(by Jessie Webster )

Pumpkins cover everything in view. Elaborate designs are made on the ground with different colors and types of gourds and squash. What was a green oasis in the sizzling summer temperatures just a few weeks ago has become a fall fantasyland.

Whether it is the novelty of Cinderella’s carriage being pulled by topiary horses or the prospect of getting some candy at the children’s trick or treating, Autumn at the Arboretum has been putting smiles on visitors faces for years. This year the festival has a few new attractions, namely the Dale Chihuly blown glass exhibit.

This year the Autumn at the Arboretum festival runs from Sept. 21 through Nov. 21. Along with Cinderella’s pumpkin village, a festival favorite for children and their families, a three course seated tea service and a demi-tasse of seasonal soup is available to visitors for $47 per person. Tuesday’s bring special joy for those with young children.

“We came out for little tots Tuesday with face painting and the petting zoo, said Brittany Wells of Dallas.” Wells visited the arboretum with her mother and her 1-year-old son. “I actually took my son last year when he was 2-months. It would be really neat to bring him back every year,” she said.

The Dale Chihuly exhibit has been at the Dallas Arboretum since May 5 and has brought in droves of art admirers. It is also what makes this year’s autumn celebration unique. The Chilhuly Nights events will continue though November 5 and will give guests the opportunity to extend their day at the pumpkin patch into night of artistic splendor. For the first time, the pumpkin village will be lit up for night time visitors to experience the area in a whole new way.

Arlington native Grace Lennor visited the arboretum for the first time since the Chihuly exhibit was installed. Lennor said the fall decorations were a nice touch, but she and her family came out entirely for the Chihuly exhibit.

Dale Chihuly of Tacoma, Wash is an internationally acclaimed blown glass artist. His works are featured in around the world and are some of the most recognizable pieces in the trade. Known for bright colors and bold, abstract designs, the exhibit offers fresh reasons to visit the arboretum.

“It is absolutely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen here at the arboretum,” Lennor said.

With the weather cooling off, the festival offers more out of a typical visit to the arboretum. Adults can enjoy the added beauty of the turning leaves with a bottle of wine or a picnic lunch. Children love playing in the splendor of the pumpkin village.
“My favorite part of the fall festival is the gathering of the families to either buy pumpkins or just to take photos and be together,” said Tom Whitelock, a Dallas Arboretum employee. “This season is extra special in that we have the Chihuly exhibit. It’s a double draw [for visitors].”