The Art of Having Fun

Art, food, music + more on tap for fall's Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson

Admission is free!

Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Art Festival

What better way to celebrate the arrival of fall — and its glorious weather — than by spending a weekend ambling through Cottonwood Park, enjoying delicious food, a tasty beverage, and works from more than 200 artists?

The award-winning Cottonwood Art Festival returns October 5 and 6, and you'll want to be there.

Cottonwood is a juried art show, meaning that hundreds of submissions were whittled down to this exclusive lineup. The artists compete in 14 categories — everything from ceramics and glass to painting, pastels, photography, and sculpture. There are even categories for such specialized skills as jewelry, leather, metalwork, fiber, and wood. Digital art and 2-D and 3-D mixed media get nods too.

In addition to all the art, there are two stages for live music, an ArtStop children's area with lots of interactive activities, and an abundance of food and drink options.

Live music means there's always time for a dance break.Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Art Festival

Raise a glass to an epic lineup of wine from Imagery Wine Collection and craft beer from local breweries, along with margaritas, prosecco, coffee, and handcrafted sodas. Satisfy your hunger with everything from burgers and corn dogs to shaved ice, caramel apples, and ice cream.

Also be sure to check out this fall's featured artist, the Houston-born and Austin-raised Jay Long.

Long begins the artistic process for his mixed-media paintings with an inspirational idea, often from music, literature, or theater. The sketch of the idea is his way of personally interpreting historic or contemporary culture. Drawings are transferred to a wood panel and then cut to a shape. Oil paint is applied over collaged text from found books. The paintings are installed in artist-made box mounts and linen frames.

Official merchandise with Long’s featured artwork will be available to purchase at the festival or online, and includes a poster, T-shirts, stickers, and other souvenirs.

Encourage the next generation of artists in the ArtStop area, and through the two community outreach programs.Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Art Festival

The Cottonwood Art Festival also provides opportunities for students in the community to learn about the importance of art and foster their own blossoming creativity through two community outreach programs.

The Emerging Artist Program recognizes senior high-school art students by selling their work alongside Cottonwood’s attending professional artists and displaying selected pieces at the Eisemann Center.

The Visiting Artist Program increases participation in visual arts in Richardson ISD classrooms, with Cottonwood artists providing hands-on art activities and sharing their experiences with students.

Cottonwood Art Festival is October 5-6 at Cottonwood Park, located at 1321 W. Belt Line Rd. in Richardson. Admission is free and the festival is open Saturday from 10 am-7 pm and Sunday from 10 am-5 pm.

Turning the Page

Indie bookstore to open in Grapevine with coffee and wine

Talking Animals

Talking Animals Books and cozy velvet chair.

A new independent bookstore is opening in Grapevine from a familiar name: Talking Animals Books, which which owners Valerie Walizadeh and Katy Lemieux opened in 2023 at 103 W. Worth St., is spinning off a second, bigger, more ambitious location this fall.

The offshoot will be at 909 S. Main St. in historic downtown Grapevine, in the “The 925” mixed-use development — taking over the space that was previously OG Cellars Winery on Main, which closed in June 2025.

The new location, which is about 2,800 square feet, will not only sell books but will also house a full-service coffee bar, wine tasting room, and event space. The original shop will remain open.

“We’ve grown alongside our readers,” Walizadeh says. “This new location is more than just a bookstore; it’s a place to gather, explore ideas, and now we can enjoy coffee and wine while surrounded by stories."

The coffee bar will serve espresso, teas, and pastries. The wine tasting offering will continue the legacy left by the previous tenant, Lemieux says.

"It'll include a mix of Texas wines, domestic cabernet, red blends, Oregon and Washington pinot noir, my favorite," Lemieux says. "Of course, a banger Prosecco and Pinot Grigio. I'm lucky that my brother-in-law is an elite wine distributor and can help us pull together a great mix of wines, by the glass and bottle, you may not find everywhere."

Lemieux says they will be serving wine, coffee, and other caffeinated drinks, like recharger iced energy drinks.

"Valerie went to the Texas Coffee School's 3 day seminar this weekend and got hardcore into the specifics of opening a coffee shop, so we are hitting the ground running," Lemieux says.

The larger space will allow for increased seating for author talks, book clubs, live music, and community gatherings. And there will be all the fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and titles by local authors that TAB fans have been enjoying for the past two years.

The original TAB went from the page to real life thanks to a Kickstarter campaign in 2022, where more than 350 donors raised $54,000 in less than two months.

They're once again taking that same approach, shooting for $100,000 through another Kickstarter campaign.

"We’re inviting our community once again to help us write the next chapter," Walizadeh says. "We are growing thanks to them!”

They're hoping to do a soft opening in October, with owners hinting at a ticketed event and movie screening for the 20th anniversary of the 2008 film Twilight.

grapevine talking animals books indie bookstore bookstores