St. Helen’s signa ture event, The Spirit of Halloweentown 2022 is an annual tradition that trans forms our community into all things Hal loween.
In a Chronicle guest column in 2021, St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl described the event
this way:
“It’s when our city transforms into the Spirit of Halloween town and we see a steady stream of visitors coming to discover a little of the magic that makes our city so special,” Scholl wrote. “The important part to me is that we con
tinue to bring people together and offer a chance for people of all ages and back grounds to discover our wonderful com munity.”
The Great Big Halloween Parade, the annual Pumpkin Lighting ceremony, The Chronicle Chil dren’s Parade, the
enthusiasm and cre ativity of merchants’ Halloweentown displays, and all of the events spread fun and excitement throughout the com munity.
We encourage residents and visitors to participate and enjoy this seasonal celebration.
chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
One of the highlights of Halloweentown in St. Helens is the Children’s Parade pre sented by The Chronicle for the past several decades. The St. Helens Grocery Outlet is sponsoring the 2022 parade.
In past years, the fam ily- and dog- friendly event has attracted thousands of children and their families, dressed in the spirit of the season with a variety of Hal loween costumes. Princesses, super heroes, ghouls and
Street during the parade after other community members and visitors line the side walks to watch.
The assembling point opens at 12:30 p.m. at St. Helens Street and 1st Street. The parade begins at 1 p.m. and travels down 1st Street to Cowlitz Street.
The parade ends on Cowlitz Street.
Read more details about the 2022 The Chronicle Children’s Parade in upcom ing editions of The Chronicle and at thechronicleonliine. com.
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle Children and their families stroll along 1st Street in St. Helens during the 2021 Chronicle Children’s Parade. Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle The Chronicle Children’s Parade in 2021 attracted children and their families.Many free activities and ticketed attractions are part The Spirit of Halloweentown 2022 that began Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 30.
There will be no charges for strolling performances, a costume contest Saturdays and Sundays, the Vendor Village, a pirate encampment on the riverfront with cannon firings, and Plaza Square photo op portunities.
With tickets, there will be a haunted house, celebrity meet and greets, a Sand Island ad venture, a train ride with Whis pers in the Woods, a Pumpkin Puzzle Plaza, a Museum of Peculiarities and Oddities, and more.
There are two ticket pack
age options – the One Big
Ticket and General Admission
Ticket – that Spirit of Hallow eentown visitors can choose to purchase depending on the activities they are interested in participating in. Celebrity experiences are offered as unique ticketed events and cannot be purchased as part of a ticket package.
“While a few Spirit of Halloweentown attractions may remain largely the same from a previous year,” St. Helen Communications Of ficer Crystal King said, “our event coordinator often alters aspects of a previous attraction or creates a new experience so that the festival remains fresh from year to year for return ing visitors. As such, ticketed attractions aren’t directly comparable from year to year. However, the prices for attrac tions and celebrity experiences (it may be a different but com parable celebrity or a similar event with new or increased
options) generally remains the same as last year.”
Halloweentown organizers have provided the follow ing schedule, with activities subject to change.
The Big Halloween Parade and the only pumpkin light ing ceremony of the year are scheduled. The parade will follow Columbia Boulevard down to South 1st Street and then South 1st Street to the St. Helens riverfront property. The pumpkin lighting will im mediately follow the parade. Actors and actresses from Disney’s “Halloweentown” will appear.
Halloweentown for 2022.
Oct. 15
Olivia Taylor Dudley from “The Magicians” will make ticketed appearances.
Oct. 22
The Haunted Hot Rods car show will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The King and Queen of Halloween will oversee a children’s and family parade at the Courthouse Plaza at 2 p.m. There will be a Scary Good Book Sale at the St. Helens Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a Garden Club plant sale on the porch starting at 9 a.m.
Oct. 29-30
Ashley Greene from “Twilight” will make ticketed appearances Oct. 29, and Peter Facinelli from “Twilight” will appear Oct. 30.
Visitors may use the St. Helens riverfront property at the end of Plymouth Street for paid parking. Attend ees are asked to respect the community by not parking in residential areas.
Streets closed Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 17 through Oct. 30
• South 1st Street from St. Helens Street to Cowlitz Street.
• Strand Street from Cowlitz Street to Plaza Square.
• Plaza Square.
• Parking lot behind South 1st Street.
There is a paid parking lot on the St. Helens riverfront, with the entrance at the end of Plymouth Street. Park ing costs $15 per vehicle in advance and $20 at the gate.
Tickets can be purchased on the Spirit of Halloweentown website.
Businesses in the Riv erfront district will remain open weekends, but there may be adjustments to hours or services.
The Big Halloween Parade will stage floats on Milton Way, which will be closed from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 from Columbia Boulevard to Port Avenue. Along the parade route, Columbia Bou levard and South 1st Street will be closed from 5 p.m. to about 8 p.m. The parade begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 1.
People who want to attend the parade in a quieter area away from festival visitors are advised to watch it along Co lumbia Boulevard from Lewis and Clark Elementary School to South 1st Street.
For more information, visit spiritofhalloweentown. com/attractions.
The following schedule is subject to change. View the entire schedule with links at spiritofhalloweentown.com.
offers a merriment of activities for the season. Please note that most attractions close between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. unless stated. All tickets, unless you receive notification to the contrary, are available at the Pumpkin Plaza on S First Street. Look for the big banners and sig nage in the middle of the street.
The main plaza with the pumpkins, The Vendors Village and the pirate area are open every weekend. The plaza with the pumpkins is open every day of the week to take photos. The Vendors Village is also open for shopping, dining, face painting, and more on weekends.
The local pirates reside on the riverfront and will entertain and delight each weekend with cannon fire and fun. Fires and seating are avail able on the riverfront on weekends. Look for professional strolling entertainers in the city as well. Witches are famous for dancing and the Spirit of Halloweentown’s King and Queen of Halloween and their court will have you all sweetened up as you enjoy your chosen activi ties. Captain Jack Sparrow and others are present for photo ops as time allows. The St. Helens Witches dance weekends on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Each weekend day at 1:30 p.m. a costume contest is conducted. Anyone may participate in categories of Adult, Family or Child. Cash prizes in each category.
• Sept. 17 Leapin’ Louie and Heather Pearl
• Sept. 18 Curt Carlyle and Rhys Thomas
• Sept. 24 Leapin’ Louie and Circus Wheel
• Sept. 25 Leapin’ Louie, Circus Wheel and Izohnny
• Oct. 1 and 2 Coupe de Foudre and Circus Wheel
• Oct. 8 Coupe de Foudre and Rys Thomas and Izohnny
• Oct. 9 Coupe de Foudre, Circus Luminescence and Rys Thomas
• Oct. 15 Rhys Thomas, Circus Luminescence and Curt Carlyle
• Oct. 16 Rhys Thomas, Leapin’ Louie and Circus Luminescence
• Oct. 22 Rhys Thomas, Curt Carlyle and Circus Luminescence and Izohnny
• Oct. 23 Heather Pearl, Super Nova, Curt Carlyle and Izohnny
• Oct. 29 Leapin’ Louie, Super Nova, Heather Pearl and Izohnny
• Oct. 30 Leapin’ Louie, Super Nova, Rhys Thomas and Izohnny
Columbia County’s trusted local news source Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle This life-size witch appears to be flying on her broomstick just above Plaza Square in the Riverfront District of St. Helens.Candidates will seek your votes for Mayor of Spirit of
Oct. 23
The following schedule is subject to change. View the entire schedule with links at spiritofhalloweentown.com.
Oct. 01
The Halloween Big Parade at 6 p.m.
Brought to you by Heather Epperly Agency of American Family Insurance. Pumpkin lighting following the parade.
Special guests from Halloweentown Sophie, Dylan and Luke
Paid photos and autographs available. Meet the Postman from Halloweentown in the Plaza 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Get an item signed, get a photo and purchase some collectible swag! Teresa Fox a.k.a. Cyclops witch character in movie Halloweentown. Plaza Square from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Una the Mermaid appearance
Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
29
IZohnny
Wauna Credit Union Stage presents IZohnny at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Una the Mermaid appearance Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Presented by The St. Helens Chronicle. It’s kids, costumes, and a whole lot of fun. Assemble at 12:30 p.m. at 1st. and St. Helens Streets. Please bring a bag for candy. Parade begins at 1 p.m. Sponsored by The Chronicle in partnership with the Grocery Outlet Stores in St. Helens, Scappoose and Rainier.
Ashley Greene a.k.a. Alice Cullen from Twilight Paid Photos and autographs available.
Una the Mermaid appearance Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Oct. 02
Special guests from Halloweentown Sophie, Dylan and Luke
Paid photos and autographs available. Meet the Postman from Halloweentown in our Plaza 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Una the Mermaid appearance
Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Oct. 08
Who will be Mayor of Spirit of Halloweentown? Vote your favorite as they vie for your signature.
IZohnny
Wauna Credit Union Stag presents IZohnny at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Una the Mermaid appearance
Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Una the Mermaid appearance
Oct. 09
Oct. 14
Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Shoestring Community Players
7
Goat Barn,
Saulser Rd,
Oct. 15
Oct. 16
Oct. 21
Oct. 22
Oct. 30
Wauna Credit Union Stage presents IZohnny at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Peter Facinelli a.k.a. Doctor Cullen from Twilight Paid Photos and autographs available.
Una the Mermaid appearance Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
IZohnny
Wauna Credit Union Stage presents IZohnny at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Helens.
Una the Mermaid appearance Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Shoestring Community Players presents a original scare...
Take a walk around the stables and enjoy your visit... while you can. 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, The Goat Barn, 58892 Saulser Rd, St. Helens.
Una the Mermaid appearance
Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Scary Good Sale!
St. Helens Public Library Books, CD’s, DVD’s, Audio Sale 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Shrieking Stables
Shoestring Community Players presents a original scare...
Take a walk around the stables and enjoy your visit... while you can. 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, The Goat Barn, 58892 Saulser Rd, St. Helens.
“The Haunted Hot Rods”
Start your engines and join the fun 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
King and Queen of Halloween Children and Family Parade At 2 p.m., Courthouse Plaza.
IZohnny Wauna Credit Union Stage presents IZohnny at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Una the Mermaid appearance
Inside Pumpkin Puzzle Area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
St. Helens Public Library Scary Good Sale Books, CD’s, DVD’s, Audio Sale 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bag of Books Sale 1 p.m. -2 p.m. Garden Club Sale 9 a.m. on Library porch.
Shrieking Stables
Shoestring Community Players presents a original scare... Take a walk around the stables and enjoy your visit... while you can. 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, The Goat Barn, 58892 Saulser Rd, St. Helens.
Columbia County’s trusted local sourceThe Big Halloween Parade, a key feature of this year’s Spirit of Halloween town, begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 1 after a COVID-caused two-year pause.
The parade will start at Columbia Boulevard and Milton Way and head down Columbia to 1st Street and will end at the riverfront.
Heather Epperly, Jenn Buehler, and Betsy Ste phens have organized the 2022 version.
“We have a variety of entrants for the parade, the three said.
The Big Halloween Parade includes Grand Mar shal Carl Lewallen, a stilt walker who will lead the parade. Approximately 50 parade entrants are signed up, including detailed floats, law enforcement vehicles, the Theatre of Horror, and local businesses are also participating.
this year, the crowd will get to experience some truly remarkable entries.”
The 2022 parade spon sors include The Heather Ep perly Agency, Inc. featuring American Family Insurance and Rocket Mortgage, Re/ Max Lea Chitwood, Molly’s Market, Sweet Relief, Paul son’s Printing, Christina’s Chest, John L Scott, Crooked Creek Brewery and Hudson Garbage.
Due to the pandemic, The Big Halloween Parade was canceled for two years. In 2021, organizers conducted the Columbia Boulevard Trick-or-Treat, a partnership with local businesses to al low children and their fami lies a chance to participate in a traditional Halloween event. The trick-or-treat bou levard event will continue this year. It is scheduled for 3 p.m. Oct. 28.
The Big Halloween Parade will stage floats on Milton Way, which will be closed from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 from Columbia Boulevard to Port Avenue. Along the parade route, Co lumbia Boulevard and South 1st Street will be closed from 5 p.m. to about 8 p.m.
Columbia County’s trusted local news source
Stephens stepped up as orga spectators for the parade and second-, and third-place trophies will be handed out for most original, spookiest, and best theme as well as a judges’ choice and a parade
for our community to enjoy some Halloween fun. We are excited to see everyone elevating their entries to a whole new level. We believe
Courtesy photo
A crowd gathered in the Riverfront District during a previous Big Halloween Parade.
Courtesy Photo
The Big Halloween Parade participants dressed for the occasion.
Courtesy Photo One of the creative characters taking part in a previous Big Halloween Parade in St. Helens.
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
A display of everything Halloween is offered at the Plaza Square in the Riverfront District of St. Helens.
Each year, the city of St. Helens, Oregon undergoes a magical transformation, decking out its Riverfront District in all things Hal loween as an homage to two movies that were filmed in the town: Disney’s “Hallow eentown” and the vampirenovel-turned-movie “Twi light.”
Of note this year
• The only visiting Holographic Alien on Earth will be answering pressing questions about visitations, abductions, intentions, and more. This state of the art vi sual and audio effect will be seen for the first time world wide exclusively at Spirit of Halloweentown. In the same building The Museum of Pe culiarities and Oddities filled with whimsy and stories will entertain everyone.
• The new Train will take visitors to and from Whispers in the Woods nature trail, fea turing tree-dwelling elves and friends, plus evening tours
to Nightmare on 4th Street, a tour of decorated houses.
• The new Water Taxi will ferry people to Sand Island in the middle of the Colum bia River for a viewing of Big Foot, a scavenger hunt, games, fireside marshmal lows, stories and more.
• Back this year is the Spooky Shuttle taking visi tors to uptown St. Helens for pizza, candy, a ghost story from a fabled puppeteer and the Scarecrow Walk.
• The Haunted House has been a favorite and now with upgraded features and anima tronic props, it is even more fun and scarier than ever.
• The Dark Market offers Spirit of Halloweentown merchandise.
The most popular event of Spirit of Halloweentown is the lighting of the gi ant pumpkins. Participants start the holiday season by counting down the seconds until two giant pumpkins are lit in the city’s historic town square.
In 2022, the Pumpkin Lighting Ceremony takes place on Saturday, October 1. One pumpkin is a replica of the giant pumpkin featured
in “Halloweentown” and the other is an enormous work of steampunk metal art. The pumpkins, which both stand over six feet tall, are avail able for photo opportunities every day until the end of October. The plaza is home to many other photo opportu nities such as huge crows and an over seven-foot-tall hand carved scarecrow.
General admission tickets to Spirit of Halloweentown, along with special celebrity engagement tickets and a full list of events, are available on the festival’s website at www.spiritofhalloweentown. com.
In 1998, the riverfront city of St. Helens, Oregon served as the filming location of Disney Channel’s televi sion classic “Halloween town.” Each year thereafter, the city has transformed the 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 for anyone who loves Halloween. The Spirit of Halloweentown festival is
regularly listed as a national destination spot for Hal loween celebrations and has been featured on ABC News, MTV, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Country Living, Huffington Post, and many other recognized news outlets.
About the 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 larg est community in Columbia County with a population of about 13,000. Many of the city’s community events are held in the 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 was a major industry in the early 1900s. Because of the industrial operations occur ring 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 per suaded Pacific Mail to locate in the new port town of Port land, establishing the Port of Portland as the dominant port in the region.
The Riverfront District of St. Helens features a Nation ally Registered Historic Dis trict encompassing 10 blocks, which includes residences and civic buildings dating back nearly a century. The town is has also served as the backdrop to many popular films, most notably the Dis ney Channel television film “Halloweentown,” and the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s novel “Twilight.”
Tina Curry is the events coordinator for the City of St. Helens.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office’s (CCSO) third Annual Trunk-or-Treat event is scheduled for Oct. 31 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds at 58892 Saulser Road, St. Helens.
This year’s event will be held on Monday, Oct. 31, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
For the past two years, the Sheriff’s Office has hosted a drive-thru event, first at the Sheriff’s Office in 2020 and then at the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications and Lee Broadbent Training Center on McNulty Way in 2021.
This year the agency wanted to get back to a more
traditional event but needed a location that would have plenty of parking. Malinda Duran, the event coordina tor, approached the Columbia County Fair Board Aug. 8 to express interest in securing the fairgrounds as an event venue.
Trunk-or-Treat is one of several ways for the Sheriff’s Office to connect with the community, particularly the youth, and to build positive relationships. Other events in clude participation in many of the parades offered through out the county, the fair, the Prepare Fair, and hosting a National Night Out event in August.
At the CCSO 2021 Trunkor-Treat event the agency staff and volunteers passed out 286 goody bags to trick-or-
treaters and 42 Beanie Babies to infants.
“We anticipate those numbers to increase this year with the lifting of COVID restrictions,” a release from the CCSO states. “The fairgrounds offers plenty of parking for a more traditional trick-or-treating event, but
also the ability to easily revert back to a drive-through event should the need arise.”
In order to hold the event, the CCSO needs the par ticipation from other county businesses, agencies, organi zations and individuals to host a “trunk” or booth.
“Since this year’s event is
going to be more traditional, it means that any group or indi vidual participating would be able to plan a game or activity in which the children can par ticipate,” the release states.
Examples of activities offered at other Trunk-orTreat events include pumpkin bowling, witches hat ring toss, fishing game, etc. Any activity that can be completed fairly quickly would be great for this event.
“One of the really fun parts of the event is seeing all of the creative decorations and costumes that the differ ent groups and individuals come up with, as well as the costumes worn by the trickor-treaters,” the release states.
“Last year the Sheriff’s Office did a witches, lair complete with a bubbling cauldron.
Other decorations included a cowboy skeleton campfire, spooky dolls, OSU Beavers and Nightmare Before Christ mas. The internet and Pinter est have some great ideas for trunk decorations.”
If you, your business or organization is interested in hosting a trunk or booth at this year’s event, contact Malinda Duran at the Sheriff’s Office. She may be reached by email at malinda.duran@columbia countyor.gov, or by phone at 503-366-4601.
Trunk-or-Treat 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Jason Morris, DPT
Tyson Fernstrom, DPT
Courtesy photo from Tina Curry
The city’s signature fall event Spirit of Halloweentown includes lighting of a large pumpkin.
Courtesy photo from CCSO
A previous CCSO Trunk-or-Treat event conducted as a drive-through project.