If you grew up in the late nineties or early two-thousands, you may already be humming the theme. Halloweentown, the 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie about a girl who discovers she comes from a family of witches, is one of those films that a whole generation watches every October, and the best part is that a piece of it is real. The movie was filmed partly in St. Helens, Oregon, a riverfront town about 30 miles northwest of Portland, and every fall the town turns itself into Halloweentown.
That is a short drive from Tigard, and we are a flower shop that loves an excuse for a themed bouquet, so here is a guide to the movie, the celebration, and the flowers.
A note: we have no business relationship with the movie’s makers, with Disney, or with the celebration’s organizers. The event details below come from the celebration’s official ticketing and calendar pages and from regional news coverage, and they can change. Please check the official site, spiritofhalloweentown.co, before you go.
🎬 The Movie, Without Spoilers
In Halloweentown, a girl named Marnie Piper and her younger brother and sister discover on Halloween night that her family are witches, and that there is a hidden town where witches, warlocks, and other creatures live. Marnie was played by Kimberly J. Brown, with J. Paul Zimmerman and Emily Roeske as her siblings Dylan and Sophie, and the late Debbie Reynolds as her grandmother, Aggie. It is part adventure, part family comedy, and very much a product of its era.
It was popular enough to get three sequels: Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001), Halloweentown High (2004), and Return to Halloweentown (2006). The first is the one that was partly shot in St. Helens.
🎃 Spirit of Halloweentown, 2026
St. Helens has celebrated its movie connection for years with Spirit of Halloweentown, a family-friendly, small-town Halloween festival centered on the plaza and the riverfront. Here is what we found for this year:
- When: Weekends from September 26 through November 1. The remaining weekends are October 17–18, October 24–25, and October 31–November 1.
- Hours: Official event hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Where: Centered at 275 Strand Street in St. Helens.
- Cost: Walking through town, the plaza, the street vendors, and the food area is free. A paid pass covers the main attractions. The official site says tickets cost less online than at the box office, and that children five and under are admitted free. We are not listing prices, because they can change. Check the ticketing page.
- What a pass includes: According to the official ticketing page, a kid-friendly haunted house (no live monsters), the Masonic Building’s signature attractions, the Boo Bash Pavilion, the Harvest Games Zone, the filming-location tour, and a free digital photo with the giant pumpkin. The organizers note that a pass does not guarantee entry to every attraction on a busy day.
- Also on the calendar: A pumpkin lighting in the evening, a pumpkin photo op, pirate storytimes and cannon demonstrations, the St. Helens Dancing Witches, stage performances, roaming entertainers, a costume contest, and a free Twilight walking tour on select days. Activities change from weekend to weekend.
- Cast appearances: Regional news coverage reports that J. Paul Zimmerman, Emily Roeske, and Phillip Van Dyke (who played Luke) are scheduled to appear the weekend of October 17–18, and that Judith Hoag, who played Gwen, is scheduled for the weekend of October 24–25. Celebrity photo ops are sold separately from the regular pass. Confirm on the official calendar.
Fun fact for the geographically curious: the town is named for Mount St. Helens, but the volcano is a good 39 miles away. Nobody will be erupting on you.
🚗 Planning the Trip from Tigard
- Buy online and pick your weekend. The calendar varies, so choose the weekend with the things you care about, such as the cast appearances or the final weekend. Our post about pumpkin patch season and hay fever has tips if you will be near hay.
- Expect crowds and limited parking. Saturdays, especially, are busy. Go early and check the official site for parking and any shuttle options, because arrangements change from year to year.
- Dress for the Pacific Northwest. It is October, and it may be wet or cold by the river. Layers and a rain jacket beat a flimsy costume.
- Mind the daylight. The official calendar notes that the filming-location tour ends at dark for safety reasons, so do not leave it for the end of the evening.
- Check the schedule for your date. Hours and attractions are subject to change.
🌿 Three Halloweentown Bouquets
Here is the part where a florist gets to play. These are fictional bouquets, inspired by the movie’s spirit, and every one of them can be made with seasonal flowers. Tell us which one you want and we will build it.
1. Grandma Aggie’s Garden. Aggie is the family witch with the cozy house, so this one is an herb-garden bouquet: rosemary, sage, thyme, and lavender if we have it, with white and cream flowers, eucalyptus, and a few small berries. It smells like a kitchen and looks like a cottage garden. Keep the scent in mind: strong herbs can be a lot at a dinner table, so it is better on a side table or a porch. Our guide to the most fragrant flowers shows which flowers carry the most scent.
2. Marnie’s First Halloween. Purple, orange, and black. Deep purple and plum flowers, orange mums or marigolds, and near-black foliage or burgundy roses. It is playful and a bit dramatic, and it looks great against a dark wall or on a mantel. Our mum guide explains which fall flowers last the longest.
3. The Pumpkin Patch. A pumpkin vase full of orange, yellow, and rust flowers, with a few small gourds around it. Cut the top off a pumpkin, scoop it out, put a liner or a jar of water inside, and arrange. It is the easiest of the three, and it goes on a porch or a table.
If you like your Halloween with a bit of history, our post on beautiful, deadly, and poisonous flowers is a witchy read. And please remember that some flowers and herbs are harmful to pets. Our guide to pet-safe bouquets is worth a look before a pumpkin-spice table meets a curious dog.
🍿 A Halloweentown Movie Night at Home
You do not have to drive to St. Helens to have a Halloweentown weekend. Here is a low-effort plan:
- Make a cozy corner. Blankets, pillows, and a low arrangement on the side table, not on the coffee table where the popcorn lives.
- Use LED candles. Real flames and a room full of blankets, costumes, and kids are a poor combination.
- Keep the flowers out of the snack zone. Most florist flowers are not meant to be eaten, so skip them as garnish.
- Make it a marathon, if you dare. There are four movies in the series, so it is a real commitment.
- Add a pumpkin vase. It looks like a prop from the movie and costs almost nothing.
👑 Wear a Flower Crown
If you are going to the festival in costume, a flower crown pairs well with a witch, a fairy, or a forest spirit, and it is much easier than a cape. Our guide to flower crowns for fall has the details. Wear it on the day it is made, choose sturdy flowers such as mums and statice, and keep it low-scent if you will be in a crowd. Bring a small bag for it if you take it off, and you can dry it afterward as a keepsake.
🎁 A Gift for the Nostalgic Friend
Everyone has one friend who has seen Halloweentown more times than they would admit. A little orange-and-purple bunch with a card that says “Happy Halloweentown” is a delight, and it costs far less than a trip. We deliver across Tigard and the south metro, including Beaverton, Bull Mountain, King City, and Lake Oswego. If you are thinking of a friend outside our usual delivery area, ask us first. Our thank-you flowers page and our Friday guide to buying yourself flowers have more ideas, and, as always, there is no wrong reason to send flowers.
🧡 The Short Version
Halloweentown is a real place, at least for a few weekends a year. Pick a weekend, buy tickets online, bring layers, and go early. Or stay home, make a pumpkin vase, and put the movie on. Either way, put something orange on the table. Happy Halloween, from one small Oregon town to another.