Spirit Guides take over garden

By Anna Jordan

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, which welcomes over one million visitors annually, reimagines its beloved autumn festival with Autumn at the Arboretum: ¡Mundo México!, presented by Reliant, running September 20 through November 2. 

 Building on years of horticultural excellence that have made it one of America’s premier fall attractions, this year’s festival transforms more than 110,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash into an unprecedented celebration of Mexican living culture, contemporary art and cross-border biodiversity, positioning Dallas as a national destination for fall and cultural tourism.

“With ¡Mundo México!, we’re expanding what seasonal programming can be — combining art, culture and education in ways that resonate across generations,” said Sabina Carr, president and CEO of the Dallas Arboretum. “This is a celebration rooted in community, beauty and connection — values that define who we are as a public garden.” 

“We’re looking forward to a new season with cooler weather and, of course, welcoming the return of one of the most beloved fall festivals in North America — Autumn at the Arboretum: ¡Mundo México!, presented by Reliant,” said Andrea Russell, senior vice president, Reliant. “This year’s theme is sure to resonate and delight with a special nod to Mexican culture, just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month.” 

 At the heart of ¡Mundo México! are eight monumental sculptures from Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles. Based in San Martín Tilcajete, a Zapotec community in Oaxaca, Mexico, Jacobo Ángeles and María del Carmen Mendoza create vibrant hybrid animal figures that draw from Zapotec cosmology. Their work is rooted in the concepts of the tona and nahual — spiritual beings believed to guide individuals based on birth date and character. 

“Each person is born with a protector — a spirit animal that shares their soul,” the artists explain. “Through these creatures, we blend ancestral wisdom with imagination and color.” 

On loan from Denver Botanic Gardens, these large-scale works mark a rare opportunity to see the internationally acclaimed artists’ creations in a garden setting, underscoring the Arboretum’s role as a platform for contemporary cultural expression. 

The Dallas Arboretum’s nationally renowned Pumpkin Village undergoes its most ambitious transformation yet, with seven architecturally inspired pumpkin houses, each honoring a different Mexican region: 

• Casa Calabaza Azul — A pumpkin-covered homage to Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, celebrating color, creativity and cultural pride (Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico). 

• Templo de Kukulkán — A stepped pyramid of pumpkins and barrel cactus inspired by Chichén Itzá, honoring Maya ancestral wisdom (Yucatán). 

• Casa de Flores Wixárika — Pumpkin blossoms arranged in vivid floral patterns echoing the intricate beadwork of the Huichol people (Sierra Madre Occidental: Jalisco, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit). 

• Casa Monarca — A vivid tribute to the monarch butterfly migration, with orange pumpkins, butterfly wings and fir branches evoking the Oyamel Forest (Michoacán). 

• Casa del Zócalo — A festive gourd-and-squash house with fluttering papel picado & custom piñata, inspired by Mexico City’s central square (Mexico City, Mexico). 

• Casa Zapoteca — Diamond-patterned walls, marigold garlands and glowing Barro Negro ceramics honor Zapotec heritage (Oaxaca). 

• Casa de Saltillo — Red warty pumpkins, Talavera-style ceramics and serape fabrics pay tribute to regional artisanal tilework (Coahuila and Puebla).

Cielo Tejido: A Canopy of Culture and Craft — Suspended above Pumpkin Village, Cielo Tejido is a large-scale textile installation created exclusively for the Dallas Arboretum by a renowned artist collective based in Etzatlán, Jalisco. The colorful canopy reimagines Indigenous weaving traditions as public art, transforming the central walkway into a sky of bold patterns, intricate textures, and cultural storytelling. 

Blending traditional textile artistry with modern design and color-blocking, the installation invites guests to look up, linger and reflect. 

“This year’s festival is deeply personal,” said Dustin Miller, vice president of programs and learning. “As the curator of the experience — and a cultural anthropologist by training — I’ve worked alongside artists, educators and community members to ensure every detail reflects respect, energy and meaning. ¡Mundo México! is more than a garden display — it’s an invitation to celebrate, to learn and to feel connected across culture and time.” 

More than a seasonal display, ¡Mundo México! is a platform for cultural connection, ecological education and inclusive storytelling. Designed in collaboration with artists, educators and community partners, the festival invites guests of all ages to explore the deep-rooted ties between Mexican heritage and the natural world.

The festival is projected to serve more than 20,000 students through field trips, with programming designed to support science, art and social studies curricula.  

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