The yearly Spirit Halloween run is back

🇺🇸 USA · 🎯 Niche · Oct 15, 2026

Americans are doing their yearly Spirit Halloween run, jokes and all 🎃

The yearly Spirit Halloween run is back. Spirit Halloween videos drew 9.6M social views from 266 creators this week; Google searches are up 186%.

23.2Msocial views↑ 290%
533creators↑ 23%
+186%Google search growth

The spike

Social got to it first: views peaked on Oct 9; Google searches followed on Oct 10.Verified: the top posts on the social peak day were hand-checked and are about this trend.

Social views each daySep 28: social data not in yetSep 29: social data not in yetSep 30: social data not in yetOct 1: social data not in yetOct 2: social data not in yetOct 3: social data not in yetOct 4: social data not in yetOct 5: social data not in yetOct 6: 1,123,672 viewsOct 7: 1,597,915 viewsOct 8: 1,525,596 viewsOct 9: 5,956,668 views6MOct 10: 964,487 viewsOct 11: 535,206 viewsOct 12: 1,951,956 viewsOct 13: 3,940,651 viewsOct 14: 788,971 viewsOct 15: 2,989,240 views28Sep29301Oct23456789101112131415
Google searches each day · “spirit halloween”Peak · Oct 1028Sep29301Oct23456789101112131415

Why it’s trending

Spirit Halloween means spooky season has started: a yearly tradition people love to complain about and still go to.

NostalgiaPeople treat the store as a yearly ritual, comparing notes: 'Its hard not to buy stuff there.'

What’s happening

Spirit Halloween pop-up stores are open again, and people are filming the annual trip. Videos show costume aisles, giant animatronics and 'what are you dressing as' skits. Jokes about Spirit moving into old shops and costume packaging go with it.

What content is working

#1Serena Neel594K1.5K4.5MOct 13Empty storefront parodyParody of the empty-storefront joke: she turns her casita into a free Spirit Halloween for her mailmen, with no affiliation.Why it works: Plays on a familiar joke about Spirit filling empty shops.#2jenna lu13.6K53320K playsOct 11Costume hunt vlogShe browses a Spirit Halloween store holding a blonde wig package and decides to dress as Lady Gaga.Why it works: Shows how easy a costume is to find there.#3Erika ✨Cosplayer✨13.7K181151.5K playsOct 13Joann Spirit farewell jokeA cosplayer says RIP to Joann Fabrics and jokes that the Spirit Halloween store that haunts its building will keep costume legend alive.Why it works: Ties the Spirit-in-old-shops joke to costume-making fans.#4Joshua Harris17.5K156110.8KOct 11Underrated animatronic shoutoutA fan calls out an underrated Spirit Halloween animatronic as his nostalgic favourite.Why it works: Nostalgia for a favourite prop is easy to relate to.#5dyllie_hunts_yt7K9191.3KOct 12Freddy animatronic buildA creator in a Freddy onesie crawls into the shipping box and builds a life-sized Freddy animatronic.Why it works: The huge box makes a fun reveal.#6MC Squared902.4K5240.3KOct 13Uncle Fester store skitIn character, a creator greets a scarecrow and argues with animatronics in the aisles.Why it works: Costume plus store props makes an easy sketch.#7Morgana With Mom2K2612.5K playsOct 10Store tour of animatronicsA tour of the aisles shows a Jason Voorhees figure and a big Freddy Fazbear that grabs a shopper's attention.Why it works: A walkthrough lets viewers 'visit' the store.#8Yeskel Cortes | Orlando Content Creator357212K playsOct 12Nostalgic Freddy reunionA life-sized Freddy waves a microphone in a Spirit store; text says 'Finally saw' him in person.Why it works: Finally seeing a favourite in person feels good.#9addi 💌1212930Oct 11Glow-in-dark squishy findA hand squeezes a glowing vampire-themed squishy toy in a dim red room; text says it was found at Spirit.Why it works: Surprise glow moment, small find from the run.#10sharkii334261Oct 13Spirit day out vlogA young woman shows her collection of prop weapons after a fun day out at Spirit Halloween.Why it works: Personal and quirky, ideal for cosplay fans.

Trending hashtags

The tags people used most on posts about this trend, ranked by number of posts. Generic tags like #fyp and #viral are left out.

  1. #spirithalloween 199 posts
  2. #halloween 198 posts
  3. #spookyseason 55 posts
  4. #halloweencostume 40 posts
  5. #halloween2026 19 posts
  6. #halloweenmakeup 30 posts
  7. #halloweendecor 14 posts
  8. #halloweencostumes 18 posts
  9. #halloweenmakeupideas 11 posts
  10. #costumeideas 6 posts

Sentiment

Posts53% positive · 41% neutral · 5% negative
Comments62% positive · 22% neutral · 16% negative

Automatic sentiment labels across 733 posts and 400 comments.

The other side · what’s negative

Some grumbling

Mostly fun, with grumbling about costume prices and a no-returns complaint at Spirit Halloween stores. Some creators also mock how odd the packaged costumes look.

The negative videos

#1StitchedByPrecious9152113.4KOct 9Mocks the look and quality of the costumes.A creator rates Spirit Halloween costumes, saying 'Some of these babies dont look right'.How it’s made: Rating-style video of Spirit Halloween costumes; the caption opens with 'Some of these babies dont look right'.#2Sreysuhat🇵🇷🇰🇭15983.7KOct 11Complains about Spirit Halloween's high costume prices.A woman walks through a parking lot with a boy, complaining about a $55 costume and asking for a discount code.How it’s made: Selfie-style walk through a parking lot with a boy; on-screen text asks for a discount code on a $55 costume.
What brands should do

Don't joke about Spirit's prices or returns; shoppers already feel them. Lead with affordable, fun options, easy returns and the store-trip ritual people love.

What people are saying in comments

💬
We need a year round Spirit
Wish
💬
It amazes me that spirit always has dust on the shelves even when theyve been open for 1 whole day. Its part of the charm
Fondness
😍
I love going to @spirithalloween
Love
😍
We love going to Spirit Halloween
Love
😂
Just looking is the scariest phrase in Spirit Halloween
Playful
💬
Haha this is awesome! They always have some wild animatronics
Delight
😮
The animatronic is so good
Awe
💬
Wait stop im going back i wanted the gremlins one !
FOMO
💬
Employee of the month .... Jack !!!!
Delight
😄
the spirit store is so much fun
Joy
💬
Its hard not to buy stuff there.
Guilty joy
💬
Thats what happened to my Joanns store. Its a spirit halloween store now
Rueful
😂
its funny because a spirit halloween actually took over my old Joanns
Amused
💬
The one in Bangor, Maine is now occupied by Boot Barn.
Disbelief
💬
Love spirit miss party city though
Nostalgia
💬
Nobody gaf about this. the people want Freddy
Impatient
💬
I swear, if I spent $500 on this bear and its cheaper there, I genuinely dont know what Ill do
Anxious
💬
Hes pretty cool though but the price is so much!
Pricey
🙄
Sucks that free shipping doesn't apply
Annoyed
😡
BEWARE! You cant return costumes in the store, the sku doesnt work.
Angry

The content strategy we observed

Top videos are jokes and fan moments around Spirit Halloween: a parody of its empty-shop habit, costume hunts and nostalgic animatronics.

Opening hook

The hook is a Spirit joke or find: #1 an empty storefront turned into a free Spirit, #2 a wig package in the aisle, #3 a RIP to Joann Fabrics.#1 #2 #3

Storytelling

Small stories with a punchline: #1 gives mailmen a free 'Spirit' in her casita; #2 picks a Lady Gaga costume; #3 says the Spirit store haunting Joann's keeps costume legend alive.#1 #2 #3

Format & length

Short phone-shot TikToks and reels: a parody setup (#1), a store vlog (#2), a fan talking about a favourite prop (#4), and a unboxing-and-build (#5).#1 #2 #4 #5

Tone & voice

Fond and jokey. #4 calls an animatronic his 'nostalgic GOAT' in the caption, #1 plays the parody, #5 builds Freddy in a matching onesie.#1 #4 #5

Timing

The top videos went up between Oct 10 and Oct 13: all 10 on or after the Google peak (Oct 10). Social views peaked on Oct 9.#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10

If you make one video

Make a Spirit joke or a store find, in first person, with the store's props or costumes doing the work.

What can brands do?

Best fit: Beverages

The Spirit run pit-stop drink

“Costume bags in the car, one cold drink in hand: 'The Spirit run isn't done without this.'”

Format
Short vlog: store aisles, costume pick, then the drink in the car
Platform
TikTok, Instagram Reels
Who posts
Halloween creators and families filming their yearly store trip
Caption
Annual Spirit run, now with snacks and sips. What costume did you leave with?
When to post
Now through Halloween (Oct 31)
Watch out
No Spirit Halloween logo or trademark claims without permission; avoid implying affiliation.
Toddler/Kids NutritionPersonal CareHousehold CareSkin Care

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See every trend →

Hand-curated by Trendr · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Social listening across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Reddit, with Google searches shown where they rose · Oct 6 → Oct 19, 2026. Growth compares the busiest day with a typical day. Comments are quoted as written.
The yearly Spirit Halloween run is back: why it's trending in the US | Trendr