While it may seem that the only social events available either cost an arm and a leg or leave one feeling too much like a college cliche, the Dallas Arboretum’s annual fall festival, “Dallas Blooms Autumn,” running through Oct. 30, is not only a departure from the ordinary, but it’s also a showing of some of the natural beauties of Dallas.

Featuring 100,000 fall-blooming flowers, “Dallas Blooms Autumn” is a natural palette of colorful floral beds and lush foliage, featuring a pumpkin patch, a hay bale maze, musical performances, large-scale art demonstrations and other nighttime events.

On Sept. 30 and Oct. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m., “Arboretum After Dark” is a chance for those 21 and over to visit the gardens after normal operating hours and enjoy signature floral-themed cocktails.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Top Gun” and “Ghostbusters” will be shown on Oct. 2, 16 and 30 at 8 p.m. as part of the Sunday Night Film Series and will overlook White Rock Lake. The film series is a romantic, though slightly cheesy, alternative to the traditional dinner-and-a-movie date.

Amateur and professional photographers alike are invited to attend “Sweet Light Night” Oct. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. to photograph flowers or other areas of the gardens during the “sweet light” of sunset.

“Otsukimi,” sponsored by the Japan-American Society of Dallas/Fort Worth and The Trammell Crow Collection of Asian Art on Oct. 17, is a chance for people to learn about the Japanese tradition of moon viewing.

Other “Dallas Blooms Autumn” events include “ArtScape,” a fine art show and sale, and “Goblins in the Gardens,” a trick-or-treat Halloween scavenger hunt for kids and college kids-at-heart.

The Dallas Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Road and open daily from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults. More information about “Dallas Blooms Autumn” and the Dallas Arboretum is available at www.dallarboretum.org.