Fall in Dallas has a predictable centerpiece, and it's currently in full swing. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is running its Autumn at the Arboretum: Harvest Hues festival, which opened on September 19 and keeps going through November 1. Fodor's Travel has listed it among the Best Pumpkin Festivals in America, and the scale explains why: more than 100,000 pumpkins, gourds, and squash spread across 66 acres along the shores of White Rock Lake. The whole thing is sponsored by Oncor.
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The heart of the show is Pumpkin Village, where six houses take their cues from modern and contemporary artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Rothko, Louise Bourgeois, Piet Mondrian, M.C. Escher, and Pollock and Krasner. Dallas muralist Alli K. painted the giant Harvest Hues letters that sit among the displays. The pumpkins themselves travel 327 miles from Pumpkin Pyle, a family farm in Floydada, Texas, founded by Jason Pyle in 1991.
If you're planning a visit, the logistics are worth knowing before you drive out. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, and prices shift by the day: adults are $21.95 and children ages 3 to 12 are $17.95 Monday through Thursday, and $25.95 and $21.95 respectively on Friday through Sunday. Children under 3 get in free, and members get in free year-round. Parking is $15 per vehicle, also free for members, and timed-entry tickets are recommended. There's a $3 separate admission for the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden, and the Museums for All program brings admission down to $3 with free parking. If the forecast looks grim, a Rainy Day Guarantee lets you reschedule a free visit within the same calendar year.
The calendar is the real reason to time your trip. Pumpkins and Pints runs on Fridays from 6 pm to 9 pm with craft beer, wine, and food trucks, and the Pumpkin & Squash Show and Sale, featuring rare pumpkins and heirloom squash, lands on October 16 through 18 from 10 am to 3 pm. For families, Little Adventurers is in the Children's Adventure Garden on Monday, October 12, from 10 am to 2 pm, and the BOO-tanical Trick or Treat follows on Friday, October 23, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. There's also a sensory-friendly Pumpkins After Hours evening on Tuesday, October 20, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm in Pumpkin Village, with exclusive access, quiet zones, and activities.
Getting around the grounds is easier than it looks. Tram tours leave daily at 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm, and complimentary wheelchairs are available at the Ticket Booth on a first-come, first-served basis, with mobility scooters for rent at $20 to $30. Free sensory backpacks are available at KultureCity in the Information Booths. If you want to eat on-site, Café on the Green and A Tasteful Place both run daily tastings. The Arboretum sits at 8525 Garland Road, about five miles northeast of downtown Dallas, right on the edge of the 1,015-acre White Rock Lake. It's a lot to take in, so the calendar is your best friend here.
Published Date
11 October 2026
