The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden knocked it out of the park with this year’s pumpkin village. This is the nineteenth year of the beloved Autumn at the Arboretum festival, sponsored by Reliant, and I wasn’t sure that the theme of Texas Town would speak to me but, y’all, it is so cute.

About Autumn at the Arboretum

It’s impossible not to smile walking into the Dallas Arboretum. Giant pumpkins line the walkway and piles of pumpkins are around every corner, begging for photo ops. Over 150,000 fall flowers and over 100,000 pumpkins and gourds are used for Autumn at the Arboretum, 80,000 of which are used to create the pumpkin village.

Texas Town

“Texas Town” is a short walk from the entrance and will enchant you immediately with its laidback Texas charm. There’s a log cabin, pioneer farmstead, a quaint general store, a schoolhouse, and a mural of the Alamo. I shouldn’t play favorites but I had way too much with the working saloon doors!

The hay horses, which so often have pulled Cinderella’s carriage at the festival, are tied to a hitching post. There’s also hay longhorns near the entrance along with giant boots and a cowboy hat adorning one particularly adorable pumpkin house.

There’s also a hay bale maze for kiddos and fun photo ops around every corner. Don’t forget to go inside all of the pumpkin structures. There are fun details, like maize hanging from the ceiling and even a little pumpkin fireplace!

Lunch in the Garden

Hungry after all that exploring? I love having lunch at Restaurant Degolyer. My friend Sydney and I split the spicy jalapeño deviled eggs and I LOVED the seafood stuffed avocados with tajin-dusted cucumber. For dessert, we split the epic bourbon pecan pie and incredible cherry chocolate lava cake.

Autumn at the Arboretum: Texas Town runs now through November 3, 2024. Tickets cost $13-$22. Be sure to also check the calendar for fun fall events and the afternoon tea schedule!

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