Spirit Halloween Hiring Hundreds Across Illinois

Many people might think it's way too early to be talking about Halloween when we've just started sweating through summer in Illinois, but if you want to earn some extra money, now is the perfect time to start talking about it.

Fall Anticipation

Here's one truth about me: I'm the type of person summer lovers hate.

I get giddy when pumpkins hit store shelves instead of flip flops. The kind that prefers to wear flannels over shorts and spends the summer months staring longingly at my favorite hoodies hanging in the closet.

I may love swimming and boating on a beautiful warm day, but that is where my summer love begins and ends.

Summer in Illinois has bugs, bees, and humidity. Fall has cider donuts, bonfires, and Halloween.

I guess my point here is this: my heart is always yearning for fall, so seeing popular fall businesses start to announce season opening dates and hiring sprees brings me immeasurable joy.

Spirit Halloween is Hiring in Illinois

Halloween may still be several months away, but Spirit Halloween is already gearing up for a massive 2026 season in Illinois.

According to an article from WGN: "the popular retailer is looking to fill more than 52,000 seasonal positions across over 1,500 stores in the U.S. and Canada for Halloween 2026", and nearly 600 of them are in Illinois. Company officials say 2026 will be the largest hiring effort in Spirit Halloween history, so we should cash in on it!

Spirit stores are expected to begin opening in August, and right now the company is hiring for a variety of positions including sales associates, assistant store managers, store managers, merchandising staff, operations workers, and teardown crews.

Anyone 16 years or older (21 and over for management positions) can apply online here or text “REAPER” to 85000.

So yes, summer lovers can roll their eyes all they want, but Halloween fans know the truth: spooky season preparations start long before October, and awesome costumes cost money... working at Spirit Halloween would be an easy way to accomplish both those goals and more.

LOOK: 14 Things That Will Make You Nostalgic for Halloween in the '80s

1980s-era Halloween had its own vibe, from the waxy candy bags to the widespread fear of razor blades in apples. Think you can handle the nostalgia? Keep scrolling if you dare!

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.

Gallery Credit: Brit McGinnis