Franklin is a year-round small town, but the best single time to visit is the first weekend of October for the Franklin Fall Festival. The festival takes over the courthouse square with live music, a parade, food vendors, and craft stalls — it's the town at its most festive and community-minded.
Spring and autumn are pleasant for walking the square and campus. Indiana summers are hot and humid; winters bring reliable cold and occasional snow but the town stays functional. There are no particular crowds to avoid except during the Fall Festival, when parking around the square fills up early.