“You’ll discover hundreds of quilts all throughout historic downtown Franklin as businesses and homeowners will be hanging quilts from their store fronts and porches that will create an unbelievable burst of spring color,” said Linda Schlott, executive director for the Franklin Main Street Program.

Entries in a Quilt Block Challenge will be displayed and judged, as well as quilt art by local school children. Representatives with American Quilt Alliance will be in town to record interviews with local quilters about their family quilting traditions.

Schlott said the festival is also lucky to feature two prominent names in the national quilting lecture circuit this year.

Visitors can also tour the back roads and discover the Macon County Quilt Trail with more than 20 quilt blocks that have been installed on barns, homes, and businesses throughout the county. Quilt Trail guides will be available for purchase.

Friday, May 10

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Deb’s Cats N Quilts will host a workshop with “Certified Square in a Square” instructor Carol Daniel from Texas. www.maconcountyquilttrail.org. 

• 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 9-11 a.m. Saturday – Quilters can schedule an appointment with certified quilt appraiser Ken Gleason in the town hall. Call 828.349.8912 to schedule an appointment. Fee is $40 per quilt for a certified insurance appraisal. Verbal appraisals are $10 per quilt. 

• 6 p.m. – Slideshow and lecture with Suzi Parrone, author of Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement. She spent three years traveling the country talking with barn owners and others who have participated in this new form of “quilting.” Event is free.

Saturday, May 11

• 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Franklin Garden Club Plant Sale will be held at the Clock Tower on the Square.

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Vintage and miniature quilt show in the windows of the old Macon Furniture Mart downtown.

• 11 a.m. – Confederate Memorial Day Observance in Rankin Square.

• Noon – Lecture and trunk show by Ken and Connie Gleason (known as “Ken the Quilt Guy” but also a Civil Ware re-enactor) on Civil War era quilts in town hall. The Gleasons will be in period costumes and will transport their audience back to the 1860’s.

• Pleasant Hill Church open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with quilting demonstrations.

• Oak Hill Inn Bed & Breakfast and Gillespie Chapel open for tours .

www.maconcountyquilttrail.org.