Haunted by Fame: ‘The Spirit of Halloweentown’ Lives On in St. Helens, OR - Interview @FanboyNation

Haunted by Fame: ‘The Spirit of Halloweentown’ Lives On in St. Helens, OR - Interview @FanboyNation

Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

What kind of people live in a town that revolves around Halloween? In Oregon, the charming riverside community of St. Helens gained fame in the late 1990s as the filming location for the Disney Channel’s spooky, family-friendly hit Halloweentown. The film’s unexpected success and its evolution into a millennial cult classic, sparked a local tradition: each October, the town transforms itself into a real-life celebration of the movie, inviting fans to join in the fun.

I first met filmmakers Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb more than a baker’s dozen years ago when they released their documentary GLOW, a lively and heartfelt look at the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Now, we reconnect for their latest project, The Spirit of Halloweentown, which turns their lens on St. Helens and the community that’s built a lasting identity around its cinematic past.

With the same keen eye and empathy that defined their previous work (Jasper Mall, Butterfly in the Sky), Thomason and Whitcomb capture a colorful array of locals—devoted fans, passionate organizers, and neighbors with differing visions of what “Halloweentown” should mean. The result is a charming, insightful portrait of small-town life, fandom, and the enduring magic of a movie that refuses to fade from memory.

'The Spirit of Halloweentown' is available now on VOD.

#halloweentown #spiritofhalloweentown #documentary #interview #fanboynation #glow

Haunted by Fame: ‘The Spirit of Halloweentown’ Lives On in St. Helens, OR - Interview

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Haunted by Fame: ‘The Spirit of Halloweentown’ Lives On in St. Helens, OR - Interview