With the shortening of days and the changing of seasons come the aroma of pie, apple picking, candy corn and football games, not to mention the ultimate harbinger of the encroaching autumn; it’s the great pumpkin (Charlie Brown)! Whether it’s the ever-popular latte or a carving contest, the Show-Me State offers a plethora of ways to enjoy all things pumpkin.
Drinkables
Pumpkin spice – you either love it or hate it. For those that fall in the “love it” category, Missouri has found a way to add pumpkin spice flavor to pretty much every type of beverage. O’Fallon Brewery in Maryland Heights has a variety pack of pumpkin beers available including Salted Caramel, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and their original Pumpkin Beer. Check out a few other tasty beverages here.
Edibles
Pumpkin is the squash of the Midwest. You can grill it, boil it, roast it, bake it, sauté it. There’s pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bars and pumpkin lasagna (you see where I am going with this). Many Missouri restaurants highlight pumpkin on their fall menus. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a slice of pumpkin cheesecake from My Daddy’s Cheesecake in Cape Girardeau, a pumpkin spice doughnut at Elliana’s Donut Shop in Columbia or Prairie Pie’s pumpkin pie, available in various locations in Springfield.
Pickables
Looking for the perfect pumpkin to carve or use as décor? Load up the kiddos and head to one of Missouri’s U-pick farms. Beggs Family Farm in Sikeston offers a themed 10-acre corn maze and escape room as well as mini golf, a haunted boo barn and of course, a prize pumpkin waiting to be picked! Other places to pick out a pumpkin include Urban Gardens: Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze in Kirksville, Lloyd’s Pumpkin Patch in Ashland, and The Red Barn Farm in Weston. Most are open seasonally so be sure to check websites for hours of operation.
Festivals
Clearly this hallmark of fall is an entity to be celebrated, and Missouri does so at pumpkin-themed festivals across the state. Plan a trip to Silver Dollar City’s Harvest Festival Sept. 21-Oct. 29 in Branson for Pumpkins in the City, where you will see thousands of glowing pumpkins illuminate the park each night. For a more hometown feel, visit the Village of Caledonia for their Pumpkin Fest October 8. Enjoy the pumpkin patch and games, music, food and a parade. And check out Pumpkin Palooza Oct. 29 in Washington. Activities include a giant pumpkin contest, seed spittin’ contest, pumpkin roll, costume contest, story time and music.