With the welcome change of seasons comes one of the Dallas Arboretum’s most anticipated fall festivals—Autumn at the Arboretum—which opens on September 20 and continues through November 26. Visitors will find plenty to do daily with activities in the main garden and the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden during the festival period, as well as discounts for certain days, by checking the website. Autumn at the Arboretum is made possible by Alliance Data, Gateway Buick and Texas Instruments.
The highlight of the festival is the nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village, which is created with more than 50,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash by the talented horticulture team. Each house features a popular children’s storybook including “Pumpkin Jack,” “Too Many Pumpkins,” “Strega Nona’s Harvest,” “Pumpkin Town!,” “Scarecrow” and the classic story of “Cinderella.” Cinderella’s carriage, along with thousands of pumpkins artfully arranged throughout Pecan Grove, also create a popular photo opportunity for visitors.
“Fall is our most colorful time of year,” said Dave Forehand, vice president of gardens, “Many of the summer flowers like zinnias, impatiens, salvia and coleus respond to cooler nights with blazing bursts of color. Our thousands of pumpkins bring out the color in banks of chrysanthemums that are layered with ornamental grasses, copper plants and firebush.”
Autumn is the perfect time of year for a picnic in the gardens with friends, a fun family photo, or a leisurely walk among the fall flowers. The fall foliage, cool weather and deep colors make Autumn at the Arboretum a must-see for locals and out of town visitors. Guests will find unlimited opportunities not only to create lasting memories, but also to capture them in photos filled with beautiful backdrops of spectacular color.
Those looking to spend a few hours or a day at the Arboretum are invited to visit the nationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, an eight-acre interactive and scientific garden for all ages. For more information about the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden including exciting daily activities during the festival, go here.
A multitude of activities are available throughout the garden on weekdays and weekends during the festival:
Dallas Arboretum’s Nationally Acclaimed Pumpkin Village:
Sponsored by Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake
Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Pecan Grove
Storybook houses, hay bale maze, Cinderella’s Carriage, Tom Thumb Pumpkin Patch (pumpkins available for purchase).
Harvest Tea:
Mondays–Fridays, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Restaurant DeGolyer
Tea service begins with a demitasse of select soup, followed by a second course of assorted tea sandwiches and a third course of sweet treats. Price includes general garden admission, Reservations are required. Seated Tea is available to guests 13 and older. Private tea service and teas for over eight people are available upon request. To make reservations, contact 214-515-6511 or teas@dallasarboretum.org.
Kimberly-Clark Mommy & Me Mondays and Tiny Tot Tuesdays:
Mondays & Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Martin Rutchik Concert Lawn
For moms, grandparents, caregivers and their children, these special days include a petting zoo, nature art, face painting and Kindermusik.
$1 off General Garden Admission presented by Tom Thumb:
September 20 –November 26
Tom Thumb will offer $1 off general garden admission tickets during Autumn at the Arboretum. Discounted tickets will be available to purchase at area Tom Thumb locations.
Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) Wednesdays:
September 24-November 26
Buy one, get one free admission. Valid for general garden admission only. Limit one per customer. Tickets can only be purchased onsite.
C.C. Young Senior Thursdays:
September 25-November 20
General admission tickets are $11 for those 65 and older along with a 20% discount at the Hoffman Family Gift Store. Tickets can only be purchased onsite.
Oktoberfest Garten:
Daily, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Celebrate autumn with mittagessen (that’s lunch, in German) at Café on the Green, serving a traditional German menu until Thanksgiving.
Piano Melodies by Keith Schmorr:
Daily, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Brinegar Patio near Restaurant DeGolyer
Garden Melodies:
Weekends, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Martin Rutchik Concert Lawn
Columbus Day Weekend Festivities:
Friday, October 10-Sunday, October 12, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Guests are invited to listen to live music on the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage, and can linger with a picnic on the lawn overlooking picturesque White Rock Lake.
Monday, October 13, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
These Eddie Coker performances, sponsored by Dallas Child, take place on the Martin Rutchik Concert Lawn. Families of all ages are invited to these spirited concerts.
Family Fun Weekend:
Saturday and Sunday, October 25-26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Trick-or-Treat throughout the gardens with costumed characters and other family fun activities. Children are encouraged to wear festive costumes.
Cool Thursdays Concerts:
The popular outdoor concert series, presented by Wells Fargo, resumes in the fall with Emerald City on September 4 and runs through October 30. To purchase tickets and for more information, go here.
Tour des Fleurs:
The 9th Annual Tour des Fleurs, presented by Dave Perry-Miller & Associates, kicks off the opening of Autumn at the Arboretum on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. This 10/20K race around the beautiful White Rock Lake starts at 7:00 a.m. and is followed by a post-race celebration at the Dallas Arboretum, situated on the shores of White Rock Lake. Go here for more details.
Sponsors:
Autumn at the Arboretum is made possible by Alliance Data, Gateway Buick and Texas Instruments. Additional sponsors include:
C.C. Young (Senior Thursdays Sponsor)
Mutual of Omaha, BDO and Northern Trust (Pumpkin House Sponsors)
Tom Thumb (Pumpkin Patch Sponsor)
Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake (Pumpkin Village Sponsor)
Kimberly-Clark (Mommy and Me Mondays and Tiny Tot Tuesdays Sponsor)
For more information on Autumn at the Arboretum or any of the events, call 214.515.6500 or visit http://www.dallasarboretum.org/visit/seasonal-festivals-events/autumn-at-the-arboretum.
###
About the Dallas Arboretum
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 3-12 and free for Arboretum members and children two and under. There is an additional cost of $3 per person for entrance into the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. On-site parking is $10. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum. The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum.