Autumn at the Arboretum:
Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the change of colors, the cool air (especially after the North Texas heat wave of 2011), but I really love the beautiful fall flowers like mums, pansies and flowering kale. If you love fall and the vibrant colors, then you'll love the Dallas Arboretum. Autumn at the Arboretum is a beautiful transition of the garden from bright spring colors to radiant fall colors. Cinderella's Pumpkin Festival runs from September 17 - November 23, 2011. It's the most beautiful fall garden in Dallas.
Cinderella's Pumpkin Village:
2011's theme at the Arboretum is "It's a Fairy Tale World." Kicking off this year's fall festival is the enchanting Cinderella's Pumpkin Village, featuring her pumpkin-shaped carriage. Tour through four themed topiary houses all constructed of pumpkins and gourds. Each topiary pumpkin house will depict scene's from the fairy tale including the ballroom, the rooms of Cinderella and her ugly stepsisters, and the Fairy Godmother’s home. Each house is decorated with about 1,200 pumpkins and gourds of every color and shape imaginable. They really are quite unique and the fall colors make a wonderful background for photos.
Tom Thumb Pumpkin Patch:
The 66-acre garden is filled with over 40,000 decorative pumpkins and gourds and over 150,000 colorful fall plants and flowers including chrysanthemums, salvia, coleus, ornamental grasses and impatiens. Remind the kids to bring their Halloween costumes and snap some family photos. You can even let the kids pick out their own pumpkin. Thousands of pumpkins are on sale in all sizes, shapes, colors and costs.
Discount tickets to Autumn at the Arboretum are available at all local Tom Thumb stores.
Admission and Parking:
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218. 214-515-6500. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
General Admission for 2011 is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 65 and older, $8 for children 3-12, and free for Arboretum members and children two and under. Parking is $7. The Arboretum is wheelchair accessible and tram service is available for the mobility impaired. Group discounts are available with advance registration.
Bring a Picnic, Wine and a Date:
Now that the weather's cooled off, you can once again enjoy the great outdoors. The Arboretum is the perfect place to enjoy fall in Dallas and beautiful White Rock Lake. Plan the picnic that you wanted to go on all summer long but it was too hot. Pack a picnic basket full of snacks, a blanket, a bottle of wine and enjoy Autumn at the Arboretum. This is one place where it's OK to bring your own booze. Beer and alcohol -- even in glass bottles -- are allowed. You don't have to sneak it in! But you cannot bring chairs, pets, candles and barbecue grills.
