The Spirit of Halloweentown
The historic town of St. Helens, 45 minutes from Portland, celebrates Halloween all October long with haunted tours, costume contests and more.
John Patrick Pullen
It’s no Legend of Sleepy Hollow or Night of the Living Dead, but one time back in the 1990s, the lovely Oregon town of St. Helens was overrun by something worse than zombies or vampires — a Hollywood movie crew! The peaceful waterfront city just 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Portland has never been the same since.
Halloweentown wasn’t St. Helens’ only brush with Hollywood: Parts of a little film called Twilight were also shot here in 2008.
Each year, St. Helens, the filming site of the otherwise forgettable Halloweentown, remembers its brush with the dollar DVD bin with The Spirit of Halloweentown, a fun, family-friendly celebration of the spookiest holiday around. Complete with costume contests, trick-or-treating through St. Helens’ Old Town District, haunted town tours and scarecrows galore, the celebration of the creepiest day of the year extends into every weekend in October, starting with the lighting of the Great Pumpkin in the city plaza.
During The Spirit of Halloweentown, local merchants are dying to get you in the spirit, with costume shops stocking everything from frisky vampire getups to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shells. And with an array of events from ghost talks, tarot card readings and face painting increasing up to the big day, you’ll want to be dressed and ready for action. So be sure not to miss it, or you’ll be haunted with regret — at least until next year.