It is almost impossible to escape pumpkins during the fall. Spooky Jack O’Lanterns guard doorsteps and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown appears on TV. Both the Highland Village shopping center and Grand Avenue are making sure that food is no exception to this pumpkin craze.

No matter what type of food one is craving, the Highland Village shopping center provides many options for a hungry stomach. Some of these scrumptious treats include pumpkin pie Blizzards at Dairy Queen, pumpkin pancakes at the Highland Grill and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies at Lunds grocery store. Employees at these shops notice a high demand for these pumpkin flavors in the fall. “Pumpkin Spice becomes our most popular flavor once we get it,” Starbucks barista Anja Witek said.

Some of these hungry customers include St. Paul Academy and Summit School students. “Pumpkin Spice at Starbucks is so good,” sophomore Aliza Rahman said. Rahman said that she likes eating pumpkin foods in the fall because it is the only time it is available and it reminds her of the warm fall colors. Many other SPA students take advantage of this seasonal special for chilly fall days after sports practices. Junior Mary Merrill raved about pumpkin bagels, which “we have a lot during the tennis season as our snack,” she said.

For students looking to expand their pumpkin taste buds, SPA’s neighborhood is home to many more tasty eateries. Only minutes away from the school is Grand Avenue, where many more stores sell pumpkin themed foods . Many students go to the Breadsmith Bakery only blocks from school for a delicious treat. “I like the pumpkin bread from Breadsmith,” sophomore Maddie Kett said.Further along Grand Avenue sits Cafe Latte, where pumpkin white chocolate cheesecake receives rave reviews from sophomore Neerja Thakkar. Thakkar also recommends Trader Joe’s, on Randolph Avenue, for more pumpkin options. “I like pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin ravioli from Trader Joe’s,” Thakkar said