Don't lose another night of sleep: Halloweentown is all set for 2024

What many feared has not materialized — There will be Spirit of Halloweentown this year in St. Helens.

Columbia County social media has been buzzing over the summer with fears that the popular event, which has gained international attention, would be scrubbed as the city of St. Helens transitioned from event organizer Tina Curry to Treadway Events & Entertainment.

The event is very much a go, according to Treadway, and will start Sept. 28 and run through Oct. 31, with lots of Halloween attractions, live performers, special guests and more.

Events run Saturdays and Sundays through October. On Saturdays, hours are noon to 8 p.m. Sunday hours are noon to 6 p.m. On Halloween itself, hours are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. with limited activities.

Spirit of Halloweentown brings back special memories of “Halloweentown,” a Disney Channel favorite that was filmed at venues in St. Helens, including the county courthouse.

Among the features at this year’s event will be Great Pumpkin Lightings, which takes place each weekend night, with special guests. Spooky attractions include the Nightmare on Fourth Street and the Haunted House.

You’ll have a chance to see celebrities from Halloween classics during select weekends as well as costume contests and games for the kids.

Among the roaming entertainers will be Leapin’ Louie, featuring world class lasso and whip tricks, juggling, high unicycle and other stunts.

The performance duo of Isaiah Esquire and Johnny Nuriel will entertain visitors, and Jugglemania will be on hand and has entertained at a wide variety of venues including NBA halftime performances.

Circus Luminescence will be performing groundbreaking fire shows, while Teatro Pachuco “combines the elements of silent film and European clown and distills it with the passion of the Mexican-American culture.”

Among the celebrities will be Phillip Van Dyke, who will be at Halloweentown Oct. 12 and Oct. 13. Van Dyke is best known for his role as goblin Luke in the first two installments of Disney’s "Halloweentown."

Also on those days will be J. Paul Zimmerman, who played Dylan in "Halloweentown."

According to Treadway, the festival is free to walk around, but tickets are required for select activities like the haunted house and celebrity photo-ops. Adult passes are $40 online and $45 at the door, while kids’ passes (12 and under) are $20 online and $25 at the door.

For the haunted house, tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online in advance at the event’s website: www.spiritofhalloweentown.com .

According to Brandon Treadway, president of Treadway Events & Entertainment, “Spirit of Halloweentown has grown into a beloved tradition, not just for the St. Helens community, but for Halloween and movie fans from all over the country. We’re excited to be a part of this magical event and look forward to welcoming everyone back for another unforgettable celebration.”

Spirit of Halloweentown had its start in 1998 and has grown into a gigantic Halloween festival bringing in tourists from throughout the world.

Full event schedules can also be found on the event’s website.