While parts of Greater Victoria are still sweating through a hot late August, the air is already cooling in coffee shops and shopping malls – proof that summer is on borrowed time.
Saanich’s Tillicum Centre is getting a spooky makeover as Spirit Halloween – North America’s largest purveyor of cobwebs, costumes and cauldrons – prepares to creak open its doors before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, downtown Victoria saw fall fanatics flock to Starbucks on Tuesday (Aug. 26), celebrating the return of the pumpkin spice latte, or PSL to those in the know.
Not to be outdone, Tim Hortons declared autumn even earlier, rolling out its pumpkin lineup on Aug. 18, while many Victorians were still trying to finish their iced caps.
“It's totally wrong,” said Fernwood resident Barb Broster, outside Spirit Halloween’s new home at 3170 Tillicum Rd., next to Save-On-Foods.
For Broster, Halloween should arrive in stores no earlier than Oct. 1.
As for pumpkin spice, she’s willing to make a seasonal exception.
“I don't drink any of that stuff, but maybe people like it all the time,” she says. “So you can have pumpkin spice, but don't advertise it as the fall.”
Broster may be in the minority.
On launch day, Starbucks’ Fort Street café was crawling with caffeine-seekers eager for their autumnal fix, with hundreds of pumpkin-flavoured drinks served.
“This store is pretty busy in the mornings, but today's rush was pretty big and most of it was for anything related to pumpkin,” said supervisor Nico Schuab.
First brewed in 2003, the PSL has since grown into a global cultural phenomenon with a cult following. Schuab says customers had been peppering staff with questions about its return for weeks.
“People have been waiting for this moment for a while,” he says.
And PSL fans had double reason to celebrate, says Schuab, with pop superstar Taylor Swift’s engagement to football player Travis Kelce making headlines the same day.
The timing struck some as a fun coincidence, especially given Swift’s long-standing Starbucks connection.
The coffee giant previously collaborated with the singing sensation to promote the launch of Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021. While Swift’s go-to order is reportedly a grande caramel non-fat latte – but she has also been known to indulge in the PSL phenomenon.
“The coincidence is for sure unexpected, but for some reason people are linking both together, especially because I think Taylor Swift is such a big fan of Starbucks,” said Schuab.
Whether you’re a PSL devotee, a pumpkin-pie picker or someone who prefers their gourds unspiced and carved on the doorstep, one thing’s clear: fall is creeping up on Greater Victoria, whether we’re ready or not.
“It’s never too soon for pumpkin,” insisted one Starbucks customer, clutching a pumpkin cream cheese muffin like a prized trick-or-treat haul.
And if the ghosts, gourds and ghouls feel a little early? Don’t worry, Christmas will be jingling in before you can say “boo.”
“Christmas is the worst,” says Broster with a groan. “Especially when they start doing that in October or November.”
