The City of Richardson’s 22nd annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, North Texas’ largest music festival will take place this May 16-18. The award-winning, multi-day eclectic arts and music festival draws local and national acts performing the best in classic rock, R&B, country, funk, pop, alt-rock, folk and Americana. Expect amazing performances this year from such legendary acts as Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Loverboy, The Wallflowers, Kool & the Gang, Lonestar, Ed Kowalczyk formerly of Live, Jack Ingram, Marc Broussard and more. This festival may have a heavy music focus, but there is still lots to do for the little ones. Don't miss the Kidz Korner - a fun and colorful festival stop where kids of all ages will find all kinds of games, activities and entertainment geared just for them. Be a rock star on the “Rock Star” karaoke stage, make a bead bracelet, get your face painted, climb the rock wall, visit the City of Richardson’s petting zoo or jump in a big bounce house!
The Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival began as a small community event in 1993 held in a local park in northeast Richardson, Texas. Twenty years later the festival has become the premier music event in the area. Originally a community event designed to celebrate the acres of wild flowers planted throughout the city each spring, Wildflower! quickly “blossomed” when national headlining entertainment was added after only the second year. Growing crowds and subsequent logistical challenges lead the event to its first move to the Greenway Corporate Office Park at US 75 and Campbell Rd. Here the event was able to expand with multiple stages, over 30 acres of arts, music, and family activities. In 1998, the Wildflower Nights! Program was added, bringing an additional weekend of concert-style entertainment to the event. Wildflower Nights! featured evening concerts in an amphitheater setting and the program quickly gained popularity as bigger and better artists were added to the lineup each year. In 2013, more than 60,000 attendees, ranging primarily from ages 25 to 54 attended the event.
Three-day passes can be purchased online at www.wildflowerfestival.com and also at Metroplex Tom Thumb stores for $30 through 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16. Single-day adult tickets are $20 and are available at the gates or online at the festival’s website beginning today. Kids 5-12 tickets are $3, and children four and under have free entry. (Don't forget to check out the promotions page on their website for deals on discounted tickets!)