Daigle at Pilgrimage.

In the 10th anniversary of Pilgrimage Festival this year, headliners include Hozier, Dave Matthews Band, Noah Kahan, and needtobreathe with plenty of other country, rock, pop, bluegrass and Americana acts scheduled across the six stages over the two days.

Where to stay in Franklin for Pilgrimage Festival

Harlinsdale Farm, the host venue of Pilgrimage, is conveniently located a straight one-mile shot from downtown Franklin. Downtown Franklin is also the home of the Harpeth Hotel, a gem of a property that’s walkable to not only Pilgrimage but everything in the historic heart of the city. If you can’t get a room at the Harpeth, here are some other places to stay near the farm:

What to expect at Pilgrimage Music Festival

The festival is extremely chill and just plain easy compared to bigger music festivals like Bonnaroo, and at this stage in my festival-going career, I prefer the more manageable festivals, particularly if I’m just committing to going for the day. The grandma in me loves, too, that this festival ends promptly at 10pm each night thanks to a local noise ordinance.

Parking for Pilgrimage

Parking for any festival can be a headache, but I’ve had a lot of success parking in downtown Franklin for free (or cheap) and walking the 15 minutes to the Pilgrimage site. There are cops directing traffic everywhere, and it’s very pedestrian-friendly to walk from downtown Franklin to the farm. The are also, of course, paid lots closer to the festival grounds. Here’s Pilgrimage’s official parking map:

If you’re driving in, I could not plan on coming via Liberty Pike during prime festival arrival hours (11am to 7pm). Instead, I’d try to sneaky-foot into Franklin a back way and park downtown, then walk. For those staying close enough to the farm, you can bike to the venue. There is both bike parking and a bike valet on site at Pilgrimage.

The Pilgrimage vibes

While sure, you’re always going to get your fashion influencers wearing their cowgirl best, this festival takes place in late September, which we locals begrudgingly call second summer here in Tennessee. It’s usually hot hot HOT, and you’ll want to layer up in quick-drying material to fight the heat during the day then stave off the incoming cool at night.

Bring an umbrella, plenty of sunscreen, and either lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on. Local food and drink also feature prominently at this Franklin festival, so be sure and peruse the food vendors and drink offerings.

The VIP experience

We’ve been to Pilgrimage as media, general admission and VIP. Obviously, if you get the chance to go VIP, take it—you’ll get special access directly in front of the stage, not to mention access to food vendors and sponsor tents like George Dickel, as well as the possibility of running into some of your favorite talent. One thing to note, though, is while drinks used to be free with a VIP pass, you now have to pay for them outside of the daily happy hour where VIPs can enjoy comped cocktails, so you’ll have to decide whether the VIP pass is worth it for you.

What other questions do you have about Pilgrimage Festival for me? Are you going this year? Have you been in the past? Do you love it as much as we do?

For more tips on planning a trip to Franklin, start here:

SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER

Source link

21/04/2025