Mallory B. Taylor

'Tis the season for shopping local in Franklin Southampton. Get in the holiday spirit and enjoy a variety of open houses, parties, parades and great local events including the Downtown Holiday Extravaganza, Southern Charm Garden Center Open House, Franklin Fall Festival, Chamber Business Expo, Carriage Rides, Small Business Saturday, Meet and Great with the Original Snow Queen from Miller and Rhoads, Downtown Franklin Elf Parade and Tree Lighting, Downtown Franklin Christmas Parade, Town of Ivor Christmas Parade, Breakfast with Santa at Airfield 4-H Conference Center, and an Old Timey Christmas in Downtown Franklin. 

The pressure is on...Mother's Day is just a week away and you need to find the perfect gift for that special lady that you call "Mom". Most of us know what our moms enjoy but we struggle deciding on a gift for Mother's Day. How can we possibly find that one gift every year that represents mom and shows her how much she is loved? We've made it simple this year - find the category below that best fits your mom and shop local at the corresponding business. You will not only be spreading the "love" with mom but you will spread the "love" locally in Franklin Southampton.

You can boil 'em, roast 'em, smoke 'em, bake 'em. There's chocolate covered peanuts, raw peanuts, honey roasted peanuts, cajun peanuts, salted-in-the-shell peanuts, butter toffee peanuts, salt and pepper peanuts, redskin peanuts, sugar coated peanuts, wasabi peanuts, peanut butter and peanut brittle. It's safe to say all of us in Franklin and Southampton are NUTS about peanuts!

Once a railroad and steamboat hub of commerce, the City of Franklin is a laid-back cousin to the larger cities just miles away. The welcoming Visitor Center, in the old railroad depot, is in the heart of the historic area. You'll find a variety of shops and restaurants as well as beautifully restored vintage homes, including a plush period B&B, and parks perfect for an impromptu picnic. In Southampton County a sprawling landscape boasts small towns waiting to be explored and more Century Farms than any other Virginia county. Numerous boat landings welcome casual boaters and fishermen. Hunters find abundant game and local outfitters who offer guides and comfortable lodges.