Dallas Blooms, The Dallas Arboretum's annual spring festival, is a reminder of how great it is to live in Texas during the spring. Through April 8, you can experience brilliant color from 120 varieties of spring bulbs and more than 500,000 spring-blooming blossoms, thousands of azaleas and hundreds of Japanese cherry trees. The theme for the festival this year is “A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words.” Expect larger-than-life living selfie walls in the garden, adding a fun photo opportunity to the Dallas Blooms experience.
Before you pack up the wagon and head east to smell the flowers, here are a few tips to help your visit go off without a hitch.
1. WHEN TO GO
Here’s the thing: Dallas Blooms is a very popular festival. If the weather is great and it seems like a good day to go to the Arboretum, chances are the other 7.6 million people who live in the DFW area are thinking the same thing. You’re going to encounter crowds no matter which day you go, but there are times when the Garden is not as crowded.
- Go early: Arrive right when the gates open at 9 a.m. And by 9 a.m., I mean getting in the long line of cars that start queuing up on Garland Road at around 8:45 a.m.
- Go late: Crowds start thinning in the early afternoon, so plan on arriving around 3 p.m. The Garden closes at 5 p.m., but two to three hours is generally plenty of time to explore.
- Play hooky and go during the week: If you need an incentive, Wednesdays are Buy One, Get One Free Day (except for March 14) and on Thursdays, those 65 years and older receive discounted admission and 20% off at the gift shop.
- Become a member and get early access to the Garden spring through fall at 7 a.m.
2. WHAT TO WEAR
- Shoes: The Dallas Arboretum covers 66 acres. You’re going to do A LOT of walking. Trust me when I tell you to leave the cute strappy sandals and the kicky heels at home. Wear your well-worn, not new, athletic shoes.
- Dress for the weather: There are lots of shady areas, but there’s also lots of open areas with no escape from the sun. Wear sunscreen and a hat. By contrast, it is springtime in Texas, bring a sweater if the weather is on the cool side.
- Don’t forget your water bottle: Like I said, you’re going to be doing lots of walking. Staying hydrated is paramount.
3. PACK A PICNIC
With the beautiful flora and fauna as a backdrop, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a meal here al fresco. It’s no wonder The Dallas Morning News named the Dallas Arboretum as one of the 5 perfect places to have a picnic in DFW.
You can wander around like mom until you find the perfect place to camp, or you can check out the Arboretum’s list of perfect picnic spots.
If you’ve got kids, try the lawn near the Martin Rutchik Concert stage. There’s a great hill perfect for rolling down and plenty of shade up at the top to spread out for your picnic.
Be sure to rent a wagon at the entrance to help transport all the blankets and food.
4. VISIT A TASTEFUL PLACE
Speaking of food, stop by A Tasteful Place on the west end of the Garden. The 3.5-acre, potager garden, pavilion and kitchen offers free daily samples of seasonal recipes spotlighting a hero fruit or veggie grown in the Garden.
Here are some events you can catch at the pavilion during the festival:
- Daily: Samples of the vegetable of the month
- Mondays: Dallas College Cooks Demonstrations at 11 a.m.
- Tuesdays: Tasteful Tuesdays Floral Demonstrations at 11 a.m. and Chef Isabel Snetsinger at 1 p.m. with a cooking demonstration
- Wednesdays: Chef-Tastic Cooking Demonstrations at 11 a.m.
- Fridays: Learn to Grow Fridays with Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, the Dallas Arboretum Horticultural Staff and local experts at 11 a.m.
5. STOP BY THE RORY MEYER’S CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE GARDEN
Even if you don’t have kids, don’t miss the nationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden on the east side of Dallas Arboretum. It features 17 indoor/outdoor galleries, 150 interactive science games and daily events and activities of themed adventures throughout the Dallas Blooms festival.
6. CHECK THE BLOOM TRACKER
Take a look at the Dallas Arboretum's Blooms Tracker before your visit. Here you’ll see a weekly update of what plants are likely to be in bloom. Currently, Daffodils and hyacinths are in full bloom along with tulips, which will reach full bloom this weekend and remain till around the third week of March. The Yoshino Cherry Trees and azaleas are expected to bloom around mid-March.
Visit Go See DFW to find even more events.
The Go See DFW calendar is a partnership between KERA and The Dallas Morning News.
Got a tip? Email Therese Powell at tpowell@kera.org.
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