Summer at the Arboretum

Summer at the Arboretum, to be held June 1 to August 14, will feature music, food, custom mural art and family fun in the 66-acre Dallas garden. A highlight, carried over from Dallas Blooms, includes a massive pair of 13-foot-tall floral peacocks featuring ornately planted tails measuring more than 36 feet across. According to U.S. News & World Report, the Dallas Arboretum is one of the “21 Top Things to Do in Texas.”

 From June 4th to 9th, the Dallas Arboretum will feature local mural artists Alli Koch, MOM, Will Heron and Favio Moreno as they create custom Birds in Paradise-inspired works. These artists will be in the Lakeside Exhibit Area painting custom garden-inspired murals on massive outdoor canvases. Visitors are invited to an exclusive “Meet the Artists” night in the garden on July 26, 6 to 8 p.m. ($10 non-members). The topiaries remain through August 7 and the completed murals through August 14. 

The garden will display more than 50,000 new plantings in June with impatiens, lobelias, begonias, salvia, marigolds, zinnias, caladiums, lantana, vinca and pentas. Added to that will be 300 tropical elephant ears and 500 cannas creating the garden’s signature summer look.

Each week will feature free live music, seasonal food demonstrations in A Tasteful Place and fun family activities such as Bubble Picnics and special Movie Mondays, Dallas Zoo animals, Lucas Miller the Singing Zoologist and Window to the Wild. There are also live bands performing every weekend. To complement the peacocks, the Dallas Arboretum will conduct bird-centric programming featuring guided hikes, expert talks, live bird demonstrations and petting zoos all summer long. For a complete list with dates, visit https://www.dallasarboretum.org/events-activities/summer/

On Family Fun Weekends, presented by Kimberly-Clark, activities include face painting, petting zoo, photos and more. Frozen Fridays also feature cool frozen treats from local shops for purchase.

Holiday weekends include the addition of face painting, petting zoo, party bands and vendor markets. Father’s Day and Juneteenth weekend will see the opening of a curated photographic exhibition by local photographer Don Thomas II, recently featured on WFAA-TV and in D Magazine. 

Guests are welcome to bring their own food or purchase food onsite. Window food service is available at the Terrace Café presented by Gil’s Elegant Catering and includes a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, snacks, drinks and adult beverages. 

Admission in July is $5 per person ages 2 and up, and August Dollar Days return at $3 per person ages 2 and up. Admission to the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden (RMCAG) is an additional $3 per person. Entrance is free to RMCAG the weekends of June 18-20 and July 2-4, thanks to a generous donation from the Kelley Family. Parking is $11. Reservations are required and need to be made online at DallasArboretum.org in advance.