It was Cheap Trick's performance in 2005 that got us intrigued about the Wildflower Festival; and it has been appearances over the years by artists such as Joan Jett, Loverboy, Pat Benatar, Bret Michaels, Blue Oyster Cult, 38 Special, and more that have hooked us on this annual event in Richardson.
Entertainment & Activities
Wildflower is an eclectic music festival featuring concerts which run continually, arts and crafts (one year we hung out with a really talented artist from Russia); street performers (love those crazy Calypso tumblers); an art guitar auction (that benefits Richardson music students); a kidz korner (for a brief stop by the petting zoo); a rock climbing wall; festival souvenirs; food vendors (like Freebirds World Burrito, Jersey Mike's Subs, and Marble Slab Creamery); and of course, plenty of beer, wine, snow cones, and cold drinks to keep you cool. (All vendors take cash; there is no purchasing of coupons.)
What to Wear / Take
Be sure to wear comfy shoes and maybe a hat, and take a watch and sunscreen. Wildflower is a rain or shine event (in May, no less); so check the weather, and if necessary take a rain jacket or a plastic tarp (to sit on in case the grass gets damp). If you're unsure, you can always throw some extra stuff in the car and go back for it if you need it. (Be sure to get your hand stamped for reentry).
Concert Information
Once you pay to get into the festival, all concerts are included and are first-come first-served festival seating. There are two main stages at Wildflower which we typically refer to as the 'stand up' stage and the 'sit down' stage. Very generally speaking, the Plaza Stage tends to attract a younger crowd and people generally stand up for shows on that stage. On the other hand, the grassed area in front of the Main Stage (the larger of the two) generally attracts an older audience, most of which sit for shows on that stage. Of course, there's always a group of excited people standing up (and rocking out) near the front of the stage; but it's not a problem at all. You can be seated a bit behind them and still see the stage very well since the lawn has graduated steeping slopes and large screen projection is provided.
People can also easily sit at the back and sides of the Plaza ('stand up') stage; and you could ... technically ... try to plant your chairs at the front of it, but we've seen some pretty unsuccessful results by people who've tried to do that. So just plan on standing over there if you want to be up front (which, by the way, is often totally worth it). If you decide to stand near the stage during a particular artist's show on the Plaza Stage, we recommend arriving early during the performance of the previous band (or bands). As people leave after a show, you move up. It works fine.
Be sure to check the full music schedule though so you don't miss any bands that you really want to see. It's quite common for two great bands to be playing on separate stages at the same time.
Lawn Seating
If you want to sit on the lawn near the Main Stage, here's what we recommend:
1) Just sit anywhere on the grass and don't worry about carrying around a blanket or chairs all day,
2) Get a spot early by throwing down an old blanket or beach towel (that you wouldn't be heartbroken if you lost) and go check out the arts and crafts booths while you wait on your preferred band to start,
or (our favorite when we want to sit)
3) Throw down a blanket or a tarp on the grass and put your lawn chairs on top of it. Concerts can get crowded; so this sort of marks your area, and people tend not to invade your space and your leg room as much.
Parking & DART
There are over 8,000 parking spaces near the festival grounds and the cost for parking directly onsite is nominal, but you can easily take the DART red line right to the Galatyn Park station which drops you off right at the festival entrance. HOWEVER, be sure to check train departure times and make allowances if you are taking DART back home. One year around midnight on a Saturday night, we found ourselves in a large crowd of people trying to board the last train out. The DART schedule can be found at DART Red Line.
Allowed / Disallowed
Allowed:
Chairs and blankets.
Audio and video recorders (but not in the designated concert zones).
Bags/Purses (which may be checked upon entry).
Smoking (in the designated areas throughout the festival site).
Each patron can bring in one factory sealed water bottle up to 1 liter.
Not allowed:
Coolers, picnic baskets, food, drinks, contraband, weapons, skateboards, roller blades, scooters, bikes, laser pointers, Frisbees, pets (except service dogs) and professional camera equipment (any camera with a detachable lens).
Attend FREE
In exchange for services, volunteers receive a Volunteer T-shirt
as well as a day pass for themselves and one extra for a friend. For each additional volunteer shift worked, volunteers receive an additional day pass for the event. Duties might include ticket taking, handing out programs, being a floater, working in the kids area, maintaining access control, manning the information booth, cashiering, etc.
See additional information below or visit:
Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival
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