This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of Richardson’s annual Wildflower! Art & Musical Festival. The festival features music from various genres – classic rock, R&B, Texas blues, funk, pop, alt-rock, folk and Americana.
Wildflower! not only features live music, but also local artwork you can browse through and buy. The festival also holds an annual art guitar auction where local artists can decorate guitars to be put on display at the Eisemann Center and later auctioned off at the festival.
When you’re not listening to live music and looking at local art, you can play games in the Game Zone, check out street performers at Performance Row, or check out the songwriting contest.
If you get hungry, there are plenty of food trucks including the Ultimate Smoker and Grill that has a 4 by 10 ft. grill that can cook up to 2,000 pounds of meat. If this 80-foot rig doesn’t scream “America,” I’m not sure what does. There you will meet Trace Arnold, the “rib whisperer.” In addition to Arnold’s famous smoked meat, the menu includes sides such as baked beans and Cole slaw that will reassure you that you are, in fact, in the south.
Wildflower! began in 1993 as a celebration of the acres of wildflowers planted throughout the city in the spring. Within the second year national headlining entertainment was added to the festival increasing festival attendance.
This weekend will feature many bands on the main stages you can rock out to. Some of the highlights include Blue Oyster Cult, a heavy metal rock band; Eleven Hundred Springs, a Texas country rock band formed in ’98; and The Toadies, a 90’s grunge-punk band.
Friday – May 17, 2013
Cowboy Mouth – bits of gospel-punk with shards of Cowpunk Gretchen Wilson – country music’s “Redneck Woman”
The Charlie Daniels Band – country and Southern rock music legend Spin Doctors – ‘90s alternative rock band
Uncle Kracker – pop/country crossover hitmaker Rocket Man – the Best of Elton John tribute show Eliza Gilkyson – Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee Le Freak – The Greatest Disco Band In The World
Saturday – May 18, 2013
Toadies – home grown alt-rock heavyweights
The Reverend Horton Heat – country-fed punkabilly
Blue Oyster Cult – heavy metal/psychedelic rockers
Grand Funk Railroad – hard rock, blues band from the ‘70s .38 Special – southern country / blues rockers
Eleven Hundred Springs – Texas country rock band
Rocket Man – the Best of Elton John tribute show
Slaid Cleaves – iconic singer/songwriter
Sunday – May 19, 2013
Jolie Holliday – young and dynamic country musician from Richardson
Robert Earl Keen – Texas singer/songwriter
Ray Wylie Hubbard – elder statesman of the Texas music scene
Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines – accomplished Americana singer/songwriter duo Rocket Man- the Best of Elton John tribute show