By ANDREW FAISON/CORRESPONDENT
andrew.faison@yahoo.com

FRANKLIN— With temperatures in the low 70s and plenty of sunshine, the 14 inches of rain that fell a few days earlier seemed like a faint memory as 4,000 to 6,000 people packed the streets for Saturday’s Franklin Fall Festival.

“This was the 29th Fall Festival,” said Dan Howe, manager of Downtown Franklin Association. “There was actually a little miscount at one point because we did not have one in 1999, and we all know why.” (Flooding from Hurricane Floyd)

With more than 120 vendors, this year’s visitors had plenty to see.

“We have more vendors this year than last year,” said Howe. “The crowd has been steady, a few bumps in the road, which goes with any festival that you have a lot of people attend.”

Vendors noted that a lot of people were buying, and they believe flooding in the region influenced the festival’s turnout.

“We usually have 400 to 500 who come up from the Carolina area,” said Howe. “And I think with the curfews and the flooding that there were a lot of people that stayed at home.”

The block party on Friday night went smoothly.

“We had a little over a 1,000 people in attendance, which is a little under what we normally have, but I think everyone enjoyed themselves,” Howe said.

Disc jockey Jay Jenkins, who was scheduled to play Friday night, bowed out after his Windsor, N.C., business experienced flooding from the rainfall.

“Our prayers are with him because we know what happens there,” said Howe. “That has been a problem before.”

Coast to Coast Entertainment substituted during the block party and festival.

“Tony Longoria has done a good job for us as a backup,” Howe said.

Howe thanked volunteers and sponsors.