Williamson County Chamber: Grace Chapel To Sponsor KidZone At 2021 Heritage Foundation Signature Street Festivals

Press release from Williamson County Chamber:

July 1, 2021

Family-friendly KidZone area to be part of Main Street Festival, Pumpkinfest and Dickens of a Christmas

FRANKLIN, TN (July 1, 2021) – The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, TN, is pleased to announce Grace Chapel in Franklin as the presenting sponsor for the family-friendly KidZone area at the upcoming Heritage Foundation Main Street Festival (July 17-18), Pumpkinfest (Oct. 30) and Dickens of a Christmas (Dec. 11-12).

All three signature festivals are free to the public and draw tens of thousands of people from around the community, state and region to the streets of historic downtown Franklin each year. Hosted by the foundation’s Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) division, the KidZone area has become a popular and growing segment of the festivals with fun themed activities, games and amusements for kids of all ages.

The KidZone presented by Grace Chapel at the 37th annual Main Street Festival July 17-18, while not able to feature certain amusements and rides due to city guidelines, will feature the much-anticipated dunking booth (compliments of Your Williamson), free arts and crafts, miniature golf, soccer pool, cornhole and other lawn games among other fun features for children and family-friendly arts and crafts vendors.

Rob Rogers, lead pastor for Grace Chapel, said his team saw being involved in the downtown festivals as a great way to serve the broader community by “loving on families”. Grace Chapel has served in different festivals across Williamson County over the years including Pumpkinfest and Dickens of a Christmas.

“We really are focused on connecting with the community outside of our church and have a team called ‘For the Family’ which is constantly focused on serving the broader community. Being a bigger church, you can become insulated and we see this sponsorship as an opportunity to bless the community God has called us to serve,” said Rogers. “We love to see families out having fun together in a safe environment. The festivals bring people together to enjoy downtown and we want to provide a safe environment for families to create memories together.”

Carla Denham, chief strategy and communications officer for the Heritage Foundation, said popular elements of these beloved community festivals couldn’t happen without strategic partnerships like the one with Grace Chapel.

“We are so excited to partner with Grace Chapel to sponsor our KidZone this year, especially since we were not able to host our community festivals in 2020 for the first time in 37 years,” Denham said. “We are excited to know that all three of our festivals are going to have a fun, safe and creative place for children and families to enjoy time together. Without strategic partners like Grace Chapel, this wouldn’t be possible and we are so appreciative of the support of our community.”

Rogers said the church’s goal is to provide a no-strings-attached opportunity to say they love Franklin and want to serve the community. The foundation is committed to celebrating the traditions and culture of history and community in Williamson County and sharing with locals and visitors alike.

For information on sponsorship opportunities for the signature street festivals, contact cdenham@williamsonheritage.org. For more information on the downtown Heritage Foundation signature festivals hosted by the Downtown Franklin Association division, visit https://events.williamsonheritage.org/main-street-festival.

ABOUT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY

Since 1967, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has been dedicated to preserving Williamson County’s architectural, geographic and cultural heritage as well as promoting the ongoing revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Notable projects include The Franklin Theatre, Roper’s Knob, parts of the Franklin battlefield and the Old, Old Jail. The Foundation brings county history to about 3,000 school children each year through the Heritage Classroom program as well as walking tours of downtown Franklin. Events and festivals produced by the Heritage Foundation such as Main Street Festival, the Heritage Ball, Pumpkinfest and Dickens of a Christmas bring hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors to downtown Franklin each year. The Heritage Foundation owns and operates The Franklin Theatre, the Downtown Franklin Association, and the organization’s newest division and current restoration project, Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens. For more information about the Heritage Foundation, visit www.williamsonheritage.org.

ABOUT GRACE CHAPEL

Grace Chapel is a family of churches based in Franklin, Tennessee. The organization was founded in 1993 and has grown from one location in Franklin to four locations including Fairview, Knoxville and Navojoa, Mexico. The church’s mission is to equip people to be passionate servants of Jesus Christ who love God and people always, who learn and live the Christian faith consistently and serve others with humility and kindness presenting a compelling case to the world to trust in Christ alone as savior. For more information about Grace Chapel, visit www.gracechapel.net.

This press release was produced by Williamson County Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.