Halloween X-SPO Haunts The Pacific Northwest

Written by Mandie Stevens, Staff Writer

The 2nd Annual Halloween X-SPO took place in beautiful downtown Spokane, Washington, last weekend, October 5 & 6, 2024, at the Spokane Convention Center. The 2-day, all-ages Halloween-themed event boasted an array of activities that attracted crowds from across the Inland Northwest, ushering in the spooky season with ghoulish flourish.

The large and expansive Convention Center, which thumped with bass being pumped out of speakers from Elektro Grave Entertainment, was the perfect setting for Halloween X-SPO. The main room was jam-packed with 100+ local exhibitors and artists selling a variety of wares, from art to oddities to collectibles. Side rooms hosted special guest spotlights, and other main rooms offered rest for guests where they could eat and mingle.

The building was decorated with iconic images honoring favorites from the horror genre, like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, which adorned the walls in bright colors (some even blacklight) and gloated eerily from every corner. Visitors were encouraged to take photo opportunities, or ‘Sick Pics’, at the many free photo booths offered around the venue, each one campy, gory, or a mixture of both. The ambiance set the tone for this fun-filled seasonal festival.

There weren’t just exhibits to visit and trinkets to buy in the wall-to-wall rows of eclectic booths. A large game of Dungeons & Dragons took place in one of the main rooms, beckoning to those both familiar and unfamiliar to the game. A kill count was set up for all to see and uproarious cheers rang from the group sporadically the entire time as they played. Tarot card readings and makeup demonstrations enticed the curious, calling in numerous audiences who sat raptly through the experience. For those dressed in horror cosplay, a Halloween Costume contest; one for the adults on Saturday and one for children, was held on Sunday.

Numerous panels were offered, covering creepy and curious topics like UFO experiences and clowns in horror; how to go about making monsters come alive in comics, and other paranormal or unexplainable subjects. Attendance was high, as each panel offered a unique perspective of their respective topic.

Featured Special Guests had their own tables where they met with fans and chatted comfortably. People could purchase memorabilia, autographs, take selfies, and mingle with the numerous celebrities from the horror-film genre. The stars included Russell Hodgkinson (Z-Nation [which was filmed in Spokane!], Big Fish); Brett Wagner (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [2003 remake in which he played the iconic Leatherface]); Thom Mathews (Friday the 13th Part VI & VII, The Return of the Living Dead I & II); Ve Neill (3x Academy Award-winning make-up artist from Beetlejuice & Edward Scissorhands); Alex Vincent (Child’s Play & Chucky Franchise); Jon Abrahams (Scary Movie, House of Wax, The Faculty); Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables, Paranormal Movie); Kelly Maroney (Chopping Mall, Night of the Comet, Fast Times at Ridgemont High); Christine Elise (Child’s Play 2, Chucky Franchise); and Kevin Foster (Five Nights at Freddy’s, Iron Man,  Drag Me to Hell). Many celebrities held spotlight panels in a smaller main gallery, and attendees were given microphones and an open floor to implore their questions with.

Halloween XSpo was founded last year by Nathan O’Brien, who also founded the Lilac City Comicon. If you love Halloween and didn’t get the chance to attend this year’s event, make sure to mark your calendars for next year. The 3rd Halloween X-SPO is scheduled for October 28 & 19, 2025. See you there!