Photo Courtesy: Michael Kolch
The 22 annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival this past weekend provided three days of fantastic music, great food, beer, and good company. With the festival being located in Richardson it provided a conveniently central location with plenty of space to park and explore.
Upon arrival I could already hear a guitar medley, and locals cheering away at the fantastic music. Once I had entered into the gates of Gatalyn Park, much to my surprise I not only saw adults wearing old rock band T-shirts with beers in their hands, I saw an entire section dedicated to entertaining children of all ages. Not only did the festival provide entertainment for adults, children were entertained as well, all while being surrounded by good music. Besides there being a balloon animal and petting zoo section in the kids corner, there was a kids karaoke section, welcoming kids to get up and sing and welcoming them to perform, and opening them up to music. This area is simply called the Kidz Korner.
After hanging out at the Wildflower Amphitheater Stage for a little while, I decided to explore with my senses and see what the taste of Texas Food Garden had to offer. However on my way to the smells of delicious food I was greeted by the Wildflower Craft Beer Garden. After making a pit stop at the beer garden I went to the food garden, and was greeted by so many hazing smells of fantastic food. I was surrounded by Tex-Mex, Italian, Greek, and Mediterranean cuisine, not to mention Tiff’s Treats, and Ben & Jerry’s also present.
After exiting the ever so tempting beer and food garden, I made my way towards the North Central Ford Stage to watch the battle of the bands contest. The contest requirement for the bands is that the members of the bands must be between the ages of 14 and 19. The three finalist in this year’s contest were The Hey Heys, Future Nest, and Nothing Stranger. This year’s 2015 battle of the bands winner is, The Hey Heys. I have to say, I was very impressed with all of the finalists in the contest, however the vibe of The Hey Heys was more up my alley. They had a little bit of The Black Keys and soul in their music and vocals. These teenagers just proved they are a force to be reckoned with in the music industry and are full of exceptional talent with bright futures.
However the festival not only provided music and food, you could have done some shopping while you were there as well. The Wild Market Place was full of vendors with good finds. There were vendors selling unique jewelry like this mens pendant necklace and fashionable clothing.
This was my first year to attend Wildflower! and I will most definitely return for next year’s event. If you want to have a fun and chill weekend with your friends or family, I suggest that you pack a few blankets, sunblock and prepare to listen to some good music while eating some great food with good company at the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival.
