Spirit of Halloweentown Celebrates 25th Filming Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 21, 2023

The annual Spirit of Halloweentown festival transforms a small Oregon town into a spooky, family-friendly Halloween destination for seven weekends in September and October.

St. Helens, Ore. – Since 1998, the city of St. Helens, Oregon undergoes a magical transformation each fall, decking out its historical Riverfront District in all things Halloween. The city pays homage to two movies that were filmed in the town: Disney’s “Halloweentown” and the vampire-novel-turned-movie “Twilight.”

Each Spirit of Halloweentown weekend offers a unique Halloween-inspired theme with attractions and celebrity appearances to delight the entire family. The 2023 event takes place each weekend from September 16 – October 31, 2023.

This year is the 25^th anniversary of the filming and release of the Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown.” The majority of the movie was filmed in the St. Helens Riverfront District, and Spirit of Halloweentown is celebrating this milestone anniversary with special events happening on October 21-22, 2023.

The Spirit of Halloweentown 2023 themed schedule includes:

September 16-17: Twilight Weekend with special guest appearances.  

September 23-24: Hocus Pocus Weekend with special guest appearances.

September 30: Spirit of Halloweentown Mayor Election and Pumpkin Lighting Ceremony. Help vote for your favorite representative to rule the 2023 festival then join the mayor elect at our one-of-a-kind Pumpkin Lighting Ceremony.

October 7: The Big Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Lighting Ceremony. Watch the annual Big Halloween Parade presented by Heather Epperly Agency of American Family Insurance, then attend our most popular event: the annual lighting of our giant Halloween pumpkins (yes, we will be lighting the pumpkins two weekends in a row this year!).

October 14: The Haunted Hot Rods. Start your engines and race to Spirit of Halloweentown to see our streets lined with spookily-decorated hearses, trucks, classic cars, and other unique vehicles!

October 21-22: 25^th Anniversary Celebration of the “Halloweentown” Movie. Snag tickets for a celebration of “Halloweentown” in the same location where the movie was filmed!

October 28-29: Witchy Weekend with Beer Fest and Little Trick or Treaters Parade. Witches will be everywhere this weekend, including a few famous names you probably know. We will even have paddling witches floating down the Columbia River! The weekend will also include a Beer Fest, The Ghouls Gambol Rally, and The Little Trick or Treaters Parade presented by The Chronicle.

Spirit of Halloweentown also features regular attractions that are available every weekend. Be sure to enjoy our free Halloween-themed photo opportunities in the Plaza Square. Come in costume to get your Instagram-perfect fall photo, then participate in our costume contest held every Saturday and Sunday to win cash prizes. Stop by our Vendor Village for shopping, dining, and face painting. Visit the pirate crew of the Outrageous Fortune on our waterfront for cannon and pistol demonstrations, storytimes for little ones, and other shenanigans. We also have roaming street entertainers and free street performances every weekend, a haunted house, and multiple performances every Saturday and Sunday by our famous Caldron Sisters who delight crowds with their witchy dances.

Take a boat ride adventure on the Columbia River and hunt for Bigfoot on Sand Island, jump aboard our train ride to see our enchanted mermaids sculpture, and visit with our resident live mermaid Una who is now accompanied by magical unicorn guests! Will you dare to believe after attending our Alien Interview event, the only visiting alien that appears to chat with you in a holodeck? Learn the haunted histories and magical tales behind our display pieces in the Museum of Peculiarities and Oddities. Be the first to explore our new attraction this year: The Great Big Halloween Exhibit. Inside our big tent you will stroll through Halloween past and present. Enjoy seeing the displays of traditional decorations paired with big symbols of the holiday, showcasing the styles and traditions that have made Halloween one of the most celebrated holidays in the modern world.

Discover all our Spirit of Halloweentown attractions, purchase general admission tickets, and see our full list of celebrity engagement events at www.spiritofhalloweentown.com. Due to waterfront construction, parking for the 2023 season is located at 1810 Old Portland Road where a shuttle will take you to our event. Event dates and times are subject to change. Be sure to check our website at www.spiritofhallowentown.com before visiting for the most up-to-date information. 

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For media inquiries regarding the Spirit of Halloweentown festival, please contact City of St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King at cking@sthelensoregon.gov.

About Spirit of Halloweentown

In 1998, the city of St. Helens, Oregon served as the filming location of Disney Channel’s Halloween television classic “Halloweentown.” Each year since, the city has transformed their Riverfront District into the Spirit of Halloweentown, a festival that celebrates all things spooky. This month-long event attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year and is geared toward anyone who loves Halloween. The Spirit of Halloweentown festival is regularly listed as a national destination spot for Halloween celebrations and has been featured on ABC News, MTV, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Country Living, Huffington Post, and many other recognized news outlets. Over the last several years, the festival has also hosted events in recognition of the city being a filming location for the first “Twilight” movie.

About the St. Helens Community

St. Helens is a Columbia River community rich with history and culture. On their expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1805, Lewis and Clark made a stop in what is now St. Helens. In 1850, Captain H.M. Knighton of New England founded the town, which was first named Plymouth before being rechristened within a year to St. Helens for the town’s magnificent view of Mount St. Helens. Originally established as a river port, St. Helens is located 30 miles northwest of Portland. As the county seat, it is the largest community in Columbia County with a population of almost 15,000. Many of the city’s community events are held in the historical Riverfront District where visitors and residents enjoy an expansive view of the Columbia River, Mount Hood, and Mount St. Helens.

Originally settled by New England loggers, St. Helens’ basalt rock quarry, timber, and shipbuilding were major industries in the early 1900s, earning the town the nickname of “Paycheck City.” Because of the industrial operations occurring in St. Helens and its location on the Columbia River, it rivaled Portland as a competing port city. After an unfortunate fire burned the docks of Pacific Mail, a team of Portland businessmen persuaded Pacific Mail to locate in the new port town of Portland, establishing the port of Portland as the dominant port in the region.

The Riverfront District of St. Helens features a Nationally Registered Historic District encompassing 10 blocks, which includes residences and civic buildings dating back nearly a century. The town has also served as the backdrop to several popular films, most notably the Disney Channel television film “Halloweentown,” and the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's novel “Twilight.”

The City of St. Helens is currently overseeing a Waterfront Redevelopment Project. The project aims to reclaim almost 280 acres of formerly industrial riverfront property to serve the community in new ways. Phase One of the Streets and Utilities Extension Project is currently under construction with Riverwalk Project Phase One groundbreaking anticipated to occur in late 2023. Learn more about the St. Helens Waterfront Redevelopment Project at www.sthelensoregon.gov/waterfront.