The Dallas Arboretum debuted its 15thannual pumpkin village over the weekend. The display usually draws huge crowds of both outdoor enthusiasts, and Instagrammers. While the village is still a color cornucopia of 90,000 pumpkins, this year, the rules are a little different.
Guests may still be wearing shorts and sundresses, but autumn has invaded the Dallas Arboretum. Dave Forehand, Vice President of Gardens, explained this year’s theme, "The Art of the Pumpkin."
“It's all things decorative related to the pumpkins, squash and gourds. So the horticulture team has created these beautiful mosaic patterns by using all the different varieties, Forehand said. "There's 52 different types of pumpkins, squash and gourds here."
Here are a few examples you might not see everyday…
· Star Pumpkins
· Cheddar Pumpkins
· White Pie Pumpkins
· Enchanted Pumpkins
· Pump-Ke-Mon Pumpkins
· Table Ace Squash
· Pink Banana Squash
· Triamble Squash
To help slow the spread of COVID-19, masks are required and folks will have to buy timed-entry tickets in advance. The Dallas Arboretum is only open at 50% capacity right now, and the whimsical pumpkin houses kids like to pop in and out of are sealed up.
"So we actually put pumpkins all the way around the houses so you can look at them at them and take great photos, and enjoy, but not actually get close to anybody," Forehand said.
People can still perch toddlers on pumpkins for photos, but with smaller crowds each day and fewer places to congregate, organizers hope this year's pumpkin village inspires more admiration from a distance.
Got a tip? Email Courtney Collins at ccollins@kera.org. You can follow Courtney on Twitter @CourtneyLC82.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.