Beginning Sept. 16: Autumn at the Arboretum: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown™
Presented by Reliant, Runs September 16 to November 5
Fall festival features 100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash
(Featured photo: Charlie Brown and the Gang)*
The 18th annual Autumn at the Arboretum: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown™, presented by Reliant, opens September 16 and runs through November 5, 2023. The festival features the nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village filled with pumpkin houses and creative displays using more than 100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash.
At Pumpkin Village, guests are greeted by Peanuts characters including Charlie Brown, whose pumpkin house includes his unmistakable zigzag stripe, and Schroeder with his signature piano. Other favorites include Snoopy and Woodstock, Pigpen, Linus, Lucy, Franklin, Peppermint Patty and Marcie. The hay bale maze includes the Great Pumpkin, and the pumpkin patch has been transformed into the gang’s favorite hangout spot. Throughout the Pumpkin Village, the talented horticulture team has incorporated elements from the 1966 classic, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown™.”
Dallas Arboretum Board Chair Will McDaniel says, “According to U.S. News & World Report, Autumn at the Arboretum is one of ‘The 26 Best Fall Festivals in the U.S. for 2023.’ Our event has something for everyone, from special children’s activities to Senior Thursdays, live music, tastings and more. Be sure to visit often to create those special memories.”
Autumn at the Arboretum features the breathtaking colors of fall including 150,000 autumn flowers—marigolds, chrysanthemums, pentas and more—accented by the pumpkins, gourds and squash.
Guests can also visit A Tasteful Place, a 3.5-acre food, herb and vegetable garden. Weekly activities include free Monday cooking demonstrations with Dallas College Cooks along with cooking, floral and horticulture demonstrations.
Many special events take place during the festival. Some highlights:
- Mommy and Me Mondays and Tiny Tot Tuesdays, hay bale maze, a pumpkin patch with pumpkins for purchase and more
- Tasteful Tuesdays Floral Demonstrations
- Chef-Tastic Cooking Demonstrations and Wine Down Wednesdays with samples (21 and over)
- “How to” Presentations for Learn to Grow Fridays
- Live piano music and Dallas’ best party bands every weekend
- Seasonal daily samples that use in-season plants from A Tasteful Place garden.
“As so many Texans dream of cooler days and the changing of the seasons, nothing paints the picture of fall quite like Autumn at the Arboretum, presented by Reliant,” said Andrea Russell, vice president of Reliant. “As a longtime partner of the Dallas Arboretum, Reliant is thrilled to continue supporting their world-class gardens and festivals. We look forward to seeing the community enjoy the most beautiful seasonal festival the Southwest has to offer.”
Visitors are welcome to explore the eight-acre Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, celebrating its 10th anniversary, where science and fun become one. Plenty of daily hands-on activities await children such as STEM Stops, science and plant labs and demonstrations, many of which have the Great Pumpkin theme incorporated.
Tickets:
Advanced timed tickets are required for entry to the Arboretum by calling 214-515-6615 or visiting the website at https://www.dallasarboretum.org/. Admission ranges from $14-$20; $14 for children 2-12 years old; $16 for seniors 65 years old and up; $20 for adults; free for children under 2. Parking is $11 purchased online or $15 at the gate. Check the website, dallasarboretum.org, and social media (Facebook & Twitter: @dallasarboretum Instagram/YouTube:@thedallasarboretum) for up-to-date information.
Sponsors:
In addition to Reliant’s presenting sponsorship, other sponsors include Kimberly-Clark, Oncor, CC Young, Park Place Dealerships, Doyle & Associates, Sidley Austin and Bank of Texas.
About the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden:
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. The garden is also home of the nationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. It is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 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, Channel 8 is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum.
About Peanuts:
The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.
*Photos courtesy Dallas Arboretum
(This Philanthropy Lifestyles eBuzz post courtesy the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.)
