Totally Texas -- Seize the weekend at Cottonwood Park

Richardson’s Cottonwood Art Festival

Cottonwood Park

1321 W. Belt Line Rd. (between Coit & Waterview)

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The Weather Channel’s predicting sunny skies, gentle winds, temperatures in the 80’s and low 90’s: a perfect weekend to spend outdoors. Like at Richardson’s Cottonwood Art Festival this Saturday and Sunday.

Twice a year (repeating the first weekend in October), shady Cottonwood Park is transformed into a colorful tent city as more than 240 juried artists display their work in a variety of media. This year’s featured artist is Minnesotan Carl Zachmann, whose kinetic sculptures explore the designs and textures of America’s industrial past.

My family regularly strolls through the booths, samples the food booths, sways to festival-long music from local entertainers, and maybe, just maybe, finds time to feed the ducks at Cottonwood Park’s lake.

Most of the professional artists pitch their tents on the lakes’ east side. At ArtStop on the west shore, kids can work in plaster, collages, and clay sculpting on a potter’s wheel.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. This year the festival has expanded parking to the Richardson High School’s football stadium parking lot. A free shuttle runs both days, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

The artists’ works are available for purchase, as are food and beverages, and some children’s events require a fee. Festival merchandise vendors and most artists accept major credit cards. ATMs are located outside the permanent pool house by the concession area on festival’s main street.

See www.cottonwoodartfestival.com for more information--and to download the festival’s free app.

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Need more outside time? Celebrate Native Plants and Prairies Day Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., at the Bath House Cultural Center on the shores of White Rock Lake, 521 E. Lawther Drive in Dallas.  Free.  See
www.ntmn.org/ for additional event information.

　

And visit ten backyard urban coops at the annual Peep at the Coops tour Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., in East Dallas features ten backyard urban coops. Besides chickens, this year’s tour includes duck and bunny coops. Maps are $10 (only one needed per group), available at tour headquarters, Stonewall Gardens, Stonewall Jackson Elementary School, 5828 E. Mockingbird, Dallas. Drive or join the bike tour of the nearest coops, leaving the gardens at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. See www.apeepatthecoops.org/.

(Next Friday: Promise mom a rose garden--and more--for her special day.)