Cottonwood Art Festival has been named Best Art Festival in the Dallas Observer’s 2026 Best of Dallas® Readers’ Choice Awards.
The annual Best of Dallas® Readers’ Choice Poll invites the community to vote for favorite destinations, experiences and organizations throughout North Texas, with winners announced in the publication’s annual Best of Dallas issue and online.
Cottonwood was honored among a strong group of 2026 nominees that included Art in the Square, Deep Vellum Music & Literature Festival, Oak Cliff Film Festival and Richardson’s own Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival.
The recognition is particularly meaningful because it comes directly from readers and festivalgoers who voted in the annual poll.
For more than five decades, Cottonwood Art Festival has transformed Cottonwood Park into a destination for art lovers each spring and fall. The juried festival brings together artists from across the country alongside live music, hands-on creative experiences, food and opportunities for visitors to meet artists and discover original work.
And this isn’t Cottonwood’s first Best of Dallas honor. The festival was also selected as the Dallas Observer Readers’ Choice Best Art Festival in 2024, making the 2026 recognition a return to the top spot.
At the heart of the award are the artists, volunteers, sponsors, festival staff and generations of visitors who have helped make Cottonwood a North Texas arts tradition.
Thank you to everyone who voted for Cottonwood Art Festival and continues to support the arts in Richardson and throughout North Texas.
There’s no better time to celebrate. Cottonwood Art Festival returns to Cottonwood Park in Richardson October 3–4, 2026, with nearly 200 artists, live entertainment and a full weekend dedicated to creativity.
Come experience Dallas’ Best Art Festival for yourself.
