Do you smell that? There’s a hint of pumpkin spice wafting through the air. It’s the most wonderful time of the year… FALL!
While fall in Texas still involves sundresses and ceiling fans, we find ways to enjoy the autumn vibes despite the occasional heat wave. I’m always excited about the fall festivities around Dallas, and it has become an annual tradition for me to round them up in The Ultimate Dallas Fall Bucket List each September.
Here are my top 12 fun things to do in Dallas for fall 2021 – you won’t want to miss these tricks, treats, and pumpkins!
1. Shop for pumpkins at The Dallas Farmers Market.
September 18 – October 31
There is no better place to shop for pumpkins than the Dallas Farmers Market, and here are a few reasons why: 1) there’s a huge variety of every shape, size, and color you can imagine, 2) the pumpkins are grown by local farmers, so you can directly support them instead of big chain stores, 3) the prices are excellent. Plus, there are always tons of cute photo spots!
Whether you want to bake a homemade pumpkin pie or decorate your house with a few mini pumpkins here and there, you can stock up on what you need and enjoy the festive atmosphere at the market. Be sure to check out the pumpkin stalls under The Shed and go across the street to Ruibal’s for even more pumpkins and gorgeous fall mums.
Learn more on the DFM website.
2. Explore the pumpkin village at Autumn at the Arboretum.
September 18 – October 31
Out of all the traditions on my Dallas Fall Bucket List, this one might just be my favorite! For Autumn at the Arboretum, over 90,000 pumpkins are arranged into a beautiful fall village where you can snap pictures to your heart’s content. Plus there’s a patch where you can pick out your own pumpkins, a massive display of 150,000 fall flowers, and special events with food for sale throughout the season.
The theme for this year’s pumpkin village is “Bugtopia” and promises larger-than-life insect topiaries along with the pumpkin houses. Tickets are $17 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $12 for kids. Parking is paid separately.
3. Pick a bouquet of sunflowers by day or get spooked at night at Yesterland Farm.
September 18 – November 7
Drive about an hour outside of Dallas to Canton and you can pick your own sunflowers this September! Yesterland Farm offers You-Pick Sunflower Fields September 18, 19, 25, and 26 at $3 per stem. They also have pumpkin houses, corn mazes, live music, petting zoos, and rides.
Every weekend in October, you can visit Yesterland Farm after dark for Spooktacular Nights. Test your marksmanship with zombie paintball, plot your escape from a haunted corn maze, or enter a haunted house if you dare. Finish off the night with a fireworks show!
4. Wander through a jack-o-lantern wonderland at Pumpkin Nights.
September 23 – October 31
After the sun goes down, the jack-o-lanterns glow at Pumpkin Nights! Journey through six different “pumpkin lands” with over 5,000 hand-carved glowing pumpkins to greet you. Grab a snack while you watch fire dancers and pumpkin carvers perform live, and snap endless photos. It should be a ghoulishly good time.
5. Grab a pint and watch a wiener dog race at McKinney’s Oktoberfest.
September 24 – 26
Downtown McKinney will welcome guests to their free annual Oktoberfest this September with German music, German snacks, and German beer. Best of all, you can watch a weiner dog race through the square!
6. Eat a Fletcher’s corny dog in front of Big Tex at the State Fair of Texas.
September 24 – October 17
There’s nothing better than the State Fair of Texas. It’s just pure fun!
From fried food contests, to live music, to rodeos, to pig races, to chainsaw carvers, there are just a million unique things to do. I could write a whole blog post dedicated to a perfect day at the State Fair (and I did here), but no matter when you go or how long you stay make sure you add it to your Dallas Fall Bucket List!
Tickets range in price from $10-24. You can save money on your admission by attending on certain weekdays, donating to food drives, or using school tickets given to kids and teachers.
7. Eat a pumpkin popsicle at Blase Family Farm.
September 25 – October 31
Blase Family Farm in my hometown of Rockwall is my favorite Dallas-area pumpkin patch! It’s not overly crowded all the time, it’s set in a beautiful little patch of woods, it’s only $9 per person, and it has THE BEST pumpkin-flavored treats anywhere. I love to visit on weekday afternoons, because you get to take home a mini pumpkin included in your price of admission! We always enjoy feeding the sheep, taking a hay ride, and indulging in pumpkin fudge and pumpkin popsicles here.
Reserve your arrival time on their website here.
8. Frolic among the fall flowers at Lakeside Florist.
September 30, October 2, October 7
Our family’s flower shop in Rockwall is hosting a Fall Festival on October 2 and two Wine & Design classes on September 30 and October 7.
The free Fall Festival will include special discount prices on fall flowers, tons of free snacks, and raffle prizes. At the Wine & Design classes, you can learn how to create your own flower arrangement inside a real pumpkin vase while you sip wine and enjoy free snacks. The class is only $35, and the pumpkin flower vases are SO cute! My brother-in-law Preston will be leading the class, which will last around 2 hours.
I would genuinely buy tickets to this event even if someone else was hosting it. They have the most beautiful fall flowers and a lovely front porch covered in mums and pumpkins that’s picture perfect in the fall. I hope you’ll come celebrate with us!
Call 972-771-4600 to reserve a seat for the floral design class.
9. Smash a pumpkin, carve a pumpkin, or watch a Halloween movie at Pitchfork Pumpkin Patch.
October 1 – 31
This family-owned patch in Royse City draws big crowds for their outdoor movie nights all through October! Pitchfork Pumpkin Patch has lots of fun pumpkin-related activities, and last yera they even hosted Murder Mystery Dinner Parties. I don’t think the mystery series is back yet for this year, but you can still pack up a picnic and watch Hocus Pocus on a cozy blanket with all of your friends beneath the Texas sky.
10. Sip and spook at a Haunted Cocktail Party.
October 2 – November 6
Local event company Fever has requisitioned an old Dallas mansion and transformed it into a theatre for haunted happenings. For $55 per person you can visit House of Spirits and enjoy four mini cocktails while you explore each spooky room of the manor. Guests are even encouraged to dress in old fashioned clothes! I bought tickets for opening weekend, so I will update this section with more details on the experience after we go.
11. Eat and drink your way around Legacy Hall-O-Ween.
October 30
If you’re looking for plans on Halloween weekend (and bummed you’re a little too old to go trick-or-treating, because same) Legacy Food Hall is one of our favorite spots to party! There are typically spooky snacks and drinks for sale, fun decorations, and a costume contest. This year band Graceland Ninjaz and DJ Yuna will perform live all night long.
12. Soak up the sight of fall foliage at a local park.
Early November
The leaves here in Texas tend to show their most brilliant colors in late October or early November. When the yellows, oranges, and reds appear in the trees, head to your nearest local park to enjoy a picnic, a leaf pile, or a photo shoot!
Some of our favorites in the Collin County area are Breckenridge Park, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Oak Point Nature Preserve, Prairie Creek Park.
Some of the most well-loved Dallas County Parks are White Rock Lake, Lakeside Park, Dragon Park, Reverchon Park, and Great Trinity Forrest.
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