This fall, thousands upon thousands of pumpkins line the walkways of the Dallas Arboretum.

The 18th annual Autumn at the Arboretum started Saturday, Sept. 16 and will continue through Nov. 6. This year, the theme for the event is “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” featuring replica houses and other references to the series.

“There are even going to be lifesize topiaries [of the characters],” volunteer manager Yvette Saucedo said. “It’s going to be really cool.”

Though the pumpkin patch is the event that is most commonly known, it is not the only event happening this fall. The arboretum will also host numerous other activities such as petting zoos, Oktoberfest, Halloweekend, and more.
There will also be activities directed towards children, such as this year’s Monarch Tagging at the Children’s Garden. There, kids will choose a butterfly and “tag” them, tracking their butterfly’s travels through the Monarch Migration Program.

“Last year, someone’s butterfly made it all the way down to Mexico which was really cool, so we will be doing that again this year,” Saucedo said.

Of course, all of these large autumn events come with lots of planning. The Public Events Department organizes all of the events for Autumn at the Arboretum well in advance. They have worked tirelessly to execute all of the activities that will occur during the fall.

“This takes months of planning ahead, maybe even a year ahead,” Saucedo said. “I know [The Public Events Department has] been working on the Charlie Brown [display] for a really long time.”

One major challenge is the transportation of the pumpkins. There are about 100,000 pumpkins in the pumpkin patch this year. These pumpkins were brought in on trucks and all of the staff, as well as numerous volunteers, helped unload and set up the pumpkin patch.

“It’s an all-hands-on-deck thing, with several hours of work, and different departments and volunteers helping to set up the pumpkin village,” Saucedo said.

Junior Cate Margolin plans to volunteer at the Arboretum during Autumn, and help out with the variety of planned events.

“I like to see the pumpkin village [because] it’s very festive and it gives off a fall vibe,” Margolin said. “It’s a fun place to volunteer with good weather.”

Margolin has been a volunteer at the Arboretum for about two years. Through her time as a volunteer, her favorite season of the year is always the fall.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the pumpkins and seeing how they decorated the arboretum this year,” Margolin said.

She believes that the Arboretum is a magical place, especially during fall and the holidays. Margolin acknowledges that it is a place that brings people together over a common love for fall and pumpkins.

“I think the pumpkin village is special because they put a lot of work into setting it up and it’s a great place for our community to come together,” Margolin said.

Saucedo emphasized how the Arboretum events are not possible without volunteers like Margolin who dedicate their time to give back to the garden. They direct guests, and answer every question to help enhance the visitor’s overall experience.

“I don’t know how we could do all of this without [the volunteers],” Saucedo said. “They help out so much.”

Similar to Margolin, Saucedo explained that her favorite part about Autumn at the Arboretum is seeing the vast pumpkin patch.

“I think it’s very aesthetic and visually pleasing, and I love the topiaries too,” Saucedo said.

This year, the Arboretum has already attracted many guests with its new fall theme. One such guest was Analy Pedrosa, who visited for the first time on the opening day.

She decided to come enjoy the new exhibit with her boyfriend, to see the pumpkins and spend some time outside together.

“I had seen [the pumpkins] online so we decided to come on opening day,” Pedrosa said.

After her visit, Pedrosa decided that she will definitely be coming back to the Arboretum next year because of her love for the pumpkins.

“They are very colorful and there are a bunch of different varieties of them,” Pedrosa said. “I want to see what they will have next year.”

Saucedo encourages guests like Pedrosa to come visit the Arboretum and experience the autumn festivities, whether they are first timers or regulars.

“With the theme that they have this year, all the different activities that they have, lots of photo opportunities with the pumpkins . . . it’s just going to be so much fun,” Saucedo said.