PSA: Halloweentown Is a Real Place and You Can Visit It This Fall
Halloweentown isn’t just a movie, it’s a lifestyle. And, at least during the fall, it’s a real place, too!
Ever since the film first aired in 1998, Disney’s cult-classic TV movie has had a dedicated following. And it turns out that the town where it was filmed has been turning into a real-life version of Halloweentown for just as long!
Each October, St. Helens, OR transforms its riverfront district into Spirit of Halloweentown, “a celebration of all things spooky,” according to the festival’s description. For the entire month, the town is taken over by ghouls, goblins, and, of course, witches—and although not every day can be Halloween, this is about as close to that feeling as you can get.
Spirit of Halloweentown visitors are greeted by the massive jack-o’-lantern made famous in the original movie, which will remain lit from October 2 through October 31—and the callbacks don’t stop there. Halloweentown cast members regularly make appearances; this year, the actors who play Dylan (Marnie’s younger brother) and Luke (Marnie’s goblin friend) will be in attendance. Plenty of spooky merch—including Marnie’s witchy pendant—is available, too!
Oh, and did we mention that Twilight was also partially shot in St. Helens? Although the festival focuses mainly on the Disney movie, vampire fans are in luck—a walking tour of town highlights locations from both films, and Ashley Greene, who plays Alice Cullen, will be visiting Spirit of Halloweentown for one night this October.
And while everyone’s favorite taxi-driving skeleton, Benny, might not be able to drive you around town, there are still plenty of other attractions to visit, including a haunted house, a walk among carved pumpkins (and sasquatches) on a nearby island, a museum of oddities, an alien exhibit, a costume contest, an official gift shop, and dozens of photo ops. (Check out the full 2021 schedule here.)
Halloweentown (well, St. Helens) visitors are required to wear masks, and social distancing and frequent hand-washing are encouraged. Advance tickets aren’t required to visit, but they’re the only way to guarantee entry in case things get crowded—so be sure to book them in advance. But on the bright side, at least you don’t need a magic bus to get there!
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