We’re back with a new Weekly Update, and Halloween season is officially kicking into high gear! This week, Lyle and Meghan catch up on the latest Halloween news, including Target pulling a controversial Halloween costume, Hershey unveiling its biggest “Hersheyween” lineup yet, and Hotel Transylvania joining SeaWorld Orlando’s Halloween Spooktacular.

Around the Crypt, we visit Roger’s Gardens for its Moonlight Masquerade Halloween experience, talk about NXT Halloween Havoc landing on Halloween night, and check out two very different Halloween celebrations returning to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Meghan also brings us the latest Code Orange sightings and This Week in Horror History.

We also take some time to remember several people we’ve lost since our last Weekly Update, read two new five-star reviews, welcome a new member into the Pumpkin Room, and talk about what’s ahead as the Countdown to Halloween gets closer.

Plus, we welcome our newest sponsor, Dead Tired Coffee Company. Halloween Podcast listeners can use code HALLOWEENPOD to get any 12 oz bag of coffee for $20, with an equivalent discount on other products in the shop, plus a free decal.

There are only 61 days until Halloween!

Target Pulls Halloween Costume After Backlash:
https://www.kxan.com/news/offensive-target-issues-apology-after-halloween-costume-backlash/amp/

Hershey Unveils Its 2026 “Hersheyween” Lineup:
https://www.silive.com/news/2026/08/hersheyween-2026-salty-gummy-and-fruity-varieties-expand.html

Roger’s Gardens Opens Moonlight Masquerade:
https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2026-08-28/new-halloween-tradition-returns-with-moonlight-masquerade-boutique

NXT Halloween Havoc Returns October 31:
https://411mania.com/wrestling/nxt-halloween-havoc-announced-october-31st/

Boo at the Zoo & Night of the Living Zoo Return:
https://wtop.com/local/2026/08/boo-at-the-zoo-night-of-the-living-zoo-return-to-national-zoo-this-october/

Use code HALLOWEENPOD to get any 12 oz bag for $20, an equivalent discount on other products in the shop, and a free decal.

https://dead-tiredcoffeecompany.com/discount/HALLOWEENPOD

Website: https://www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com

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Email: [email protected]

Haunt Line: 731-400-0472

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On this episode of The Halloween Happy Hour, Lyle and Meghan head to Waupaca, Wisconsin, to uncover the strange story of the historic Cristy House.

In 1981, Gloria Bruch purchased the massive Victorian home thinking she had found an incredible bargain. What she says no one told her was that the house had sat empty for years and already had a reputation for being haunted.

After moving in, Gloria and her children began reporting footsteps, voices, unexplained crying, doors moving on their own, and other strange activity. Years later, Gloria summed up the experience with one unforgettable sentence: “Unknowingly, I bought a haunted house.”

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Haunt Line:
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In this episode, Meghan asks Lyle what Halloween lovers should consider when buying a home, and Lyle answers from his experience as a real estate agent. Does the neighborhood get trick-or-treaters? Are there nearby Halloween events? Could an HOA restrict your decorations? What about local ordinances, giant displays, storage space, and everything else that comes with being Halloween obsessed?

We also head into some spookier territory and talk about stigmatized properties, deaths and murders in homes, alleged paranormal activity, old burial grounds, and what sellers and real estate agents may or may not have to disclose.

Plus, Lyle shares the story of the infamous “NOT HAUNTED” house listed by his own real estate office years before he worked there.

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Haunt Line:
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Halloween season continues to pick up steam as Lyle and Meghan cover some of the biggest stories from the worlds of Halloween, horror, and the paranormal. This week, Spencer Spirit Holdings announces plans to acquire Hot Topic, John Carpenter talks about possibly returning to the Halloween franchise, and 83 neighbors come together to give an 11-year-old boy an unforgettable early Halloween celebration.

We also head Around the Crypt for Disney’s newest Halloween popcorn bucket, a look at how one city is considering making Halloween night safer, research into whether infrasound could help explain some paranormal experiences, and Dan Aykroyd’s stories from his reportedly haunted family farmhouse. Plus, Meghan brings us Code Orange and This Week in Halloween History, and we read four brand-new Apple Podcasts reviews.

Story Links

Spencer Spirit Holdings to Acquire Hot Topic:
https://www.retaildive.com/news/spencer-spirit-holdings-acquire-hot-topic-halloween/827283/

John Carpenter Wants to Return to Halloween:
https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/584193/john-carpenter-wants-to-return-to-halloween-id-love-to-contribute/

83 Neighbors Create an Early Halloween Celebration:
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/amp/family/story/83-neighbors-surprise-11-year-early-halloween-birthday-135350232

Disney World Halloween Popcorn Bucket:
https://allears.net/2026/08/07/new-halloween-popcorn-bucket-hits-disney-world/

Tucson Considers Halloween Safety Measures:
https://tucson.com/news/local/government-politics/article_e93df279-8fea-46a7-a38f-8711235cca4d.html

Infrasound and Paranormal Experiences:
https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2026/04/27/vibrating-pipes-restless-spirits-increased-stress-irritability-infrasound-exposure-paranormal-experiences-frontiers-behavioral-neuroscience

Dan Aykroyd’s Haunted Ontario Farmhouse:
https://ghostbustersnews.com/2026/08/05/dan-aykroyd-offers-a-peek-inside-his-haunted-ontario-farmhouse/

The Halloween Podcast

Website: https://www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com

Patreon: https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

Email: [email protected]

Haunt Line: 731-400-0472

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This week on The Halloween Podcast, Lyle and Meghan take a nostalgic trip back to the Scholastic Book Fair and the spooky shelves that helped shape a generation of Halloween fans. They look at the history of the fair, the excitement of choosing your own books, the unforgettable covers that drew kids in, and the way ghost stories, monsters, and haunted houses made Halloween feel like something you could enjoy all year long.

Along the way, they share personal memories of Book Fair days, childhood reading struggles, books on cassette, playground ghost stories, and the titles that stayed with them long after the fair packed up and disappeared.

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Email:
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Haunt Line:
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In this special Scholastic Book Fair Week edition of Haunted Thursday, we revisit The Dynamite Book of Ghosts and Haunted Houses, a Scholastic paperback published in 1980 that introduced young readers to phantom hitchhikers, haunted churches, ghostly houses, and famous paranormal locations from across America.

Along the way, we examine author Margaret Ronan’s background, her earlier work with paranormal stories, and the newspaper trail connected to her research. The book presented its stories as true, but without a bibliography or source guide, how much can still be traced to documented history, eyewitness accounts, or folklore?

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Haunt Line:
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This week on The Halloween Podcast, Lyle and Meghan take a nostalgic trip back to the Scholastic Book Fair, when a colorful flyer, a few dollars, and tables full of books could turn an ordinary school day into something special. They look back at the history of the Book Fair, the excitement of choosing your own books, and the spooky shelves filled with ghosts, monsters, haunted houses, and unforgettable covers.

Along the way, they revisit childhood favorites including Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and other memorable Book Fair titles. Lyle also shares personal stories about struggling with reading, discovering books on cassette, staying at the Book Fair so long that he missed the bell, and starting a fifth-grade scary club beneath the playground equipment.

Follow The Halloween Podcast:

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Facebook:
https://www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

Instagram:
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Email:
[email protected]

Haunt Line:
731-400-0472

Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod

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Spirit Halloween stores are officially opening for the season, the Warren Museum announces its move to Salem, and Halloween fans are already counting down the days until October 31. This week, Lyle and Meghan discuss Spirit's grand opening, Salem's 400th anniversary celebration, Ozzy Osbourne's upcoming Halloween Horror Nights haunted house, The Halloween Movie Cookbook, and tips for saving money on Halloween candy.

Plus, we debut our brand-new Haunt Line segment, featuring listener stories about Ouija boards, cemetery mysteries, local legends, and the question: When does Halloween season officially begin? We also remember filmmaker John Lechago and look back at a dark moment in true-crime history.

Call the Haunt Line: 731-400-0472

Spirit Halloween Grand Opening:
https://www.spirithalloween.com/content.jsp?pageName=SpiritGrandOpening

Warren Museum opening in Salem:
https://patch.com/connecticut/monroe/amp/34549874/former-monroe-warren-museum-announces-public-opening-in-salem

Ozzy Osbourne haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights:
https://people.com/a-ozzy-osbourne-haunted-house-coming-to-universal-halloween-horror-nights-1-year-after-his-death-12029530

Salem's 400th anniversary celebration:
https://www.salem400.org

The Halloween Movie Cookbook:
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_and_culture/food/fork-and-folio-cookbook-review-the-halloween-movie-cookbook/article_b8261d67-158b-4e51-98cc-e63bf1f03df7.html

Halloween candy savings tips:
https://www.aol.com/articles/16-hacks-scoring-bulk-halloween-164500000.html

The Halloween Podcast

Website: https://www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com

Patreon: https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/TheHalloweenPodcast

Email: [email protected]

Haunt Line: 731-400-0472

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Before zombies were flesh-eating monsters roaming a post-apocalyptic world, they were something very different. This week, Lyle and Meghan travel back to 1943 to listen to and discuss "Profits Unlimited," a classic episode of Lights Out, one of radio's earliest and most influential horror series.

Follow The Halloween Podcast:

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Facebook:
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Instagram:
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Email:
[email protected]

Haunt Line:
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In this special Zombie Week edition of Haunted Thursday, we examine the extraordinary case of Clairvius Narcisse, the Haitian man who was declared dead in 1962, buried by his family, and then returned nearly eighteen years later claiming he had been turned into a zombie.

Along the way, we explore the origins of the Haitian zombie legend, the investigation into Narcisse's story, the controversial research of Wade Davis, and the scientific debate surrounding the case. Was it a rare medical mistake, the effects of a powerful poison, a deeply rooted cultural belief, or one of history's most enduring mysteries?

Follow The Halloween Podcast:

Website:
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Facebook:
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Instagram:
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Email:
[email protected]

Haunt Line:
731-400-0472

Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod

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