WALK AMONG THE BLOSSOMS AND BUTTERFLIES

Fall is taking root at the Dallas Farmers Market, and as the seasons change, our Market Garden is shifting right along. With guidance from Master Gardener Gina Woods, we’re preparing the garden for cooler days ahead with fall favorites such as radishes, rainbow carrots, turnips, rainbow chard, and plenty of greens. Many of the new plants have been generously donated by local garden partners, including Yardspell and North Haven Gardens. Make sure to check out the Market Garden this weekend and get inspired.

We’re also digging into something much bigger here at the DFM to support our local insect friends. The four educational beds beside the chicken coop (Come say “hi.” They love it!) are being transformed into Texas Blackland Prairie beds, filled with native grasses and wildflowers that were once abundant across this part of North Texas. With an estimated 99% of the original Blackland Prairie lost, these beds will offer a small glimpse of the landscape that once surrounded Dallas and provide valuable habitat for native bugs and pollinators.

A Pumpkin with a Twist

Blossoms aren’t just for butterflies and our enjoyment, though. They’re crucial to thriving produce, including our Pumpkin of the Week, Cushaw. It starts with a bright yellow bloom and matures into one of the patch’s most distinctive pumpkins, with a curved neck, a bulbous base, and a green-and-white striped rind. This heirloom squash has been grown in the Americas for thousands of years and is prized for its sweet yellow flesh and edible seeds. With pretty blossoms, bold stripes, and plenty of personality, the Cushaw is anything but garden-variety.

Add a visit to the Dallas Farmers Market to your weekend’s must-do list for plenty of fall family fun and a celebration of the changing season. On Saturday, October 17, little ones can get creative with our Kids’ Activity Butterfly Hand Craft from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., while Keep Texas Beautiful joins us from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the Love Dallas Campaign. Then, get your hands in the dirt with a Mini Marigold Planting Workshop from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you can’t make it Saturday, there’s Sunday, October 18, with another Kids’ Activity Butterfly Hand Craft from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and a Mini Marigold Planting Workshop from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Come enjoy the benefits of blooms, celebrate the pollinators that keep them growing, and enjoy a fall weekend made for getting outside at the DFM.

Butterfly Experience Giveaway

When you’re out and about, make sure to look up! Monarch migration is underway as these iconic orange-and-black butterflies make their remarkable fall journey south toward central Mexico. Texas provides an important migration pathway, making native flowers and other nectar sources especially valuable rest stops along the way.

To celebrate butterflies on the move, we’re teaming up with Texas Discovery Gardens for a special social media giveaway. Follow the Dallas Farmers Market and Texas Discovery Gardens on Instagram for a chance to win one of two Butterfly Release packages, each for two people. Winners will visit the butterfly house and take part in a guided release of two newly emerged butterflies.

Flutter over to Instagram and enter for your chance to win! It’s a one-of-a-kind way to get an up-close look at the butterflies we’re celebrating all weekend long.

Tunes in Bloom

Grab a seasonal sip, find a spot to settle in, and let the sounds of talented North Texas musicians drift through your fall day at the Dallas Farmers Market. It’s local music in full bloom all weekend long.

Saturday, October 17

• 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Live Music in The Market featuring Matthew Banks
• 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Live Music in The Shed featuring Macy Pearl

Sunday, October 18

• 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Live Music in Pearl St. Plaza featuring Gabby Martinez
• 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Live Music in The Shed featuring Liam Lee Taylor