With the Holiday season approaching and the weather getting colder, it’s a great time to try out a new autumn drink or go pumpkin-picking to get you into the fall spirit. Our very own Santa Clarita offers a variety of places for people of all ages, from family-owned farms to local businesses. 

The Paw Print visited a few popular places to check out. Here are four exciting places to visit this season: 

Honu Coffee

Opened in 2014, Honu Coffee is a local family-owned true coffee place welcoming everyone with its warmth and coziness. Located in Old Town Newhall, Honu Coffee welcomes customers with their freshly ground coffee and warm pastries. 

Aside from the commonly offered coffees, Honu Coffee features signature drinks, such as “ono chai” with exotic spices, “nutty hawaiian” with macadamia nuts and coconuts, “tsunami” with coconuts and white mocha, and “surfin honu” with coconut, peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream, and a cold brew shake. The coffee spot also offers açaí bowls and countless different kinds of pastries. 

“Their items are always crafted so well. The fall pastries and lattes are amazing and have a good balance of flavors,” sophomore Julia Bautista described, a regular patron of the coffee place. “In my opinion, they definitely beat Starbucks and I’m obsessed with their pumpkin drinks.”

Honu Coffee offers online orders for takeout and dine-in. Their menu and online ordering can be found on their website.  

Dangling Carrot Confections 

Located in Soledad, Dangling Carrot Confections is a bakery hotspot for delicious treats and desserts. The bakery has released limited edition foods such as pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and pumpkin cakes to celebrate the fall season. 

Drinks include iced lattes, in flavors such as white mocha, caramel, and even marshmallow, all perfect flavors to get into the autumn spirit. The bakery also offers both vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free options, as well as custom or out-of-season flavor requests. 

Starting this month, homemade pumpkin, banana cream and apple pie can be preordered. Custom cakes and macarons are also available upon request or during special occasions. 

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble, as many know it, is a bookstore. But our Barnes & Noble Valencia, located on Creekside Place, offers a Starbucks cafe with food, beverages, and seats for customers. 

“I go to Barnes & Noble frequently and I enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of browsing their books,” Olivia Hines, a West Ranch sophomore described, “I really enjoy finding new books to read, plus buying a drink from the cafe.” 

The menu includes espresso beverages and teas, frappuccino blended beverages, seasonal favorites, bakery goods and the cafe specialties. The seasonal favorites include Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte and the Pumpkin Spice Latte. 

Open from 10AM-9PM everyday, Barnes & Noble Valencia stands out as one of the best places to chill, study, and discover new books. 

Prancer’s Farm

Annually, Prancer’s Farm prepares for the month of October as their customers and employees get pumped for the spooky season. Although not technically in Santa Clarita, the 35-acre farm is just off of highway 126 in Santa Paula. 

The family-owned farm’s forte is, not-surprisingly, pumpkins. However, the farm also offers other activities such as berry and vegetable picking, a wagon ride, and even a petting zoo. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with fun attractions, hay bales and ten acres of space designated for pre-picked-pumpkin-picking. 

“We are nestled in the Heritage Valley where there are beautiful mountains located on each side of us. We are outside the city limits and all it takes is a drive to the farm to give you the feeling that you have driven hours off of the way to visit,” Ray Robledo,a representative from the farm’s official Instagram described. 

Additionally, Prancer’s Farm is a home for rescued farm animals with fully-stocked produce stands and family fun for all ages, year-round. For fall, the farm decorates areas such as their petting zoo with pumpkins and hay. 

“Farming requires a lot of planning and in order for us to be prepared for October, we must begin to plant our pumpkins in July. We plant over ten acres of pumpkins where you can pick your pumpkin right off the vine, an experience that no one else in the area offers,” Robledo mentioned. 

Prancer’s Farm requires guests to buy their tickets online the day of, in order to account for the number of people coming to the patch. The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. 

“It’s a lot of work to bring it all together but when all is said and done, it’s very rewarding and we enjoy watching all the memories and smiles being made,” Robledo concluded. 

The mentioned cafes, book store and pumpkin patch are just a handful of the many places to check out in our area. Santa Clarita offers so many options to choose from—perhaps you’ll even find a new place to explore.