Art In The Bend is the spring festival put on by the Historic Richmond Association, and it has quickly become one of the most beloved community events in Fort Bend County. The festival shuts down the historic 200 to 600 block of Morton Street, transforming the heart of downtown Richmond into an open-air celebration of local creativity. Visual artists set up booths, food trucks line the curb, live music plays from the main stage, and the famous Bark In The Park dog parade gives Richmond pups their moment in the spotlight.

For our team at Best Dental, this festival is more than a fun day out. It is a reminder of why we love practicing in this city. Richmond has a rare small-town feel where the dentist, the coffee shop owner, the art teacher, and the family across the street all bump into each other on the same sidewalk.

The energy on Morton Street was incredible from the moment the festival opened. Here are a few highlights from our day:

• The local artists. The juried art show and the LCISD student art exhibition reminded us how much creative talent lives in this corner of Texas. We picked up a few pieces for our office and spent way too long chatting with one of the watercolor artists about Brazos River sunsets.
• Bark In The Park. The dog parade and costume contest may have been the highlight of the day. If you have ever wondered whether a French Bulldog can pull off a tiny cowboy hat, the answer is yes.
• Live music on the main stage. Local performers kept the crowd moving all afternoon. We caught the steel pan band and stayed for the headliner.
• The food trucks. We will not list favorites because we do not want to play favorites with our food truck friends, but let's just say nobody on the Best Dental team went home hungry.
• Seeing our patients. We lost count of how many of our patients stopped by to say hello. Getting to chat outside of the dental chair, with kids and dogs running around, is one of our favorite parts of being a Richmond practice.

When Dr. Jasmine Naderi and Dr. Sonny Naderi opened our practice in Richmond, they wanted Best Dental to be more than just a place where people get their teeth cleaned. They wanted it to be a part of the neighborhood. Showing up at events like Art In The Bend, the Fort Bend County Fair, and other local festivals is one of the simplest ways we get to live that out.

Supporting the Historic Richmond Association also matters to us because they are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does real work to preserve the character of downtown Richmond. The historic buildings on Morton Street are part of what makes our city feel like home, and we love that the HRA is invested in keeping that character alive. As your dentist in Richmond, we want to support the people and places that make this city worth practicing in.

Art In The Bend is the first of three annual festivals brought to Morton Street by the Historic Richmond Association each year. If you missed this spring's event, keep an eye on the HRA calendar for the next one. Bring the family, bring the dog, and bring your appetite. Parking is free in the area east of 2nd Street, north of S. Calhoun, south of Jackson (90A), and west of 6th Street.

And if you are new to Richmond and looking for ways to plug into the community, attending one of these festivals is one of the easiest places to start. You will run into half the city in a single afternoon.