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!

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.

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!

I saw a flyer on the window of Bloom's awesome candy shop on the square in old downtown Carrollton…read morefor this festival. Apparently, this is the second annual festival here in downtown Carrollton. It was November 5, 2011 from 11am-11pm. I imagine that next year it'll be around the same time. The name "Festival at the Switchyard" comes from switchyard/railway tribute as there are 3-4 rail lines (including the shiny new DART rail) in the immediate area. It was actually a really cool festival! There were some vendor booths set up for various things (apparel, knick-nacks, etc) including FOOD. The real Fletcher's Corny Dogs had a booth there. Yes, the famous corny dogs from the State Fair were available here. They also had funnel cakes. Another booth had fresh spun cotton candy (with no crazy colorings added, just sugar), the one next to that had fresh squeezed lemonade. Agave Azul (best Mexican place ever) had a booth, right outside their restaurant, selling beef fajitas. There was beer/wine available from a couple of booths... PLUS all of the shops on the square were open. Many of these places being restaurants, which serve booze. I don't know if Agave let people take margaritas outside, but you could always ask! In addition to all of this, they had tons of bands/acts going on all day. Some were in the small gazebo in the square and some were on a big ass stage right next to Agave. The headliner was Third Eye Blind (Hello, 90's flashback!) and they stuck right to their schedule and went on stage at 930pm. They put on a really good show, and it was nice to see them back in town so soon following Taste Addison. If you get the chance to see these guys live and dig the 90's nostalgia of jamming to their hits, then I recommend it. We got there late, because we mostly wanted to see 3eB. But it was still a lot of fun. And most importantly, FREE. Parking is free (though incredibly limited) at the DART station nearby, at various spots surrounding the square, and some people even parked under the 35 overpass. No tickets to buy (like the State Fair) for food, but make sure you've got cash. They did have ATMs available right on Broadway st, but the transaction fee was almost $4 (plus, whatever your bank is going to charge you).. I learned my lesson and will next time just bring cash with me. The biggest problem we encountered was that by the time the headlining band went on, a lot of booths were already completely shut/packing up (out of product), and other booths were out of popular items (out of funnel cakes at 9pm??) and certain kinds of beer. Overall, this was really fun. I'm super glad it was free, but if there were a small entry fee next year (and I mean small- not the way the Wildflower Festival has started gouging people the past 10 years), I'd be happy to support the city where I live by buying a ticket. I highly recommend that people carpool, check the schedule for bands/events/kids things, and plan accordingly. The square is really quite small and I can imagine that it was quite crowded for a lot of the day. Looking at the website, I see that Yelp had a booth there, but I sure missed it! :( Maybe they were shut down by the time I got there (or, quite possibly, I'm blind). I hope this comes back for another year next year!

We had a ton of fun at this festival! Myself and two kids ages 5 and 10. The only improvement would…read morebe maybe add a few paid rides for people who won't wait in the very long lines. For example face painting,which was beautiful by the way, had at least 40 kids in live. We didn't partake in anything like that which included all of the rides and bouncy items... Not all 40 per line but long lines none the less. In any event the crafts and games were a hit with my kids and I was happy to hear other music such as pop like music that the kids enjoy. Hats off to all the volunteers!!!!

Wonderful experience at the Interurban museum. It's a great place to cool off from the heat in the…read moresummer. No admission fee but they do accept donations. There's lots to see and do on the inside and it's pretty interactive which is nice for the kiddos. It's a great piece of history that is worth checking out.

A great discovery for a family outing! The Interurban Railway Museum (free admission) is Plano's…read moreoriginal depot from 1908 and housed a power substation to keep a network of electric powered railcars moving Texans until 1948. Inside the museum are exhibits that teach about electricity, facts about the Railway system, and fascinating pieces of Plano history. Plenty of buttons to push and things to do for kids (and adults). The staff is super friendly and happy to show you around and give you a personal tour of the historic railway car outside. There's even a weekly story time for kids every Friday at 11 am. Located in old Plano at the Eastern border of Haggard Park (near the DART station). A hidden gem!

What a treat and only for $12! The discover center had a lot…read moreof offerings but we made the trek to see the nation's only video game museum. They have nearly every console and you can play almost all of them or at least something from each era. The giant pong game is an absolute must for geeks of all ages. I could spent another couple of hours in there if the lil one would have been willing. Your admission includes 4 tokes and you can play some classics and little known arcade games. This is not anything compared to Pinballz or Game Preserve, but it is a fun addition and we enjoyed it.

Best for those of certain age for a nostalgia tour who experienced video games in 1980-90s. Or take…read moretheir kids grandkids there to show them the entertainment dad/mom had to live with back in the last century. The scale of all those controllers, games tried and failed was quite something. A lot of people tried but the customer wanted something better. Lots of games to try yourself. See photos. At entry you are given tokens to play video games in the back. Don't miss out. s baby boomers we missed the whole lifestyle. Now play crossword, jigsaw puzzles and word games on iPad. Not quite the same.

We had an amazing time at the Oktoberfest celebrations 2025 today…read more We Uber'ed our short trip from home to Downtown and saved ourselves the hassle of parking. At the fest, the air was electric and filled with excitement - both young ones and from their seniors! There was loud music being played live at different stages strewn across the entire downtown , people were swaying to it and really enjoying themselves between loud shouts of PROST !l before taking their next gulp of beer from their ginormous glasses! The food too being served at every corner - we're all the faire associated with Oktoberfest - bratwurst, Latkas, dogs, both corn and beef, and the bird - a solid leg of turkey along with 7 different types of beers! We immersed ourselves into the experience and came back home very happy and full. The best part was we felt right at home and plan to make attending this an annual tradition! Well done , McKinney !

Excellent time with the kids. They definitely enjoyed themselves. I will definitely return next…read moreyear.

The Wildflower Arts & Music Festival is a 3 day celebration of local art as well as national and…read morelocal musicians. It's always held on the third weekend in May, rain or shine. The location can't be beat - centrally located right around the Eisemann Center at US 75 and Galatyn Parkway. Plenty of parking - free at surrounding businesses and paid at the Eisemann. Richardson residents can buy advance tickets at a lower rate. This year, tickets were on sale for Friday and Saturday and admission was free for Sunday. This year I happened to win free admission tickets! I always find several bands I'm interested in seeing. For almost the past 20 years, I have attended Wildflower, except for starting the year or two before Covid. About 7-8 years ago, I was at one of the main headliners and it was so crowded, that I did not feel safe. There were way too many people crammed in to the outdoor space and I thought if there was a true emergency, it would be really hard to get out safely. So this year, I checked the band line up and decided Friday night looked good. We met up with some friends and had a great time! I went to the country stage to see Jackson Dean and Justin Moore, visiting Blues Traveler at the main stage in between their showtimes. It's great to be able to have so many choices and genres available. Some singers are inside the Eisemann, so when it's really hot outside, it's so refreshing to go into the air conditioning and sit in nice comfy seats. For the outdoor shows, you can bring a blanket or lightweight outdoor chairs. There is a wide range of food and beverage options and lots of porta potties set up all around. You can shop at the various vendor tents sprinkled throughout. I always enjoy seeing the decorated guitars that are up for auction that are displayed in the Eisemann lobby. Thank you City of Richardson for putting together such a wonderful event every year! I know it must take A LOT of people and planning to pull off an event of this magnitude. There was a huge police, SWAT and volunteer presence and I am happy to report that I felt very safe at this year's event!

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.