Parks: A Spooky Celebration

Oregon’s Spirit of Halloweentown capitalizes on the iconic 1998 movieBy Melissa HartMost of us celebrate Halloween on a single night. But in the small waterfront town of St. Helens, Ore.—27 miles north of Portland—strange and spooky festivities over six autumn weekends attract thousands of visitors. Witches perform spirited broom dances in gorgeous silk and velvet costumes. Shop windows display skeletons and ghouls, cemetery scenes, and creeping tentacles. A haunted house elicits shrieks of delight from children and adults alike. Booths offer trinkets, souvenirs, gyros, burgers, and homemade clam chowder in bread bowls. And a beer garden features local microbrews and live music.