FRANKLIN—More than 4,000 people were downtown Saturday to celebrate the Fall Festival.

Approximately 1,000 people were at Friday’s block party.

“Obviously, mother nature treated us very well,” said Dan Howe, executive director of the Downtown Franklin Association. “The weather was beautiful, and we had a good turnout.”

Howe said the heat on Saturday did cause the crowd to thin out later in the afternoon more than it usually does, but he added that he’d never complain about the sun beaming down on an event happening outdoors.

“The citizens showed up and had a good time by all accounts,” Howe said. “The crowd was heaviest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but we still had people on the street at 5 p.m.

“It was hot, but that’s why we had ice cream and lemonade. I did not hear of any bad things happening — I was worried about people having heat exhaustion.”

Howe said there were 120 vendors selling merchandise downtown, along with several stores being open.

“That’s the most vendors that we have had since I’ve been here,” he said. “From all reports, the downtown businesses did well, and so did a lot of the vendors.

“I’d like to say thanks to vendors, sponsors and my Downtown Franklin Association volunteers. It would be hard to pull an event like this off without them.”

There was a talent show contest on the stage this year, hosted by Cecil Edwards. Jason Darden won first place, and Chase Jackson won the second prize.

There were more than 60 entries in the Mustang Car Club competition. Vicky Myers and her 2012 Mustang GT 500 Cobra won best in show.

Howe said the Nationwide Chopper Series was one of the more popular events, where people got to look at and pose with motorcycles.

On Sunday, the event closed with a celebration for Steve Edwards, a long-time greeter at Grayson & Emma’s Garden Spot.

“Several hundred people were at that,” Howe said. “It was a good event.”

Howe said overall that the event reinvigorated him for next year’s Fall Festival.