Tons of fun and lots of activities for everyone…read more Live music all over the area. Tons of food trucks, from bbq, hot dogs and burgers, Popcorn, funnel cakes, desserts, to pastries oh goodness. Alcohol tasting, horse and carriage rides. I love seeing all the vendors show casing their arts. homemade candles, honey, bracelets, hats, u name it.

This was a delightful art festival for a small town community. It was well organized with…read moreactivities for all. The weather was cool and comfortable Friday night for walking around downtown Plano and checking out the numerous vendors. Since this event takes place in the spring the weather can be somewhat unpredictable, but it was lovely the evening we went. The main street in downtown Plano is closed for pedestrian traffic only. vendors line the center of the street. Stores and restaurants are open late too trying to take advantage of the increased foot traffic. Parking was free in nearby surface lots. If you get there early enough, you might find street parking. In addition to the main street, there is also a kid zone and a food truck area setup in a street lot. More artists and vendors can be found as you wander around Haggard Park. Let's talk about the art: -Artistic - real photographers, painters and crafts people had their wares on display. I enjoyed the dog silhouettes out of license plates, the lights made from car hub caps, chains and metal bits, and the digital light show put on by UT Dallas students at a warehouse on the main strip. -Unusual - artists spray painting large banners of what appeared to be plastic saran wrap strung between trees. The local maker space advertising some of the cool things that can be done at there 24-hour facility. One guy was making leather jewelry and giving it away to those who stopped by to chat. -Educational - attendees were invited to pick colored caps from a bucket and arrange them into a canvas with sectioned off walls to define the piece. It was visually interesting and educational as it was encouraging the reuse of plastic. Interactive - Invite your dog to have its paws dipped in paint and then run across a white festival shirt as your keepsake. -Dangerous - There was a blacksmith on site welding and shaping iron pieces. There was also a wood worker who was carving his sculptures with a chainsaw. The Usual - face painting, henna hand designs, jewelry vendors, the latest health massage technique hocus-pocus vendors, and size-zero, tie-died, flour sac type dresses, scarves, and bags for the rare young person with the money to buy it and body type that can wear it. This was a fun, free event for an evening out. It went on all weekend, so you could pick the day that worked best for you and your family. My hubby and I made it our Friday date night, and it was a success.

Lots of fun, and all things considered priced about as you'd expect. It's not super huge so it's…read moreeasily doable and all the food you'd expect to be at a fair is here and is spot on. There is a $5 entry fee per person starting this year which is reasonable imo. Parking is expensive if you pay on site so book ahead to save 1/2 on that front. You'll probably want to get that a day ahead though as you want to be able to snag it for your preferred time. That said there is. Rides are mostly 5 per with the occasional 6 to mess up your spending balance;) most games are 5 for one shot and 10 for 3. $tandard fare for a fair but wait! What's nice is you can add single credits though so yay! No extra fees for using the card other than buying a card initially for 3 bucks. Daytime is easier to visit of course but you don't get the lights. Nighttime you get more crowds but lights so choose ;)

It was not welcoming to anyone outside this ethnic group. They were rude and disrespectful. If…read morethat's how they want to treat others that are different than them they should really think about where they are. No one needs to be rude or disrespectful no matter your ethnic background. Do better and make sure your vendors respect all people.

$10 ticket $15 parking - remote was closed…read moreEvent was over by 8:25 am Emcee prattled on for over an hour and reminded us 7 times why we should leave early because the ballooners need to leave to get on the road. Campus police did little to nothing to help w flow of traffic. Old guys standing behind their cars on Jupiter and not helping w traffic. Major safety issues Don't waste time on Sundays. Balloons we fun but crowd was very disappointed

This is definitely an experience, first you have to navigate through some serious traffic. Get in…read moreline to park, then find a spot. I recommend parking where you can easily find your car. Once you park follow the crowds to the entrance to the festival. You are allowed to bring a blanket or lawn chairs, but it's a hike. Wear comfy shoes, and dress for the weather. This is an experience. For me this is my first for a balloon festival. So I made sure I did a little research. If you choose to ride the hot air balloon, it's 30 per person. Cash only. I recommend getting your cash at the bank to avoid their 4.00 fee for using their atm

The Cottonwood Arts Festival is a biannual, 2-day event at the Cottonwood Park in southwest…read moreRichardson, TX. This is a juried event, so artists apply and a jury reviews and selects about 200+ artists to display and sell their impressive work. There is always a featured artist whose art is displayed on an event poster and a t-shirt for that spring or fall event. I can't usually afford any of the professional art pieces that sell for thousands of dollars, but I can always get the $20 t-shirt with a replica of one of the pieces of the featured artist. Some artists are aware that not everyone can afford the original on canvas, so they make smaller giclées that are more affordable for the masses. Even if you don't have the money or space in your place to buy, you can come and look for FREE! There is no cost to enter the festival. Plus, there are two stages of live music being performed all day Saturday and Sunday. Even parking is free across the street at the Richardson High School. You can also park in the neighborhood, but it isn't necessarily more convenient. Food often includes a few local places like Tongue and Cheek ice cream as well as a Gyro place. Of course you can also find a Fletcher's corn dog, and you didn't even have to drive to Fair Park for the State Fair. I love this festival and will always make a point of going and supporting artists if I can.

I really enjoy this arts festival. Each year brings both returning artists and new faces as well…read more We have been coming for many years. We always find something new to bring home. This year was the only exception. It looks like all the pricing rose out of our budget. But we still enjoy visiting all the booths especially the talented student artists, and seeing the live music. Park over at the school and take the free shuttle! Enjoy some delicious local beer while you browse!

The Wildflower Festival has become a tradition for my family. We usually go on Friday night right…read morewhen the festival opens.... That allows for plenty of guilty "fare" food, beer, games for the kids, etc... We always book a suite at the Renaissance and have a family member watch the kids after hours do that we can go down and watch whichever 90's band is playing that year.... Fun for the whole family.

The cheapest, fun filled weekend in Richardson is at the Wildflower Arts & Music Festival. It's…read morethree days in May and includes live music on six different stages. Music genre varies, but there is usually a headliner or two that everyone knows. If you are a Richardson resident you can buy a ticket online in advance for $15 for the day. The headliner in 2026 was George Thoroughgood and the Destroyers, and the opening act was Blues Traveler. They performed on Friday night starting at 8:30 pm until nearly midnight. There were other musicians that performed throughout the day and evening on the various stages. Lots of vendors setup tents and sold or exhibited their items. There were local businesses, artisans, and food & drink vendors. You can easily spend the entire day and night here and be entertained, but if you only have an hour, you are still sure to have fun. Parking is free in the Blue Cross Blue Shield parking garages north of Lookout off Greenville. The street and festival have a lot of volunteers and police directing people. Signage was easy to follow. There is a bag security check at the entrance. Also, there are rules about what is and isn't permitted into the venue. You can bring a foldable lawn chair, blanket, one manufactured sealed water bottle with you. I recommend wearing a good pair of shoes because there is a lot of walking and standing around. The event is rain or shine, so your shoes might get muddy and wet in f there is inclement weather. There are paved sidewalks in a lot of areas, but there are also grassy areas that you might walk through. Most vendors take credit cards. There are activities for both adults and children. If you get really hot, you can seek shelter in the Eismann Center and enjoy the A/C. They have activities inside, too. I bought tickets for all three days because at the time of my advanced purchase, I didn't know who the bands were or what my availability would be that weekend. I only ended up going on Friday night. I was told that the event was free on Sunday, which surprised me since I had purchased tickets in advance for that day as well. I won't make that mistake again! If you volunteer, they give you a t-shirt for working the event and free admission on Sunday so that you can enjoy the event because you won't have time on the day you volunteer. I've only been to this festival about three times in the 9 years I have lived here, but I have enjoyed it each time. I especially love that I can enjoy inexpensive, live music in the city where I live. I've seen some great bands each time and always look forward to returning.

Second year attending this wonderful festival. (There was no chili cook off when we were there…read more:(). I will go out on a limb here, I don't believe you will find a better Bluegrass festival anywhere in the country. 'But this Texas, there ain't any Bluegrass here'-you might say. Well you would be wrong. It's alive and very well right here in Framers Branch. Every act could be or has been or will be a headliner at any other festival that usually might have only one 'big name'. I have managed in two events to see everyone of my favorites. If you love great musicianship and acoustic music this is a can't miss show. I am anxious to see who will come next year. Bring your comfy lawn chairs and water (no ice chests but plenty of concessions) and enjoy a whole day of great music and great people. Thanks Alan Tompkins

Quick look rating: 5/5 Food & Quality, 4/5 Service, 4/5 Experience…read more Fun event to book-mark. Hundreds of folks came out to hear some great bluegrass music. To Note: Bring out your folding chairs! Come early to taste the chili! They have a little cart / trailer to bring folks from adjacent parking lot. Come early, taste the chilies, stay for the cool music and getting "comfy" See you there!

This is a great park when you're looking for a little escape for an hour or more. My family and I…read morevisited during the holidays, and we were able to walk through a magical world of lighted trees. It was a stunning sight to see. The lake really enhanced the experience. There are shops to grab a bite to eat near the water-walk as well, which is nice if you want to make the most of your visit. I highly recommend you check it out for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

These holiday lights are nothing short of spectacular and it's free! Free parking as well. Lights…read moreare on from 5pm to 11pm(maybe 12am) Definitely a must visit!

I am glad I waited 3 years to write this review. This…read morefestival is getting worse and worse and we won't return next year. We are lucky we live close by so we always bike here, so at least we can beat the traffic and the horrific price for parking. First year they ran out of gyros, no joke!!! Second year, no baklava sundae , ran out. This year, not enough that the prices skyrocketed, some vendors didn't even make an effort to print new menus, they literally just crossed prices and put whatever they wanted. Or, they wanted to go with the last year price but seeing all other vendors increased theirs... hmmmm ,, yeah !! Us too! We tried the gyro, no flavor, mediocre at best, so expensive , $12 for just the pita and the meat. No side, and they all wrapped up on trays, God knows how long they stay there. Lamb sliders and fries was our next choice, nothing special there either. Again, store bought slider buns and not enough meat, not tasty, fries also stay under a heat lamp, the frozen type of course. Like can you guys make some effort at least??? Fast paced, long lines, order, pay, GET OUT!!! We were not impressed at all. Best thing was the baklava sundae for sure. So... bye bye OPA! Greek festival. We had enough of your traps.

Food is amazing. 3 days of fun music and incredible food. Lamb, pork, chicken , gyros, salads…read moreand enough pastry and desserts to sink a ship! And I am told they donate a huge % of the funds to organizations outside the walls of the church. Excellent!!!!

The people here are incredibly kind, which is why I'm leaving five stars. However, after visiting…read morethe Stockyards earlier in the day, Grapevine felt significantly more "sleepy." It felt like I went from Santa Fe to Santa Ana. Speaking of Santas, it's known as the Christmas Capital, but in the off-season, the only thing Christmas-like was me thinking, "Jesus Christ, these long stretches of sidewalk feel empty" Granted, it was the midday lull, and many of the shops and restaurants seemed spread out or closed as early as 5:00 PM. It's a nice, free place for a slow-paced stroll, but a bit underwhelming if you are looking for a vibrant atmosphere.

Downtown Grapevine is one of my favorite areas to visit, there are numerous local shops, a farmers…read moremarket, art gallery, museum(s), restaurants, a book store, trinity metro Tex rail station etc. Downtown grapevine has various community events throughout the year and is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas. There are statues and benches throughout the downtown area that add to the charm of historic downtown grapevine. Some of my favorite areas in the historic downtown area are talking animals (book shop), house of shine (non-profit/museum) and the farmer's market of grapevine. I look forward to my next visit.

The lights were cool! Whoever did the music mix gets 5 stars. Our kids loved it!…read more However, the switchback route was painful, and can make you dizzy if you are prone to motion sickness. If it were next door, we would do it again but we won't drive across the metroplex for it.

This was a fun drive thru lights experience, but it all started to become repetitive. It was also…read more pretty short one for the price compared to others. Over all a decent time.