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October is the month of food. With harvest in full swing, I know I’ve been enjoying the seasonal coffee and desserts popping up all over Rapid City. These autumn filled treats aren’t the only reason I’ve dubbed October food month, national days including Taco day (Oct 4), Dessert Day (Oct 14) and of course National Food day (Oct 24) make it easy to celebrate my love of eating and there’s one more foodie holiday I can’t wait for. Slip on your Ugg boots and hold on to your hats PSL lovers, National Pumpkin Day is Oct. 26! Here’s how to celebrate Rapid City style! 

Pumpkins And Mermaids Don’t Go Together. Go Local For The Best Pumpkin Treats

We all know whose Pumpkin Spice Latte is the most popular but is it the best? Rapid City’s local coffee shops have some of the most unique and delicious pumpkin offerings this time of year. Pure Bean has an abundance of fall seasonal drinks, including an Autumn Spice Latte to warm your soul. Not only is Pure Bean’s coffee delicious their mission goes further than making you a smooth roast. All of their beans are ethically sourced and they give a percentage back to the villages they work with. If that’s not coffee with a cause, I don’t know what is.

Another delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte can be found at Alternative Fuel Coffee House. Like other local coffee houses, they also feature homemade desserts and quiche to die for! They are located right by Main Street Square where you can be front and center for all the action Downtown Rapid City has to offer with coffee in hand.

Take A Note From Charlie Brown, Hang Out In A Pumpkin Patch

We all loved watching Linus and Sally wait in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night in hopes of seeing the Great Pumpkin.  With this in mind, October is a great time to reignite your belief in the Great Pumpkin by visiting the local patches in and around Rapid City. Lil’ Harvester’s Pumpkin Patch is open through October and offers a variety of autumn themed décor and activities for all ages. As a child I loved running through corn mazes and getting hayrides, two activities sure to give you and any little ones you may have memories to last a lifetime. 

Speaking of little ones, Old McDonald's Farm, yes like the song, is holding their fall festivities through Oct. 28. What’s great about Old McDonald's Farm is it gives kiddos a chance for hands-on experiences with animals they might not otherwise have. Pick a pumpkin, ride a pony and pet the goats. 

Local Harvesters Mean Fresh Produce

In my opinion, one of the best ways to get in the spirit of the season is visiting the Black Hills Farmers Market. What makes farmers markets, especially the Rapid City’s, so wonderful is the direct communication it encourages between producers and consumers. It’s a social gathering where you can find organically grown produce, fresh baked goods, artisan craftwork and of course a perfect pie pumpkin. 

Who Needs PSL When There’s Pumpkin Beer

During the summer you will find me sipping summer shandys and fruity beer. Once Fall rolls around I put the shandy aside for pumpkin beer from local breweries. A few of my favorite fall flavored ales include Miner’s Pumpkin Cranberry Farmhouse Ale that takes any basic stereotypes behind pumpkin spice and throws it out the window. This complex beer is brewed with South Dakota pumpkins and always makes my little heart happy.

Lost Cabin will always be a favorite and so will their OAKtoberfest beer. While it’s not a pumpkin beer per say it’s, oaky undertones will transport you to a forest of fall colors with every sip. Also, their tasting room is pet-friendly! After a day of adventuring with your best fur bud, you can take them with you to enjoy treats while you sip an autumn-themed beer.

There you have it lovers of pumpkin four delicious and more than basic ways to celebrate harvest season in Rapid City!