According to Dallas Arboretum Board Chairman Mark Wolf,
“Visit one of the greenest places and spaces this summer with your children, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, which is open seven days a week. No reservations are needed, and you’re welcome to bring your own food, beverages, strollers, wagons and picnic blankets. We also offer many food and dining options. To keep cool outdoors, there are misters throughout the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, and Toad Corners has a quartet of giant bronze toads spouting 20-foot streams of water—popular with children. We invite you to walk on the grass, smell the flowers (just don’t pick them), and enjoy all that we have to offer this summer.
“Here are some highlights with more details below and online at http://www.dallasarboretum.org/.
- Family Fun Fridays (Every Friday, June 1-July 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Pecan Grove): Fridays are fun days! Enjoy a petting zoo, face painting, music and more.
- Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden: Explore this eight-acre scientific garden where science and fun become one. Designed to connect children with nature, the Children’s Adventure Garden is the place to learn about photosynthesis, plant life, energy and more in a hands-on way. Check the website for the latest, including special activities for Fourth of July Weekend.
- Wind Sculptures in Motion: The Kinetic Art of Lyman Whitaker: Presented by Reliant, Wind Sculptures in Motion: The Kinetic Art of Lyman Whitaker features 140 sculptures ranging from five to 27 feet arranged artfully in groupings throughout the garden for viewing. Each sculpture is available for purchase with a percentage of the profit benefiting the garden.
- Window to the Wild Bird Flight Show (Wednesday, July 4, at 10:30 a.m. at Martin Rutchik Concert Stage and Lawn) Watch a 45-minute outdoor education flight training show with at least five birds on the concert stage. At the end of the show, you can meet and greet the birds and trainers.
- Red, White and Blues: Fourth of July Weekend (June 30-July 1 and July 4, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) Relax while listening to blues music and enjoy an all-American Independence Day picnic. Celebrate our American bandstand with classic music of our nation and dancing demonstrations throughout the garden. Enjoy a local selection of barbecue, ice cream, $2 hot dogs and $2 root beer floats all weekend long, including the Fourth of July.
- Garden Gigs – Fridays in July (July 13, 20 and 27, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $15, throughout the gardens) Enjoy three music performances in three different locations within the garden. Walk and listen to all three performances, bring a blanket, dinner and beverages to relax for a few hours. Picnics are always welcome, and some of Dallas’ most popular food trucks are also onsite.
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden*
- A Tasteful Place: The newest garden at the Dallas Arboretum features daily tastings, cooking demonstrations, such as El Centro College Cooks! on Mondays at 11 a.m. (free with paid admission), parent/child cooking classes (additional cost), harvesting times and more. Check the website for schedules.”
* Photo provided by Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden