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There's something about fall that feels a little bit like magic with the changing leaves and the sense that something unexpected — whether spooky or sweet — is just around the corner. Every year the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden celebrates that feeling at the Autumn at the Arboretum festival where the shining star is a carefully constructed Pumpkin Village.The 2018 Pumpkin Village feels particularly magical: The theme is Adventures in Neverland, and visitors experience vignettes from J. M. Barrie's beloved book "Peter and Wendy." Fans will recognize the Darlings' home, the Lost Boys' hideout, Captain Hook's pirate ship (a.k.a. The Jolly Roger) and Tinkerbell's house among the gourds and squashes. There's even a topiary version of Tick-Tock the Crocodile for lovers of Disney's 1953 animated film.But before this fall wonderland opens to the public each year, the staff at the Arboretum has to bring it to life.It Starts With a SketchBefore construction can begin, a simple sketch is created at the desk of Jenny Wegley, the Dallas Arboretum's vice president of horticulture operations. She and former senior director of garden development Mark Bullitt would pour hours into ideating the perfect village landscape a whole six months before her team could get their boots on the ground in the Arboretum's Pecan Grove.The theme is the one piece of the puzzle that Wegley and her team start ruminating on as early as a year in advance. Past themes have included Old Texas Town in 2015, Storybook Pumpkin Village in 2014 and The Art of the Pumpkin in 2012. Last year's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz theme really struck a chord with visitors, though — and Wegley hoped they could replicate that success with Neverland this year."We were trying to think of something that could capture that same essence ... and speak to a multitude of generations," she explained. From Farm to Pecan GroveAfter the initial planning is done, a "contract grow" order is put in to the folks at Pumpkin Pyle Farm in Floydada, a rural community northwest of Dallas sometimes referred to as the "Pumpkin Capital of Texas." In the past, Arboretum officials have estimated around 90,000 pumpkins are usually grown for the Village, but this year ,Wegley guesses there were closer to 100,000.When It Truly Takes a Village...Five weeks before opening day, Wegley and her team begin gathering their materials in the Pecan Grove. A week or so later, wooden frames start going up where the houses will eventually stand. Wegley assembles a large team to chip away at the village before the pumpkins are even on site. To use a punny cliché, constructing the Pumpkin Village takes, well, a village."There's 53 on staff, and all hands are on deck for it," Wegley explains. "We’ll also hire in some temporary labor."Among those temporary laborers is 72-year-old Al Olson, who has been a Dallas Arboretum member for 30 years. Throughout the year, Olson volunteers in the greenhouse and research gardens and serves on the board of directors. But come fall, you'll find him in the Pecan Grove." at least 10 years, off and on," Olson says. "It's fun to see how it comes together." After two weeks spent laying the groundwork, pumpkins arrive in cardboard bins stacked on wooden pallets. Wegley estimates it takes 11 to 12 semitrailers to get all of the pumpkins to the Arboretum: a number that even she admits is "intense."The Big UnveilingOpening day is huge for all those involved with construction and for many members of the community as well."Every year the theme changes, and it's so exciting for the kids to relate to the things that are important to them while we also see the beauty of the Arboretum," says Lesley Guinn, 38, a mother of two and Olson's daughter.Throughout the festival, Wegley's team must do some maintenance to keep that magic alive. They walk through the village twice a week for what Wegley calls a "pumpkin roll," where they physically roll each pumpkin and weed out the rotting ones. The majority of their work here is done, though, and Wegley says seeing visitors enjoy the village is just as rewarding as you'd expect."It's a great feeling," she explains. "It's one of those of just pure satisfaction and accomplishment because it is a big feat." From Fall Fun to FertilizerEventually, the village has to be taken down, and that process takes at least another two weeks. First, the pumpkins come down, then the house structures and then the grove is scraped and reseeded so it'll be ready for the Arboretum's spring events.The pumpkins aren't tossed in the garbage, though: The local zoo and SPCA chapter each take some to feed their animals, Wegley explains. "Then we have the Gourd Society come out and take what they would like ... the rest, we compost."It seems fitting that the pumpkins are ultimately returned to the land that hosted them: The Pumpkin Village is meant to give back to the community, and that's just what it does — from start to finish.The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden's Pumpkin Village is open to the public during the entirety of the Autumn at the Arboretum Festival, which runs until Nov. 21 this year. Learn more at dallasarboretum.org.