Dan and I used to live in a different area of town than we do now.  Just west of downtown is an older neighborhood called Kessler Park and within that neighborhood is a cool little area called Bishop Arts District.  There are restaurants and shops and occasionally they shut down the streets for art festivals.  We went to one on a sunny Saturday a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

It was a beautiful day and quite a few people turned out.

We decided to start with lunch at the Veracruz Cafe.  It was delicious, but sadly, we have no photographic evidence.  One of us may have been too hungry to remember to take any photos when the food arrived.

Several of the vendors had creative ways to display their wares.  I liked the vintage look of this jewelry display.

The Bishop Arts District has many cool little shops, even when they are not hosting a festival.  Like this pet store.

And a children’s clothing store.

Speaking of the kids – lots of pretty handmade hair bows and accessories at the festival.  Maybe a little something for the World’s Greatest Niece….

Not really sure what this voodoo-doll looking thing is, but it was cute in a creepy way.

Great idea to make scarves from old cashmere sweaters.  Sort of like how we transmogrify leftovers into a new meal sometimes.  (A stretch, I know, but this is supposed to be a food blog and there are zero-point-zero pictures of food in this post).

This vendor had the cutest, softest t-shirts.  Cool display too.

Lots of kids running around the festival.  There was a DJ set up near this shot and this adorable little girl seemed to be having a ton of fun.  Love her cape.

Another great restaurant in Bishop Arts District is Enos.

Pretty chairs.

One of the existing shops in the District is a flower shop called “Dirt.”

Beautiful arrangements.

Another existing shop is the Bishop Street Market, which is a wonderful little gift shop.

One of the better-known restaurants in the District is Hatties, described as “an American bistro with a southern low-country influence.”  The food there is not my favorite in Dallas, but it has a great atmosphere and is a good place to go if you’re looking for something a little different.

This vintage shop always seems to be really well-stocked.

The vintage bike out front is decorated to match the seasons.

Dan assumes the Shopping Position — holding one of my purchases, blackberry in hand, patience beginning to wear a little thin.  At this point, I probably have 30 more minutes to browse before Shopping Position becomes the I-Am-Ready-to-Go-Home-Now Position (pretty much the same, but more frown-y).

The Artisan’s Collective has little areas where local artists sell their work.  And a metal sculpture giraffe out front, whose head I managed to cut out of the photo.

Colorful cuff bracelets.

Rings made from vintage buttons (nice touch with the old-fashioned type on the sign).

By taking a break to sit at one of the cafes and have a glass of wine, I staved off the I-Am-Ready-to-Go-Home-Now Position by about 45 more minutes.

This little dude was dressed up like a Star Wars character, complete with cowboy boots and sunglasses on upside-down.  Too cute.  Dan says the force is strong with this one.

Lots of dogs at the festival too.

Our purchases.  We had a fun day at the festival, and enjoyed being back in our old ‘hood for an afternoon.  Bishop Arts District is a cool place to wander around for a good meal and some shopping on a nice, lazy weekend.