Despite being down a stage for performances, having five fewer headlining acts and dealing with weather-related impacts on one of the days, the three-day festival drew in more than 15,060 attendees, generating more than $608,000 in revenue.
“The focus of the festival is on it being a beneficial community amenity," Richardson Communications Director Greg Sowell said in an email. “It’s a quality-of-life amenity that helps position the community as a destination of choice for residents and assists with business attraction and retention.”
After being canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, the festival returned in 2022. The 2022 event drew in more than 14,400 attendees and produced over $524,600 in revenue. Comparatively, the 2019 festival had 15,278 attendees and generated $580,224 in revenue.
Sowell said the city does not have a way to determine the economic impact of things such as hotel occupancy tax revenue generated by the event.
Started in 1993, the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival includes musical performances from national, regional and local acts in addition to a variety of cultural street performances, kids activities and a marketplace of vendors. Hosted at the Galatyn Park Urban Center, this year’s headlining acts included X Ambassadors, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, and Jimmie Vaughn and The Tilt-A-Whirl Band.
Next year, the event is scheduled for May 17-19.
To look through a photo gallery of the 2023 festival, click here.
