Pumpkin Spice Season Is Back. We’re Not Ready.

Published OnAugust 22, 2025

Photo by Ty Mecham

If you’re like me, August is for tomatoes, corn, ice cream, and heat waves. This past weekend, I did a lot of walking outside, and it felt like hot yoga or a sauna session. A shishito margarita at happy hour helped.

And yet, despite the summer scorch, fall is creeping in. Halloween candy is already lurking in Walgreens corners (possibly since July), Michaels is brimming with wreaths, and Costco has bags of candy and outlandish decor ready for October.

And yes—drumroll, please—as of August 26th, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is back. Later than last year, which seems like progress, but still, fall feels early.

Soon, our social media feeds, TV commercials, and store shelves will explode with autumn everything. And I have to admit: I’m not a fan. My mom—a true PSL devotee—always said, “Not until after Labor Day.” I’m with her. I’m not sipping a spiced orange drink in the middle of a 90-degree heatwave, and frankly, it shouldn’t be an option.

Sure, it’s all marketing—Starbucks and Dunkin’ are just catering to autumn obsessives. But really, who’s craving pumpkin spice in August? Apparently, quite a few people… maybe even some I know.

One friend, who already stocked up on fall decor at HomeGoods last week, shrugged when I asked why.

“If I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t get it.”

Apparently these goods sell out very fast so if you want the best of the season, you have to act now. Fair enough. I realize that I might just be a seasonal purist: for me, fall doesn’t truly arrive until the end of September—or even later October if you’re a Midwest native like me, when long sleeves are actually necessary.

As my other friend put it:

“This is too early. It’s literally summer.”

So, if you’re curious about what pumpkin spice goodies are already out, here’s a roundup: