Kelley Family Days from July 2-4 provide free entrance to Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden with paid general admission
WHO/WHAT/WHEN: The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden invites the community to celebrate the nation’s birthday all weekend long from July 2-4, 2021. On July 4, the first 100 guests receive a free American flag as they enter the garden. The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden has many themed activities and events for the children. Food specials include $2 hot dogs and root beer floats at the Terrace Café, and guests are welcome to pack their own picnic.
On Independence Day, guests can bring their best picnic setup to be entered to win a family four-pack to a Cool Thursdays concert. There will be a table setup with volunteers to answer questions and chose the winning set up. Purchase tickets in advance online at dallasarboretum.org.
Main Garden Activities:
Friday, July 2:
Daily: ZimSculpt exhibition (throughout the garden) and ZimSculpt live sculpting (The Marketplace)
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Family Fun Friday events include painted body art, a petting zoo, stroller fitness and KinderMusic (Pecan Grove).The Frozen Friday vendor, Frios Pops, is onsite selling their delicious fruit and ice cream pops.
2-4 p.m. Listen to the party atmosphere of one of Emerald City’s band, Elevation, while having a picnic (Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn).
Saturday, July 3:
Daily: ZimSculpt exhibition (throughout the garden) and ZimSculpt live sculpting (The Marketplace)
Noon: Dallas Tap Dazzlers tap dance (Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn)
2:30-4:30 p.m. Monkey Love performance of classic rock and roll (Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn)
Sunday, July 4
Daily: ZimSculpt exhibition (throughout the garden) and ZimSculpt live sculpting (The Marketplace)
Celebrate Independence Day at the Dallas Arboretum. Guests are encouraged to dress in their best fourth of July fashion, bring a picnic basket and blanket, and make it a day. Some of Dallas’ favorite food trucks are onsite along with vendors selling flavored popcorn, pickles, mini apple pies, chocolate dipped fruit and more.
9 a.m.-12 p.m., Winners announced at 1 p.m.
Visitors can enter their jellies, pies, and jams in a contest that day. Drop off items at a booth located in the Entry Plaza for a chance to win a prize in various categories. The best picnic setup will also be entered to win a family four-pack to a Cool Thursdays concert.
10:30 a.m.
Window to the Wild returns to fly overhead as they put on a flight show (Jonsson Color Garden).
Noon-2 p.m.
Picnic in the Jonsson Color Garden while listening to Buttermilk Junction, an old time folk string band.
2-4 p.m.
After picnicking, visitors are invited to hear Presidents of Rushmore, a festive band that will close out Independence Day at the garden (Martin Rutchik Concert Stage and Lawn).
Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden Activities:
Kelley Family Days
Friday-Sunday, July 2-4
Thanks to a gift from the Kelley Family, guests with general garden admission also receive free entrance to the Children’s Adventure Garden where science and fun become one.
Walne Family Discovery Lab
Daily 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Exploration Center
This Weekend’s Lab: Sublimation of Independence:
Celebrate the Sublimation of Independence by making an amazing mixture of magical matter that shifts from a solid into a gas. (Ages 6+)
STEM Stops
Daily 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
11am: Constitutional Ink: Learn how historic ink was made using oak galls and other natural materials and try using a feather quill to write your name.
1:30pm: Roast ’em, Toast ’em Robots: Try to connect a motor and natural materials to make an automatic rotating veggie, hotdog or marshmallow roasting stick for a weekend cookout.
3:30pm: Red, White and Who?-Test one’s historical knowledge of important and diverse American pioneers of STEM fields during this awesome trivia game.
The Glade Puppet Show
Weekends at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
The Glade
This Weekend’s Book: Red, White, and Boom!Book by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Huy Voun Lee
The Live Science Show
Weekends at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.This Weekend’s Presentation: Nature’s Fireworks: Discover the world of things that pop, bang and exclaim, “Wow!” as visitors learn about things that can light up the sky, make beautiful colors and even explode!
About the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden:The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 2-12 and free for Arboretum members and children two and under. There is an additional cost of $3 per person for entrance into the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden except for Kelley Days, July 2-4, 2021. Parking is $10. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum. The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum. For more information, call 214.515.6500 or visit www.dallasarboretum.org.
