It’s a safe bet that Richardson’s Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival won’t disappoint fans for its 24th year. What began in 1993 as a small community event has now grown to become North Texas’ largest music festival. And it returns May 20-22 with three days packed full of music, art, shopping, kids’ activities and food.
Spread across six stages will be a variety of musical acts ranging from classic rock and alt-rock to R&B and country. Headliners include Peter Frampton, The Toadies, Finger Eleven, Hoobastank, A Hard Night’s Day, Soul Asylum, The Bodarks and Jimmie Vaughan, along with bunches of tribute bands and local favorites.
The event is family-friendly, especially when the grown-ups park their folding chairs in front of a stage and let the kids run amok (as I intend to do). Activities will be set up in an area just for the kids, with arts and crafts, a petting zoo, balloon art, a butterfly tent and a bouncy house.
There will be plenty of festival food (think deep-fried) as well as offerings from local restaurants. Row after row of vendors will be setup, selling everything from jewelry, hats and clothing to books, candles and henna tattoos.
Wildflower! continues its tradition of the Art Guitar Silent Auction, set up inside the Eisemann Center. Local artists, festival sponsors, celebrities, anyone really can enter a bedazzled guitar for the auction. Proceeds from the auction benefit the NETWORK of Community Ministries and the fine art programs in the secondary level of the R.I.S.D.
Tickets are sold on the Wildflower! website and at local Tom Thumb stores.
Three-Day Pass $40
Single Day Adult $25
Single Day Kids, ages 5-12 $5 (Free on Sunday)
4 and under Free
Festival hours:
Friday, May 20 6 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, May 21 11 a.m. to midnight
Sunday, May 22 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
