Spooky season is winding down in historic downtown Franklin, and The Franklin Theatre is sending it off the way it should go out: with a chainsaw. The theater's annual Fear Fest has been running throughout October, and it all builds to Halloween night, when a midnight screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre caps off a month of horror classics, cult favorites and family-friendly frights on the big screen.
Fear Fest was already in full swing by mid-October, according to WSMV, which reported the event underway at the theater earlier this month. The 2026 lineup mixes classic horror, kid-friendly Halloween movies, cult favorites, animated features and newer releases, according to franklinis.com, with screenings running throughout October at the theater in historic downtown Franklin. Tickets have been on sale, per the same report.
A Halloween Night Double Feature
The marquee moment comes Saturday, Halloween night, when The Texas Chainsaw Massacre gets a midnight screening, the site reports. Earlier that same day, at 1:30 p.m., families can catch a more kid-friendly scare with a screening of Beetlejuice — giving Halloween visitors to downtown Franklin a choice between daytime whimsy and late-night dread under one roof.
A TERRORTHON listing showed a 5 p.m. start on October 25.
Something For Every Taste, Theater Says
Williamson Source's 2024 article described Fear Fest as running the gamut “from kiddy-friendly scares to white-knuckle terror for the truly brave.” The 2026 schedule included one showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The outlet also described Fear Fest as an annual tradition at the theater.
News Channel 5 Nashville's coverage also flagged Beetlejuice and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as part of the Fear Fest slate, consistent with the schedule posted by franklinis.com.
Know Before You Go
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre carries an R rating.
