Pumpkin Fest

This past weekend Highwood celebrated its tenth annual Pumpkin Festival. It’s the biggest celebration of the year in Highwood—which says a lot for a town that has festivals for everything from garlic to country music to a bloody mary. The whole town transforms into a Pumpkin-lined wonderland with scaffolding two stories tall holding pumpkins carved in every imaginable variety. Our cafe sits right outside the boundaries of Pumpkin Fest, so it was a haven to locals trying to escape the crowds and visitors needing a place to warm up.

The Pumpkin Festival raises money for the Make a Wish Foundation, and attracts vendors and guests from all over the area. It was an honor to participate this year alongside so many other great people and organizations. Right across the tracks from our cafe, inside the festival, we had the privilege of having an espresso pop-up. We brought out a slightly limited menu, serving our secret recipe hot chocolate, coffee, cappuccinos and, of course, our pumpkin spice latte—to name a few.

We love opportunities like this to get out into the community, especially when everyone is desperate for a warm cup for their freezing hands. I can’t decide what was better: seeing so many familiar faces of people who know and love Tala already or introducing new people to our coffee and our community.

Here’s to many more years of Pumpkin Fest!