Love it or hate it, pumpkin spice season has returned to coffee shops and grocery stores, after Redding-area Starbucks stores launched their pumpkin spice menus this week.
And most customers love it, according to Redding vendors. But not everyone agrees.
Scroll to the bottom of this story to take the Record Searchlight's pumpkin spice poll and tell us what you think of the recurring fall frenzy.
Pumpkin spice season arrives in the North State
The craze, which started when Starbucks launched its pumpkin spice latte ― referred to online as the "PSL" — in 2003, is now woven into 21st century American culture. It's an autumnal ritual for a loyal Starbucks fan base — so much so, it makes national news in early August, when the international cafe chain starts teasing out a month-long PSL campaign.
Starbucks on Lake Boulevard in Redding started selling pumpkin spice goodies on August 22, staff said. In addition to the coffee shop chain's signature latte, it offers pumpkin spice chai/tea, muffins filled with sweet cream cheese and other pastries.
Also new on Starbucks' 2024 autumn menu: Racoon Cake Pops, which are vanilla cake-on-a-stick with a racoon face.
Annual autumn offerings at Starbucks usually kick off a pumpkin spice product frenzy nationwide, including throughout the North State. Grocery and other shops are stocking shelves with pumpkin spice candles, syrup, protein shakes, cookies, lip balm, face wash and, occasionally, actual pumpkin pie.
Other Redding coffee vendors also got on the pumpkin spice wagon this week, including Kaleidoscope Coffee and Dutch Bros.
Vote in the pumpkin spice poll
Love it? Hate it? Take the Redding Record Searchlight's poll. Let's find out how pumpkin spice crazed — or dazed — the North State really is.
About those pumpkin spice bagels...
Trader Joe's rolls out its pumpkin spice product line during the first and second weeks of September, said Bryan Seitz, supervisor at Trader Joe's in Redding.
"It's very, very popular. We have customers who come from Shingletown, Mount Shasta, Weed and as far as the Coast" and load up on pumpkin spice treats, Seitz said.
The company doesn't always wait for store managers to order pumpkin spice goodies, he said. They often automatically ship them to stores.
Coming soon to Trader Joe's in Redding: Gluten-free pumpkin spice bagels, pumpkin spice cream liquor and the store's signature Joe-Joe's cookies in pumpkin spice flavor.
"We (also) always get pumpkin spice cream cheese, which is my personal favorite," said Seitz. "It's a little sweet, but not overly sweet."
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Pumpkin spice rice cakes, pretzels?
Pumpkin spice hair care and skincare products never left the shelves last spring, soothing fans' pumpkin spice longing, baffling others over the plethora of pumpkin spice products.
Pumpkin spice passions run wild on social media, with Facebook groups like the 174,000-member "Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice," the 55,000-member "Everything Fall & Pumpkin Spice" and the 20,000-member "Everything pumpkin Flavored."
With fan frenzy there's often backlash.
Some comes in the form of pumpkin spice anonymous Facebook groups — usually with fewer than 200 members each. These include "Pumpkin Spice & Autumn Just Plain Suck" and the 158-member F.R.A.P.P.E. : "Facebook Residents Against Pumpkin & Pumpkinspice Everything."
The latter group contains posts blasting the existence of products including pumpkin spice cocoa mix, rice cakes and pretzels.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook . Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Pumpkin spice poll: Love it? Hate it? Starbucks launch around Redding sparks fan frenzy
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