Welcome spring with sumptuous colors, a vast palette of flavors and spirits, a marathon of live music and revelries, and unique, horticultural displays!

The Dallas Arboretum offers more than just its gorgeous ambiance and breathtaking city overlooks. It is an institution dedicated to cultivating young minds and strengthening its community, making it a must-see venue and enriching destination for every family in North Texas—and beyond.

Perfect for Spring Break family outings, the gardens play host through April 7 to the Dallas Blooms Festival, the largest floral celebration in the Southwest. This year’s theme, Life’s a Picnic, features 500,000 blooms and a colossal, picnic-scene topiary composed of a 40’ by 40’ blanket, basket, flower vase, berry pie and—of course—cheerful, crawling ants.

The half a million spring-blooming bulbs, including elegant tulips, sunny daffodils, Dutch Iris and fragrant hyacinths, are joined by 150 cherry blossom trees which will shower delicate white and pink froth across the pristine lawns. Unlike most other outdoor venues in DFW, guests are welcome to bring their own food into the sumptuous garden. Little wonder the scenic acreage is a top choice for “Best Places to Picnic in Dallas,” according to Foursquare City Guide.

Whether you arrive with your own food or not, be sure to try free samples at the stunning, on-site, edible display garden and learning kitchen, A Tasteful Place. Complete with an orchard, pavilion and shaded porches, there are year-round opportunities to taste delicious, garden-to-table fare, and learn about sustainability, culinary arts and nutrition.

A Tasteful Place makes a perfect accompaniment to your Dallas Blooms visit, and is abuzz with activities, including a Young Chef’s class on March 10; while every Monday at 11 am, the nationally recognized El Centro College Cooks program provides free demonstration cooking!

Bring a basket, camera, hunger for delicious food and knowledge, and eyes ready to feast on the evocative horticultural displays, and revel in all the festivities offered at the Dallas Arboretum, making it a perfect picnic spot, as well as an essential Texas destination!

Purchase tickets here to Dallas Blooms: Life’s a Picnic, running February 23-April 7. The Dallas Arboretum is open daily, 9am-5pm

Cover photo courtesy Dallas Arboretum

N.L.Thi-Hamrick is devoted to all things that bring joy: good food, writing freely, lots of smiles, and pursuing things that make you feel worthwhile.