CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Spirit Halloween may pop up in shuttered retail spaces for only about two months around October, yet it’s a yearlong effort for Raymond Smith.
Based in Richmond, Smith has served as a Spirit Halloween senior zone manager for two decades. He’s in charge of opening and operating 28 temporary locations of the popular costume store from Roanoke to Virginia Beach.
CBS 6 stopped by one of Smith’s largest footprints inside the former Sears in Chesterfield Towne Center on Midlothian Turnpike.
Smith estimated he’s filled approximately 11,000 square feet with all things spooky to help you celebrate Halloween.
“We actually have families from all around the country come to locations that are this size and make it this experience, or make it this annual tradition that they come in and have fun,” he explained.
The main attraction this year is called “Carnevil,” a play on a carnival that highlights some of the scariest and spookiest characters.
They include Art the Clown, Nibbles the Clown, and Ghostface in larger-than-life, animatronic forms that greet you when you walk in.
Six-foot-tall Nibbles the Clown is equipped with motion-tracking sensor technology that allows him to spot and follow anyone in his field of view, according to the store’s website.
Customers can walk through the House of Terror and spin the “Wheel of Fate.”
The 2024 theme was inspired by a customer who presented his idea to the company.
“A couple of years ago, someone said let’s do a carnival and here we are. We had a customer reach out and here we are doing a carnival theme this year. It’s all about guest interaction,” Smith recalled.
Spirit Halloween opened a record 1,525 locations across the U.S. and Canada for the 2024 season. The brand also hired 50,000 seasonal employees to help bring its stores to life.
“This is so much fun. This is great — you know, the community that we've built from the Spirit Halloween side,” Smith said.
Popular costumes this year include Beetlejuice, Deadpool, and Wolverine.
Bluey and Sesame Street characters remain a kid-friendly and family-oriented favorite.
This is in addition to face paints, wigs, masks, decorations, and projectors.
Each year, the store teams up with the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU to help support young patients who may be spending the holiday at the hospital.
Now through Halloween, you can support the fundraising campaign by using a 10 percent off coupon in-store or by entering the code “GIVING2024” online.
Since 2010, total donations have surpassed $1,000,000.
Each year, Spirit Halloween throws a Halloween party for the patients. They deliver costumes, pumpkin painting, goodies and more for all patients and families to enjoy.
Participating Richmond Region locations:
- Spirit Halloween Short Pump Town Center: 11800 West Broad Street, Suite 2650
- Spirit Halloween Staples Mill: 9061 Staples Mill Road
- Spirit Halloween Harrisonburg: 1790 East Market Street, Suite 64A
- Spirit Halloween Lynchburg: 3405 Candlers Mountain Road
- Spirit Halloween Tuckernuck: 9120 West Broad Street 9/14
- Spirit Halloween Chesterfield Mall: 11500 Midlothian Turnpike 9/15
- Spirit Halloween West Chester: 313 Perimeter Drive
- Spirit Halloween Charlottesville: 393 Zan Road
- Spirit Halloween Colonial Heights: 60 Southgate Square Spirit Halloween Swift Creek: 13315 Rittenhouse Drive
- Spirit Halloween Waynesboro: 794 East Main Street
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