The Rise of Pumpkin Spice

Real estate - now, pumpkin spice flavored! Not really, but it could be pumpkin spice scented via candles and air fresheners (though we don’t recommend it). Fall has become pumpkin spice season and these days it seems to be showing up in everything. With so many pumpkin spice options, we had to ask ourselves, how did pumpkin spice get so popular?

In 2004, coffee brand, Starbucks, premiered the pumpkin spice latte in their stores. That year, sales grew by 11%, much attributed to the new drink. It was so popular that they have continued to offer it every year since with earlier and earlier start dates. In fact, 2018 is the earliest that the pumpkin spice latte was made available, back on August 28. 

The pumpkin spice latte has become a hit around the world and is currently available in 50 countries. The pumpkin spice latte even has it’s own twitter channel. In 2014 @theRealPSL debuted on Twitter and now has 110,000 followers.

Starbucks didn’t even create the first pumpkin spice beverage. It had been offered for years at other small coffee shops. But their particular blend and marketing power definitely contributed to the pumpkin spice craze. Numerous other companies took notice and have attempted to harness the revenue-generating popularity of pumpkin spice as it has proliferated in consumer goods. Nielsen data shows pumpkin-flavored food, personal and household goods have gone up almost 80 percent since 2011 in pumpkin-flavored sales.

We can thank the spice company McCormick for making pumpkin spice its own singular spice. In 1934 McCormick offered the pumpkin spice blend as a shortcut to flavoring the pumpkin pie desserts that are ubiquitous with Thanksgiving. Funny thing is, pumpkin spice doesn’t even have pumpkin in it! 

According to BettyCrocker.com you can make your own pumpkin spice with:

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

When trends get this big, detractors and trend weary consumers soon follow. There are plenty of rants and memes by people who have grown to disdain pumpkin spice season. But the popularity of the flavor has grown to encompass many different brands, foods, beverages and other items.

For a list of pumpkin spice flavored items and where to find them in the St. Louis area CLICK HERE. 

Some of our pumpkin spice favorites include: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale, Panera Bread Pumpkin Muffins, and Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. Some other pumpkin spice items we want to try: Williams Sonoma Pumpkin Spice Hand Soap, Kahlua Pumpkin Spice Liqueur, and Godiva Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles.

Happy pumpkin spice season! What pumpkin spice items will you try?

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The Boehmer Team serves St. Louis and St. Charles County, Missouri with a focus on residential real estate. Our members are experienced in new construction and buying and selling pre-existing homes. We can help you find a reputable mortgage loan officer, repairmen, or other real estate related services. Do you have a real estate questions? Contact us or visit www.TheBoehmerTeam.com.

 

St Charles County Fall Events 2018

As the weather cools and harvest begins, St. Charles County comes to life with fall festivals, exhibitions, historical events and haunted fun. Made up of Augusta, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Flint Hill, Foristell, Lake St. Louis, New Melle, O'Fallon, Portage Des Sioux, St. Charles, St. Paul, St. Peters, Weldon Spring, Wentzville, and West Alton, there are plenty of communities, establishments and businesses with events to choose from. The Boehmer Team members live, work, and play in St. Charles County and really enjoy the area, especially in the fall. So we’ve put together a list of fall events specific to St Charles County, Mo for 2018.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS IN ST. CHARLES COUNTY

Centennial Farms Apple and Pumpkin Picking
Weekends Now through October
199 Jackson Street, Augusta, MO 63332
http://centennialfarms.biz
This is the 49th year of selling fruit and veggies on this farm that has been in operation for 197 years.  Pick your own apples or pumpkins and enjoy a “taste of history” along with seasonal fruit and good things made in the farm kitchen. Visit the market in the 160-year old timber framed barn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

MOSAICS Fine Art Festival
September 14, 2018 - September 16, 2018
100 N. Main St., St. Charles, Mo
www.StCharlesMosaics.org
Several blocks of North Main Street in Historic St. Charles will play host at the 24th Annual MOSAICS Missouri Festival for the Arts on September 14-16, 2018. This free Arts Festival is a much anticipated fall event in historic St. Charles.

20th Anniversary St. Louis Renaissance Festival
Open Weekends September 15 – October 14, 2018
10am-6pm Rain or Shine
2577 W Meyer Rd, Foristell, MO 63348
www.stlrenfest.com
The 20th anniversary St. Louis Renaissance Festival will bring you the adventure, excitement, and spirit of the Renaissance. Watch Jousting Knights on thundering steeds. Roam the village shoppes for unique crafts as our artisans demonstrate period skills like blacksmithing and woodworking. Delight in comedy, music, magic, and more on our nine stages of non-stop entertainment! Feast on delicious food and drink from the far reaches of the globe, and interact with the colorful villagers, nobles, peasants and characters of ages past. Children will love the petting zoo, games, and daily free activities. Adults will enjoy beer, wine, and mead at our three thematic pubs.

Augusta Harvest Festival
September 21, 2018 - September 23, 2018
5577 Walnut St., Augusta, Mo
https://augusta-chamber.org/event/annual-harvest-festival/
Augusta: A Great Heritage – Explore a day in the life of a German Immigrant The Augusta Harvest Festival is held the third week in September and captures the rich heritage of past festivals held...

St. Charles Oktoberfest
September 28-30, 2018
Frontier Park, Saint Charles, MO
http://saintcharlesoktoberfest.com
Saint Charles Oktoberfest takes place in beautiful Frontier Park located off Riverside Drive in downtown Saint Charles between the Missouri River and the Historic Downtown District.
 

MICRO MACRO Art Exhibit
Through September 28, 2018
Foundry Centre Art, St. Charles, MO
http://www.foundryartcentre.org/micro-macro/
At this free exhibition, size matters.  This show will display two opposites: one half focusing on small works (micro) and the other half focusing on works larger than 48 inches (macro). 

Celebrate St. Peters Annual Community Festival
September 14 - September 15, 2018
370 Lakeside Park, Lakeside Park Drive off MO-370, St. Peters
https://www.stpetersmo.net/celebrate-st-peters-.aspx
A free two-day festival featuring live music and entertainment on three different stages, a carnival, vendors, kids’ activities, fireworks and more! Friday is Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan. Saturday is Night Ranger plus fireworks at 9pm.

OCTOBER EVENTS IN ST. CHARLES COUNTY

Daniels Farm and Greenhouse October Harvest
October 1 – 31
352 Jungermann Rd., Saint Peters, MO 63376
https://www.danielsfarmandgreenhouse.com/calenders/fall-october-harvest/
$6 will grant admission to Daniels Farm October Harvest going on throughout October. Admission includes: giant straw maze, petting zoo, unique fort maze, tube slides, pony swings, giant tire swings, corn boxes, picnic area, antique farm equipment and more.

Valley Farms Fall Festival
Weekends in October - Saturdays 9am – 2pm, Sundays 10am – 5pm
1125 Dietrich Rd, Foristell, MO. 63348
http://valleyfarms.us
Valley Farms fall events in October include live music, Valley Farms Wet Hop Octoberfest on Tap, food trucks, free minibarn hay maze and of course lots of pumpkins, gourds, mums, straw, concessions, and crafts. Come enjoy the hawk ridge hay ride, barrel train ride, Farm Land bounce house, pumpkin bowling, panning for gold and more. See the website for event-by-date details.

DUCKFEST - Annual Special Event
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Lakeside 370 Park, St. Peters, MO
https://duckfestmo.org
Duckfest is a free event that celebrates all things outdoors, with an emphasis on waterfowl hunting. The event includes live music, vendors, raffles, great food,  and drinks. There is an officially sanctioned Calling Contest that will host callers from across the region as they compete for spots in Stuttgart. Proceeds raised from Duckfest are donated to a local nonprofit that serves nearly 300 adults with developmental disabilities in the St. Louis area.

Pelican Days Festival
Saturday, October 13, 2018
The Audubon Center at Riverlands, 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton, MO
http://riverlands.audubon.org
This free event is one of the most anticipated events for local birders. The American White Pelican is one of our largest and most charismatic birds we see in the sanctuary. Their large wingspans and graceful flight paired with their strange beaks make them a very striking bird. This time of year these birds migrate through the Mississippi valley. Pelican Days will be a day of fun family-friendly activities all about Pelicans! 

Cottleville Firefighter's Haunted Trail presented by Mercy Kids
October 13th and 20th from 7:30-11:30pm
Behind Legacy Park in Cottleville MO
http://www.scarytrail.com
Cottleville Firefighters Outreach is a nonprofit with a mission to raise our community's educational and awareness levels of safety and health issues in hopes of preventing misfortune. They setup a haunted trail that ends near the former residence of Mollie Crenshaw, a well-known witch that lived in Cottleville over 100 years ago. CWS Rotary Club will have beer and other adult beverages for purchase for those 21 and over and there will be a movie and bonfires. Where shoes good for a gravel path and bring your lawn chairs and friends to enjoy a good time.

Food Trucks In The Park
Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 5-8pm
Frontier Park, 500 South Riverside Drive, Saint Charles, MO
http://www.stcharlesparks.com/programs/parks-holidayspecial-events/food-trucks/
Rev up your taste buds and enjoy tasting delectable foods from multiple food trucks. Enjoy live entertainment as you indulge in a variety of delicious food options.  The event is free other than the cost of food. It is recommended that you bring your own lawn chair or blanket.

Halloween Spirits From The Past – Annual Historical
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, 6–10:30 p.m. Daniel Boone Home, 1868 Highway F, Defiance, MO
https://www.facebook.com/events/668356836864625/
Walk the lantern-lit paths and explore an early 1800’s pioneer village. Listen to murder ballads and tales of the 1800s and if you dare, hear the eerie Legend of Sleepy Hollow by renowned story teller Anne Williams. Limited tickets are available. Reservations are highly recommended. Pre-Registered Admission: $6; Children 4 and under are free and do not need to register; At-the-Door Admission: $10

Legends & Lanterns Annual Special Event
Saturday, October 20: 11 am - 6 pm; Sunday, October 21: Noon - 5 pm; Friday, October 26: 5 pm - 8 pm; Saturday, October 27: 11 am - 8 pm; Sunday, October 28: Noon - 5 pm
230 South Main Street, Saint Charles, MO
https://www.facebook.com/legendsandlanterns/
On the last two weekends in October the Historic Main Street in St. Charles will be invaded by a plethora of playful paranormal poltergeists from parts unknown. Finding its inspiration from the past, Legends & Lanterns offers the vintage charm of Halloween in the 1910s-1930s, to the historical rituals and customs brought to the holiday by the Druids and Victorians, to the ethereal atmosphere depicted in American ghost stories and Brothers Grimm fairy tales. As you explore every mysterious nook and cranny of Main Street, you’ll unearth various activities that will bring to “life” the back stories and origins of All Hallow’s Eve. It’s a little bit silly. It’s a little bit macabre. But it’s all fun. Free event.

Fort Zumwalt East High School Grad Night Craft Fair
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Fort Zumwalt East High School, 600 First Executive Avenue, St. Peters, MO
https://www.facebook.com/FortZumwaltEastCraftFair/
Get a jump on your holiday shopping with over 50 vendor and crafters. Awesome gift and craft items include: candles, quilts, jewelry, music boxes, pet items, purses, beauty & bath items, fashions, custom bears, holiday craft items and more. There will also be concession stands, vendor demonstrations, a bake sale, and raffles. This event benefits the Fort Zumwalt East High School Grad Night event for seniors.


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Don’t forget to share with your St. Charles County neighbors!
From all of us at The Boehmer Team, we hope you have a wonderful fall. If you have a St. Charles County event you would like to add, please email details to Kelly@TheBoehmerTeam.com. If moving is on your mind, please contact The Boehmer Team.