Between pumpkin carving, carnival rides, and live music, the Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest exceeded every expectation. Fueled by pumpkin spice lattes and fall spirit, it was one of those perfect autumn days that left us excited for more. Maybe next year, we’ll even carve more pumpkins and help break that world record!

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.