No matter where you drive around Lafayette once summer fades, it’s tough to miss a Spirit Halloween sign popping up on a newly vacant storefront.

The return of the halloween store every year signals the start of spooky season for families, college students, and thrill-seekers across Acadiana.

This year, the main Spirit Halloween in Lafayette has claimed an empty location on Ambassador Caffery Parkway.

Pop up halloween store offerings don’t stop there—the city also saw a locally run operation set up shop near the Southside, adding even more costume, décor, and animatronic options for last-minute planners.

Across the state, cities from Shreveport to New Orleans are reporting their own seasonal pop up halloween store arrivals, often taking over big box locations that recently closed their doors.

Lafayette’s own Spirit spot, open since August, has already seen crowds eager to nab this year’s trending ghostface mask or elaborate inflatable yard displays.

According to local employees, enthusiasm has soared in recent weeks—in part due to national costume shortages and the irresistible draw of browsing aisles lined with fog machines and glowing witches’ hats.

Local parents are shopping not just for kids’ costumes but also for pets, as dressing up four-legged family members is quickly becoming a Louisiana tradition.

It’s worth noting that Lafayette’s Spirit Halloween doesn’t promise to return to the same location next year; these stores are notorious for their mysterious annual migrations.

One thing’s for sure: as October nears, Lafayette locals can count on at least one halloween store to transform a forgotten retail spot into a Halloween wonderland.