Your weekly guide to the events and happenings in and around Boyertown, PA

What to do? Where to go? Here is your one stop list of community events, music, arts, food, business specials, and historic events for Boyertown and beyond…

As a Boyertown graduate, a real estate agent at Glocker Realty, and also a proud member of Building a Better Boyertown, I have had the joy of watching our little town grow. I enjoy having any part in helping our community to move forward. I hope this weekly blog will help shine a light on all the great things happening in and around Boyertown, PA

Here is what’s going down during the week of 9/9/2021 – 9/15/2021

FOR THE LOVE OF PUMPKIN SPICE!

Sadly, the summer will soon be coming to a close, the kids are back in school, the nights will be getting cooler, but all that means one thing…It’s pumpkin spice season! When August nears its end there is nothing more anticipated than the return of pumpkin spice. Maybe it’s the first sip of your pumpkin spice latte, or bringing out the scented candles, or enjoying a pumpkin beer; whatever your pleasure, there is something irresistible about that magical blend of spices. This pumpkin spice thing is much more than just a fad. There are scientific reasons for the positive or even comforting reaction to the thought, smell, taste of pumpkin spice. The answer has to do with how our brains respond to nostalgia, marketing and the sweet taste that often comes along with the spice.

Pumpkin spice is usually a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, with allspice, cardamom and lemon peel occasionally added. These are the same spices we find in pumpkin pie. Since many families eat pumpkin pie and other similarly spiced treats in the fall, it’s understandable that we associate these smells with the fall holidays. For instance, the sweet smell of pumpkin spice might remind us of times we helped grandma bake pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

Smell is the only one of our senses that is transmitted directly to the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. Whenever we come across certain smells, the amygdala can quickly remind us of a specific time, place, feeling or gut instinct, before we even realize it. So, the familiarity of pumpkin spice flavors can bring back warm memories of home baking, family time, parties and feasts, as well as other positive links with fall. When you smell the pumpkin spice aroma, the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that can recall past associations, tells the reward part of your brain “this (pumpkin spice treat) is going to be great,” just like it was last time.

Another big factor in our love for pumpkin spice is how it’s marketed. Companies start advertising pumpkin spice treats in early fall, as pumpkins start to ripen on their vines. Then they emphasize that pumpkins and pumpkin spice are available for only a limited time. That triggers the reactance theory, which in turn makes us want to get that particular treat while we can.

There is also the sweet tooth factor. Because pumpkin spice-flavored food is typically on the sweet side, several areas of the brain become more active as these seasonal treats are consumed. Your brain says, “Yay, sugar!”. Not only is it a general activation in the brain, but it’s going to light up the reward centers of your brain, like our dopaminergic pathways. This then creates the association that sugar is good and makes us want to consume more.

All these emotional and physical reactions that occur in our body when we think, smell, or taste the irresistible essence of pumpkin spice, is more than just a fad, you might say that it’s the spice of life.

Do you think that companies have gone overboard with pumpkin spice? Take a look at these more non-traditional items and decide for yourself…

PUMPKIN SPICE JELL-O
PUMPKIN PIE SPICE BUTTER
PUMPKIN SPICE CANDY CORN
PUMPKIN SPICE HUMMUS
KFC PUMPKIN AND FETA TWISTER
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE BURGER
TWINKIES PUMPKIN SPICE
PEEP’S PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
PUMPKIN SPICE TOOTHPASTE
PUMPKIN SPICE SOAP ON A ROPE
PUMPKIN SPICE BEARD OIL
PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE DEODORANT
ESPREE PUMPKIN SPICE DOG SHAMPOO
PUMPKIN SPICE CAR DETAIL SPRAY
PUMPKIN SPICE BODY SPRAY

LEARN ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY on The Cast at Glocker! Livestreaming at Glocker Realty & Insurance on Facebook or YouTube every Wednesday at 6pm. Hosts Matt Green & Jeff Frederick talk with people and businesses from the Boyertown and surrounding communities and also discuss local events. Join us live and be part of the conversation!

We Joined Michelle and Kelly at their business, AR Workshop, in Gilbertsville, PA. They talked to us about the unique and creative group experiences they offer and how their community has been an integral part of their success. We also talked everything pumpkin spice! Watch the interview below: