Dallas College Cooks

Mondays at 11am in A Tasteful Place

Participate in this popular demonstration cooking class, taught by Chef Aaron Hubbard from the college’s nationally recognized culinary school. Two new recipes are demonstrated each month.

September Spiced Pumpkin & Herb Bisque with Toasted Rye Dust; Baby Spinach & Caramelized Sweet Onion with Shaved Parmesan, Apple Cider & Local Honey
October Fall Eggplant & Globe Artichoke Salad; Roasted Garlic & Dijon Salad; Orange Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
November Collard Greens, Leek, Sweet Corn & Black-Eyed Pea Succotash; Maple Roasted Acorn Squash; Rosemary Cheddar Cornbread Croutons

Mommy & Me Mondays and Tiny Tot Tuesdays

Presented by Kimberly-Clark
Every Monday & Tuesday through October 26 from 10am–2pm
Intersection near Pecan Grove

Children’s Activities include face painting by A Fresh Perspective (10am-2pm), Country Critters Petting Zoo (10am-2pm), MOMLETA Stroller Fitness (10-11am) and Kindermusik (12-12:30pm)

Tasteful Tuesdays

Tuesdays at 11am in A Tasteful Place

Ever wanted to learn how to make your own floral arrangement or how to pick the best flower from your grocery stores? Looking for a home chef hack to amaze your friends? Every Tuesday a new floral demonstration or food demo is sure to inspire you to step up your at-home game!

September 21 Pretty Vegan: Plant-based spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, smoked salmon salad and freshly squeezed lemonade
September 28 Pretty Vegan: Plant-based pulled pork tacos, chocolate cake and lemonade
October 5 Pretty Vegan: Plant-based fried chicken and waffles
October 12 Lil Red Flower Truck Floral Demo: Sensational Seasonal Bouquets
October 19 Pretty Vegan: Fried Ravioli Bites and Peanut Butter Cornflake Squares
October 26 Sweet Gilly’s Vegan: Perfect vegan cupcakes

Daily Tastings Demo

Tuesdays at 1pm in A Tasteful Place

Join our resident chef, Chef Isabel, as she demonstrates how to prepare the week’s featured recipes, inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Seasonal Tastings

Daily from 10am–4pm in A Tasteful Place

Try three different samples featuring a hero vegetable, fruit or herb from the garden. Fitting with our festival theme, our insect-inspired recipes are sure to captivate your family’s taste buds, too – but, don’t worry, no real bugs were harmed in the making of these recipes. Visit dallasarboretum.org/recipes for the full list of recipes.

Chef-tastic Cooking Series

Wednesdays and other select dates at 11am in A Tasteful Place

See how the pros do it and sample a small bite of the fruits of their labor. Enjoy a demonstration from renowned chefs and restaurants as they take center stage in our demonstration kitchen.

October 2 Kevin, the Pie Dude: Signature Pie Series: Chess Pie demo and vendor sale
October 6 Soul Good: Signature Vegan Peach Cobbler
October 10 Kevin, the Pie Dude: Signature Pie Series: Pecan Pie demo and vendor sale
October 16 Avery’s Savory Popcorn: Fall Flavors and vendor sale
October 20 Soul Good: Signature Vegan Chili
October 27 Pretty Vegan: Vegan Halloween

Wine Down Wednesday

September 22–October 27
Wednesdays from 3–5pm at Three Sisters Overlook

Get over the midweek hump by treating yourself to a wine sampling while you learn the basics of selecting wine at any price point, pairing options and more in the return of this series with our NEW partner Postino Wine Bar & Brunch Café, Deep Ellum.

NEW! Daily Harvest & How-To

September 23 through October 28
Every Thursday at 10am in A Tasteful Place

Horticulture Manager Lisa Attaway harvests seasonal vegetables, fruits or herbs right out of the garden in A Tasteful Place. Then, Chef Lisa Roark prepares a seasonal dish from the harvest at the Test Pavilion. It doesn’t get any fresher than this demonstration!

Pumpkin Thursdays Scavenger Hunt

September 23 through October 28
Thursdays from 10am–3pm

Every Thursday, pick up a map from the information booth that leads you on a scavenger hunt throughout the garden finding surprises in our Pumpkin Village. Complete the hunt, and share your completed card at the Main Garden information booth to get a ticket to be redeemed by 4pm for a brownie from the Terrace Café.

Learn to Grow Horticulture Presentation

Fridays at 11am in A Tasteful Place

Presented by the North Texas Master Gardeners and the Dallas Arboretum Horticultural Staff. Enjoy special tips and presentations on summer and autumn gardening.

September 10 Grow North Texas discusses Sustainable Food Systems
September 24 Insects in your garden with Judy Meagher, Dallas County Master Gardener and North Texas Master Naturalist
October 1 Texas Bees in your garden with Ryan Giescke
October 8 Attracting butterflies to your garden with Janet Smith
October 15 Dallas Gourd Patch Annual Show
October 22 Bugs in your compost with Lauren Clarke
October 29 Wicked plants and insects with Kevin Burns

Live Music & Performances Every Weekend

Kick up your feet on our concert lawn every Saturday and Sunday from 2-4pm with live music and special performances on the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage. Plus, additional performances as noted below:

September 25–October 30
Saturdays from 12–2pm • Jeanne’s Pavilion

Lee Harbaugh

September 19–October 31
Sundays from 11am–2pm • Jeanne’s Pavilion

David Lincoln

September 18 Mountain Natives
September 19 Six of the Matter
September 25 LHHS Wranglers (11am) and The Jukebox Heroes (2-4pm)
September 26 Don Diego Band
October 2 Party Machine
October 3 The Coppertones
October 9 Monkey Love
October 10 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band
October 16 Singing Girls of Texas (2:30pm)
October 17 The Vinyl Countdown
October 22 Rockwall-Heath HS Choir (11am)
October 23 Downtown Fever
October 24 The Absolute Experience
October 29 Texas Boys Choir (2pm)
October 30 Elevation
October 31 The Coppertones

Dallas Gourd Patch

Thursdays from 10am–3pm
Near Café on the Green and Crepe Myrtle Allee

The Dallas Gourd Patch returns with weekly displays and demos of their spectacular squash art. Watch inspiring demonstrations by the Dallas Gourd Patch as gourds are transformed into jewelry and decorative homewares, available for guests to purchase.

Walk This Way

September 24 through October 29
Fridays from 10–11am in the Entry Plaza

Enjoy a tour around the garden featuring behind-the-scenes details, led by Denise and Max Davis, long-time Dallas Arboretum volunteers.

Sunday Gardener with Turn Compost

September 19–October 24
Sundays from 1–2pm in A Tasteful Place

Join us at this NEW series each Sunday as Turn Compost presents hands-on gardening topics you’re sure to implement at home!

Edible Landscaping for North Texas – September 19 & October 10
Want to learn what edible plants you can successfully grow and harvest in your urban yard throughout the year? This course shows you the best herbs and veggies that grow well in our hardiness zone during the warm (or cool) Texas months, along with tips and techniques for growth and harvesting.

A Dallas Chef’s Edible Garden – September 26 & October 17
One of the joys of cooking from home is being able to grow and harvest your own food for the process! Growing herbs and veggies suited for North Texas is easier than you think. Learn from the personal experiences of Lauren Clarke, Turn Founder (Dallas County Master Gardener and El Centro Culinary School Graduate). Her entire backyard is edible and produces food year-round for her family.

Urban Composting Basics – October 3 & 24
This general survey course covers the basics of how to create your own compost at home utilizing organic waste from inside and outside your urban environment. You learn an overview of soil biology, compost methodologies and techniques, and tips on usage and application in your home landscape.

Window to the Wild Bird Flight Show

October 10 at 10:30am
Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn

Join Window to the Wild for a 45-minute outdoor education flight training show, and learn which feathered friends are insect eaters! At the end of the show, come to the stage to meet and greet with the birds and their trainers.

Insect Encounters

Daily September 18–October 31
Pumpkin Village Insect Encounters Tent

Get up close and personal with six-legged friends every day during Autumn at the Arboretum. Experience the life of bugs through hands-on demos, expert talks, living specimens, beneficial bug releases, insect-inspired art and more!

Mondays and Tuesdays from 11am–1pm
Beneficial Insect Release: Kids will get their own chance to handle insects and release them to pollinate the Dallas Arboretum. While supplies last.
Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am–3pm
Native Invertebrate Explorations: Meet the Dallas Arboretum’s living collection including walking sticks and tarantulas
Thursdays from 11am–1pm
Bee Meet & Greet with Mother’s Garden
Weekends
September 18 & 19, 11am-3pm: Lucas Miller, The Singing Zoologist 
September 25 & 26, 10am-12pm: Samantha Peters, Graphic Artist, Dallas Zoo
October 2 & 3, 11am-3pm: Michael Cook: Silkworms, Silkmoths and Silk
October 9 & 10, 11am-3pm: Tim Brys, Perot Museum
October 10, 11am-3pm: Eric Brittingham, Wildlife on the Move
October 16 & 17, 11am-3pm: Randy Pena, Houston Museum of Natural Science
October 23, 11am-1pm: Samantha Peters, Graphic Artist, Dallas Zoo
October 24, 11am-1pm: John Watts, Entomologist, Texas Discovery Gardens
October 30 & 31, 11am-3pm: Lucas Miller, The Singing Zoologist

National Coffee Day Celebration

September 29 from 10am–4pm in A Tasteful Place

Join our annual celebration of the world’s favorite roasted fruit: coffee! A Tasteful Place is filled with coffee-centric vendors to help you get your caffeine fix! Featured partners include East Side Soaps, Eataly, El Portón Coffee, Elevate Coffee Trading, Empire Baking, The Harvest Project, Hey Y’all Bakery, Hive Coffee Co., Honeychild Naturals, Kevin the Pie Dude, Leche De Café, Luca and Livvy Nitro Juices, Sand Castle Seasonings, Whiskey Morning Coffee and Yelibelly Chocolate.

Owl-O-Ween with Window to the Wild

October 23 from 12–2pm in Jonsson Color Garden

Join Window to the Wild for a meet and greet in our Pumpkin Village with their owls—Hermes, a great horned owl, and their tiniest, eastern screech owl, Pigwidgeon. They walk around for you to meet them, take up close and personal pictures with them and ask questions. You won’t want to miss this unique Owl-O-Ween opportunity.

Chicana in Nature Guided Hikes

September 25 & October 2 from 10–11am
Main Garden Entry Plaza

Join Susana Cruz, Chicana in Nature, for a guided hike through the Main Garden and explore the key role of insects in our environment.

Family Fun Weekend

October 8–10 from 10am–2pm

Bring the family to the Dallas Arboretum on Family Fun Weekend. Activities include face painting by A Fresh Perspective, the Country Critters Petting Zoo and more. Friday includes a zero-waste cooking demonstration with Turn Compost and a guided walk through the garden with volunteers Max and Denise. Saturday includes our Fall Vendor Market throughout A Tasteful Place and the Main Garden Entry Plaza. Sunday brings our beloved Window to the Wild bird show to the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn at 10:30am. Saturday and Sunday both include live insect encounters throughout the day and afternoon concerts from 2-4pm with Monkey Love (Saturday) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band (Sunday). Be sure to visit the Children’s Adventure Garden for hands-on insect investigations.

Fall Vendor Market

October 9 from 10am–3pm
A Tasteful Place and Main Entry Plaza

Join your favorite local vendors for a delectable array of fall treats and artisan gifts as your stroll the stunning fall blooming beauties and 90,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash. This farmer’s market style event is sure to spice up your season!

Church Hill Honey Vendor Sales

Saturdays & Sundays in October at A Tasteful Place

Enjoy a taste of pollinators in action with honey provided by Church Hill Honey. You can even buy a bottle to take home with you.

Dallas Gourd Patch Annual Show

October 15 from 10am–3pm in A Tasteful Place

Explore the Dallas Gourd Patch’s specular show featuring stunning carved, painted and embellished gourds. The group also sells these creations.

Halloweekend

October 30 & 31

Don’t miss the annual Halloween blowout weekend with trick-or-treating throughout the garden, pumpkin decorating, body art painting, a petting zoo and live music on the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn, featuring Elevation on Saturday from 2pm-4pm and The Special Edition on Sunday from 2pm-4pm. Get your costumes out for our Dress Like a Bug contest on Saturday and Sunday for your chance to win tickets to Holiday at the Arboretum.

Fairy Garden Terrarium Class with Earthy & Whimsical

Parent & Child Class
September 25 • 10–11:30am
$80 per pair ($75 per member pair)

Melina Molina, owner of Earthy & Whimsical, guides each pair in creating their own unique fairy garden terrarium. Class includes full hands-on instruction plus supplies to create one terrarium to take home.

Register

Couples’ Vegan Cooking Class with Chef Lisa

Couples’ Class
October 2 • 1–3pm
$85 per pair ($75 per member pair)

Learn how to make plant-based meals at home that are full of the three macros: protein, energizing carbs, and healthy fats. Chef Lisa will coach you through creating a not-your-mama’s potato salad, chickpeas and mushroom bowl over a quinoa pilaf topped with roasted pepitas, and a seasonal fruit dessert with coconut cream and aquafaba.

Register

Fall Brunch Boards Class with Amor y Queso

Parent & Child Class
October 9 from 10–11:30am
$80 per pair ($75 per member pair)

Join Sarah Carlock, founder of Amor Y Queso, for a NEW parent-child class. Each pair creates their own fall-themed charcuterie board with wholesome, kid-friendly ingredients. Sarah provides hands-on tips and tricks as you build your boards, and you even harvest ingredients from A Tasteful Place. Then, take your board into the garden for a tasty, seasonal brunch!

Register

Couples’ Chocolate Bonbons and Truffles Class with YeliBelly Chocolates

Couples’ Class
October 23 from 1–3pm
$85 per pair ($75 per member pair)

Trust us on this one – so delicious! Enjoy the process of learning how to make flavor-infused chocolate ganache, roll traditional truffles and make unique bonbons. Each guest gets to experience hands-on chocolate making with this experience and take home all the chocolate we make in class. This class can be completed while sitting or standing and is appropriate for adults of all ages.

Register

Make and Take Pasta Pumpkins Class with Chef Lisa

Parent & Child Class
October 30 from 10-11:30am
Adult price: $20 ($15 for members)
Child price (ages 2–12): $15 ($10 for members)

Resident Chef Lisa Roark leads families in a hands-on class perfect for fall. Participants create their own pasta stuffed squash, ready to bake at home. Simple, healthy ingredients lead the way in this class, and kids leave inspired to spend more time in the kitchen at home!

Register

Authentic Greek Cooking Class with Chef Dimitrios

October 30 • 1–3pm
$80 ($75 for members)

Greek Chef Dimitrios Vagenas of My Kuzina teaches you and your loved one how to create the perfect authentic Greek dishes at home. You create a Greek salad, eggplant crostini, and an okra + chicken casserole with tomato sauce to enjoy in class.

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Homestyle Grilled Cheese and Tomato-Pumpkin Soup Class with CAJUKIKU

Parent & Child Class
November 14 from 10:30am–12pm
Adult price: $30 ($25 for members)
Child price (ages 2—12): $15 ($10 for members)

Parents and children are invited to join Chef Kuma for a scratch cooking menu that is sure to warm the soul. Kids take the lead to create a tasty lunch that the family will enjoy on the spot!

Register