What is Friend Fest 2027?

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General identified loneliness and social isolation as a significant public health crisis and called upon community organizations to create meaningful opportunities for connection.*

The conversation has begun. Now our community needs action.

Loneliness can negatively impact a person’s physical health as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day.* Women navigating widowhood, divorce, relocation, retirement, and other major life transitions may be especially vulnerable to loneliness and isolation.**

Locally, the need is also being recognized. In June 2026, Franklin Mayor Ken Moore announced Franklin Connects, an initiative created to begin addressing loneliness in our community—an encouraging step in the right direction.

Awareness alone will not solve the problem.

Women need friends they can call, a place to belong, and people with whom they can navigate life.

For the past three years, Our Gathering Table has been consistently creating opportunities that make genuine connection possible for women throughout our community. Countless women have formed meaningful friendships through our gatherings.

Now, Our Gathering Table, through Gathering Table Ministries, a local 501(c)(3) non-profit, is taking what has worked around their smaller tables to help the local community connect on a much larger scale.

Friend Fest 2027 is an innovative, action-oriented response designed to help women move from loneliness and isolation toward meaningful friendship and life-giving community.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE EVENT?

On February 18, 2027, approximately 500 women from across Middle Tennessee will gather at The Factory at Franklin for a thoughtfully curated evening of connection and community.

You'll be personally welcomed into a warm, beautifully designed space filled with unparalleled hospitality, given a welcome bag and then you'll enjoy light bites and beverages from local restaurants. From there you'll be guided to your first table, where a table hostess will be ready to greet you.

No one will have to sit alone, navigate the room by themselves, or figure out what to say. Every element is intentionally designed to help you move beyond small talk, experience meaningful conversation, and take the first steps toward new friendship and community.

Our hope is that every woman leaves knowing she is not alone—with renewed hope, new connections, and practical next steps for building community beyond the event.

Friend Fest 2027 is intended to go far beyond one memorable night. It is designed to be the beginning of a new season of connection, friendship, and community for all who attend.

We'd love to have you join us!

Watch Founder Natasha Hazlett's TEDx Talk:
"The Friendship Formula: How to End Loneliness & Make Friends At Any Age"

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When are tickets available?

Tickets will go on sale December 1, 2026.  Early Bird Waitlist Members will get 48-hours early access prior to the public tickets going on sale.

Who is in charge of Friend Fest 2027?

Friend Fest is an initiative of Our Gathering Table and Gathering Table Ministries, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping people build life-giving community so that they can feel seen, heard and known.

Are there sponsorship opportunities available?

Yes!  We are looking for Community Partners who believe in the importance of connection, community, and mental well-being—and who are willing to help us create a high-quality and accessible experience for local woman in need of connection.  You can access Community Partner Opportunities HERE

How can I attend one of the smaller Local Gathering Table events?

You can register for free at http://OurGatheringTable.com to get access to all of our local gatherings!

Where are the Local Gathering Tables located?

We currently have active Our Gathering Table hostesses in select cities in Middle Tennessee, including Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Spring Hill, and Thompson's Station.

What happens at a Local Gathering Table event?

Ahhhh, well that’s part of our secret sauce! Founder, Natasha Hazlett, has a fun, engaging and proprietary way that she hosts tables that help women connect quickly and authentically without the superficial small talk.

Join us for coffee, lunch, brunch or dinner and experience it for yourself!

I’m an _________ [introvert/new to town/shy]... Is this for me?

Everyone attending an Our Gathering Table event has one thing in common: a desire to find their “people” and build deep, authentic friendships. You’ll feel welcome from the moment you arrive! Best of all, you’ll leave feeling seen, heard and supported after your very first event! 

Our Gathering Table Featured on
News5 Nashville

The Story Behind Our Gathering Table™

Richard & Natasha Hazlett are the co-founders of Our Gathering Table. Natasha got the idea for Our Gathering Table after feeling very lonely herself for years.  

At 7 months pregnant with twins, Natasha and her family moved back home to Tennessee and settled in the quaint town of Franklin, just south of Nashville. Between their business and raising her three young children, she didn’t have much time to connect with other women locally.   

In January of 2020, she made a New Year's resolution to make friends in her new hometown... that resolution was short-lived thanks to the pandemic. Undeterred, Natasha recommitted herself to building friendships in 2021. However, she quickly realized the challenges adult women face in making new connections. 

"No one tells you how hard it is to make new friends as an adult!" 

While attending business networking events provided some interactions, Natasha felt a void—she wanted deeper conversations and authentic relationships with other women-- not just a bunch of acquaintances.

As an entrepreneur, Natasha firmly believes that if you can’t find what you want, you build it yourself-- and she did... 

Making friends as an adult just got a whole lot easier for women around the world!

When she's not organizing gatherings and finding "her people", Natasha is an estate planning attorney with her law firm of Hazlett Law, TedX speaker, best-selling author, and award-winning online business strategist.

Her favorite title, though, is "Mommy" to 3 young kids- twin boys and a little girl, who make her laugh, fill her heart and wear her out daily! 

And just in case you're curious, Natasha DID find "her people" through this process.  It really works!

What Our Gathering Table™ is NOT...

We're NOT a “business networking group”. 
  
Our Gathering Table is all about building community.  While there are plenty of business networking groups...there's a major shortage of opportunities for busy adult women to make friends. That's why Our Gathering Table was formed!

If you're a professional or business owner (like our Founders) we hope you will join us!  We believe that when authentic connections and relationships are formed, business logically follows.  Just come with a heart for connecting with other women, not a desire to pitch services or products!

We’re NOT a place for "gossip" or "drama".  
Our members are committed to lifting up women, not tearing them down. 

What Our Members Say...

  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "a life-giving community for women." - Allison B., Columbia, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "life-changing!" -Cindy F., Franklin, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "an amazing community for women to feel supported, seen and known." --Stephanie H., Franklin, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "authentic, welcoming and a place for women to be seen and loved."       -Laura H., College Grove, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "the first step of conversation, connection & community- Monique H., Antioch, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "a community of women intentional in supporting each other to thrive through a sharing of hope and love" -Joanna G., Franklin, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is...."a community that is my home away from home" - Laura S., Franklin, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "one of my happy places!" -Marisa B., Arrington, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is..."transformational." - Stephanie M, Franklin, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is.... "a life-giving breath of fresh air in a world full of negativity & loneliness"  - Holly B., Franklin, TN
  • ​Our Gathering Table Is... "a blessing that needs to be shared with as many women as possible!"    -Susan K., Thompson's Station, TN
We're Looking For Local Table Hostesses!  

If you're a woman who loves to connect with other women, and make them feel seen, heard and supported... 

Let's Talk!

Complete the interest form and we'll get you the information you need to see if serving as a Local Table Hostess will be a good fit!  

Copyright © 2026 Gathering Table Ministries, Inc. d/b/a Our Gathering Table | All Rights Reserved
231 Public Square Suite 300 | Franklin, TN 37064 
Gathering Table Ministries FEIN 39-4426565