Bad news for those who are eager to kick off the spooky season early: Spirit Halloween announced their initial list of locations for the 2025 season, and Bloomington didn’t make the cut.
The seasonal costume and decorations store that pops up in vacant storefronts around the country each fall did not include Bloomington in its list of more than 1,500 locations opening across the country on Aug. 2. The nearest locations will be in Greenwood, at the former site of a Buy Buy Baby, and in Columbus, at the former site of a Party City.
It may be even harder to find costumes and decorations this year if no Spirit pop-up store comes to town. Party City, the city’s only other dedicated costume and decorations store in Bloomington, closed in early 2025 and is set to become a new Goodwill.
Why wasn’t Bloomington included on the list of Spirit Halloween stores?
Representatives from Spirit Halloween did not respond to questions about why a Bloomington store wasn’t announced in August or if a location is eventually coming in time for publication.
It’s worth noting that Bloomington did ultimately get a Spirit Halloween location last year, despite not being included in the initial August list. The pop-up store ultimately moved into the old CVS Pharmacy building at 510 S. College Mall Road, a few weeks later into the year than other locations. Spirit Halloween was hosted in the former College Mall Bed Bath & Beyond the year before, but that was converted into a Dave & Busters in 2025.
The CVS Pharmacy Building still appears unoccupied as of Aug. 6. Radar Commercial Real Estate, which owns the lease for the property, did not return a request for comment about the status of the building in time for publication.
Where can I shop for Halloween costumes and decorations in Bloomington?
While certainly not as comprehensive as Spirit Halloween, the following stores should have ample costumes and decorations in the months leading up to Halloween.
Where are the nearest Spirit Halloween stores outside of Bloomington?
If you still want to make the trek to a Spirit Halloween store, here are some nearby locations. Stores are listed on Spirit’s website as either opening in August or “coming soon.”
For a full list of locations and approximate opening dates, visit stores.spirithalloween.com.
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @brianwritesnews.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Is Spirit Halloween coming to Bloomington? What to know.
Reporting by Brian Rosenzweig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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