“Halloween is COOL – it’s exciting, strange, and ancient.”
We can’t agree more, Marnie! For those who have seen Halloweentown before, you know why you’re here. For those who haven’t, are you a fan of halloween AND nostalgia? Then read on!
Why Visit?
The autumnal classic Halloweentown was filmed in St. Helens Oregon in 1998. Since then, St. Helens has kept their downtown area nearly identical to how it looks in the movie. The town hall, the little shops (with different names of course), and even the Halloweentown pumpkin siting right in the middle of it all.
They’ve done this to capitalize on tourism and now throw a more-than-a-month-long festival during October called ‘The Spirit of Halloweentown.’ Is it touristy and a bit cheesy? Yes, but it’s fun and you can wear a costume and shop through interesting vendors. Plus, the entertainment they hire has only gotten better and better.
Getting There
Bordering the Colombia River, St. Helens is around a 50 minute drive from Portland. It’s best accessed by car, but there are also bus options. You could also technically bike there if you want to be a REAL Oregonian.
Once you get there, you’ll notice that there are giant parking signs trying to convince you to park in lots far away from the downtown. Once you park, you can board a bus that will take you to the festival. This is one option, but, in my opinion, the better option is just to drive to the left of the downtown area and find street parking. You’ll see many others doing the same.
Things To Do
A Note – You DO NOT have to buy a ticket for entering the Town Square and walking around. Tickets are only for the haunted house and other similar attractions.
Truly, you don’t really even have to do anything to have a good time at the festival. Just walking around and taking in all the sights is enjoyable in itself. But, there are, of course, many things to do at the festival.
Entertainment
There’s a few different forms of entertainment that St. Helens employs, and the options tend to rely entirely on the day you pick. No day is the same, and yet, some have similar patterns.
Thursdays and Fridays will likely only have community events that may or may not be ‘part’ of the festival, meaning, you may or may not need a ticket for it.
However, Saturdays and Sundays have a variety of choices from community events, to stage events, to roaming performers like magicians, to celebrity meet-and-greets, and more. Then, there’s a costume contest and the lighting of the Halloweentown pumpkin in the town square. Additionally, there’s a haunted house, an alien exhibit, and a museum of oddities (all requiring a ticket).
Food
There are a variety of food vendors to choose from, but most will focus on bakery items and sweets. There’s also a coffee shop that’s quite popular, but for a heavier meal, most opt away from the town square and focus on the brewery, tavern, taproom, or pub (are these all variations of the same thing basically? Yep…).
The food in these places are all reviewed well, and most tend to lean into the Halloween spirit and offer themed drinks and fun decor.
Shopping
As mentioned before, there are plenty of vendors in the area to choose from. Their wares range from baked goods, to handmade clothing, to pottery, to carvings, to toys, to Halloween decorations, and more!
In the ‘regular’ St. Helens stores, there are a few antique shops that are surprisingly massive once you go inside, a clothing boutique or two, a tattoo shop, a jeweler, and a shop with home decor and other odds and ends.
Other Activities In The Area
Visit Twilight filming locations
Although you may think that Twilight was filmed in Forks, WA where it was set, you’d mostly be wrong! Twilight filmed all over, but mainly in Oregon and Washington. The Oregon coast was featured, but St. Helens also had a few appearances in the mega-hit franchise.
Bella’s house can be found in St. Helens and it’s now an Airbnb where fans can stay for a full, immersive experience. Additionally, scenes from Port Angeles were actually filmed in St. Helens’ downtown area – something most easily seen in the part where Bella goes prom dress shopping with her friends.
Hike Beaver Falls
This hike is short, under 20 minutes for most, but it can be steep and slippery, so be careful! The hike is, of course, best known for its waterfall and you can get some truly stunning pictures of it from multiple angles.
A Note – Dogs are welcome on the path, but hikers have noticed trash and glass in some parts, so step carefully.
Visit Astoria
This one is a bit farther, about an hour and twenty minutes of a drive from St. Helens, but it’s worth it. If St. Helens is known for being a filming location, Astoria is perhaps even more famous for its movies – The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop.
Astoria is a considerably bigger town than St. Helens and has LOTS to do. The downtown area has some truly interesting and unique shops, as well as some extremely well known restaurants and breweries (Fort George, anyone?). I recommend that you grab a bite and a brew and then walk along the river after a bit of shopping.
Oh, and you have to visit the Goonies house. That’s a must!
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Any questions? Comment below or contact me!