The storefront of the empty Rite Aid in Beacon.
Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

Much to the disappointment of some Beacon High Schoolers, Spirit Halloween is not popping up in Beacon’s Rite Aid, a contact at Spirit Halloween has confirmed. The list is here, and the stores that have locations booked begin opening in August and September. Beacon is not on the list.

Walgreens was the next rumor, but a person familiar with the property confirmed that Walgreens is also - so far - not confirmed. “The landlord definitely wants something good for the community. Hopefully a store like Walgreens would be interested.”

People in Beacon expressed longing for the Spirit Halloween fantasy. “How fun would that be!” said one resident. “Oh, for Beacon? Spirit Halloween would be perfect for Beacon, who goes all out for Halloween,” said another resident while shopping at the Beacon Farmer’s Market.

One younger person reflected: “I’ve heard there is an unspoken rule that stores like Spirit Halloween can’t open here.” Another teenager said: “I would have loved to work there.”

A Dunkin’ Donuts rumor keeps resurfacing - that one is opening in Beacon. The location on Rte 52 that was proposed to open with a drive-thru is so far not opening, since Beacon banned drive-thrus in response to the Healey family wanting to open one on their property next to Carvana and Lanks Auto, a source familiar with the property confirmed to ALBB. “I wish,” they said. “But maybe there’s one opening in another location.”

Readers who have information on another location in Beacon, please let ALBB know so that we can pursue your source. Otherwise, the 23 other coffee shops in Beacon will suffice!

Applications are open for the Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley program which grants qualifying people free critical home repairs necessary to maintain a safe and healthy living environment, including, but not limited to: major accessibility modifications; plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical system repairs; stair, roof, porch and other critical structural repairs. Mobile homes are only eligible for accessibility ramps through this service.

Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficiency improvements for neighbors in need, including but not limited to seniors, persons living with disability, families with school-aged children, and active or retired armed services members. These services are provided at no cost to the homeowner.

One qualifying requirement is that the assessed full market value of the home must fall below a designated amount. Qualifying houses in Beacon may be difficult, as the market has increased assessed home values even for homes owned by elderly people. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Rebuilding Together to see if there is talk of increasing or lifting that assessed value limit.

The application can be found online here. The application period is from June - September 2025 to find qualifying people for the 2026 repair season.

The application period for Veterans is year-round and can be found here.

The application period for the Handyman Service is year-round and can be found here.