National Pumpkin Day 2017: Why Is Milwaukee So Excited?

MILWAUKEE, WI — Thursday, Oct. 26 is National Pumpkin Day, and marks the unofficial beginning of the harvest season and the informal runup to Halloween.

According to national Lawnstarter, Milwaukee is the country's 11th-most excited U.S. city when it comes to National Pumpkin Day. The national lawn care company studied Google Trends search data to learn which cities were most aggressively Google searching National Pumpkin Day. According to Lawnstarter, Cleveland ranked as the city most excited about National Pumpkin Day.

The Austin, Texas-based landscaping company also services Milwaukee by connecting customers with local landscaping businesses via a smartphone application.

Were Milwaukee residents searching for National Pumpkin Day deals? Or were residents of the Brew City Google Searching for area pumpkin patches or pumpkin recipes?

Maybe it has to do with doughnuts.

Due to popular demand, national doughnut chain Krispy Kreme said it's bringing back its signature pumpkin spice-flavored glazed doughnuts for just one more day - National Pumpkin Day. According to Thrillist, "The donuts aren't particularly crazy, but it's the fact that Krispy Kreme has altered its iconic original glazed recipe for the occasion -- something it rarely does -- that makes them noteworthy."

If you're not into doughnuts - and prefer something more substantial (or healthier), popular recipe website Once A Month Meals has rolled out a full breakfast, lunch and dinner recipe list featuring pumpkin dishes — all in honor of National Pumpkin Day.

Here's a sample of what they're serving up - just for breakfast!

• GF/DF Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Healthy Pumpkin Cranberry Scones
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins
• Pumpkin Spiced Mini Muffins
• GF/DF Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• GF/DF Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Pecan Smoothie
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Pancake Squares
• Paleo Pumpkin Cranberry Breakfast Cookies
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
• Hearty Pumpkin Apple Muffins
• Pumpkin Biscuits
• Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Bars
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Nutella Muffin
• Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Maybe it's the Beer

Pumpkin beers abound this time of year, and what could be better for a beer lover than a barrel-aged, spicy pumpkin beer. According to Paste Magazine, Stillwater's Lift Bridge Imperial Pumpkin Porter is the top pumpkin beer out there. Wisconsin's Lakefront Brewery took some accolades as well, with the 10th-best pumpkin beer - a barrel-aged pumpkin ale.

Here's what they had to say about Wisconsin's top pumpkin beer:

"Lakefront’s flagship pumpkin beer of the fall season is a fairly reliable pumpkin lager, but this amped-up ale is where the real action can be found. The brandy barrel is a nice nod to Wisconsin itself, a land where “old fashioned” cocktails imply brandy bases rather than whiskey, thanks to the native Germans. And boy, how the booze shows up in this one—yowza."

Not So Fast

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte may be a much-anticipated fall beverage, however according to a Journal Sentinel report, sales of the iconic fall beverage are leveling off. Over a 52-week period ending July 29, sales rose 6 percent when compared with last year, but that was down from a 20 percent jump between 2012 and 2013, according to Nielsen.

Starbucks is adding a new fall flavor into the fray: maple. On Friday — just a day after National Pumpkin Day — the coffee giant is rolling out a Maple Pecan Latte.

Image By Scott Anderson/Patch.com