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Halloween is always fun for everyone; new costumes, ‘treats’ vs. old favorites

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Tonight almost every would-be witch and wizard, hobo and hobgoblin will tryout their costumes in anticipation of the most famous fright night on the calendar. Tomorrow is Halloween and time for trick-or-treating, haunted houses, scary stories and, as often happens, a bloated belly after consuming all the delicious delights and colorful confections harvested block to block.

You won’t have to travel far in the Antelope Valley this weekend to “get your scare on.” The AV FEARgrounds will host the popular Haunted House Maze at 2551 W. Lancaster Blvd. this weekend from 6 p.m. to midnight. There will be eight terror-filled rooms, spooky hay rides, loads of food as well as shopping and fun galore primarily for visitors 13 years and older. No costumes will be allowed. Parking is $5.

Halloween is big business

Kids love Halloween … and so do most adults. It’s a big-business holiday these days. In fact, the National Retail Federation (NRF) last year factored in the cost of candy, costumes, decorations and estimated that Americans will spend a combined $7.4 billion for one night of fiendish fun. Halloween candy alone is expected to run up a $2.5-billion tab this weekend (about $75 per household), exceeded only by costumes—whether store-bought or homemade—for adults and children which are expected to amount to $2.7 billion. Now take in to account another $2.2 billion for decorations and an astonishing $350 million for pet costumes, and you can see that the price of fright may usher in the holiday shopping season as early as Oct. 31. Of course, all of these are tiny figures compared to the estimated $700 billion Americans spend during the Christmas season, but because Halloween this year falls on a Saturday, retailers expect even more profits because they realize people generally shop more on weekends.

Halloween doesn’t even make the top five when it comes to holiday shopping. The NRF says Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day each command the same dollar amount spent on Halloween. Even the Super Bowl tops Halloween in terms of consumer spending.

Kids still favor Batman

It is now customary to dress as your favorite character from cartoons and comics. The NRF reports that children tend to opt for the favorites like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man, but now more adults are getting into the Halloween spirit by donning upscale costumes like a leather, form-fitting Batgirl costume complete with mask and boots (roughly $400), a Star Wars Stormtrooper outfit (about $1,000) or Darth Vader for a mere $800. Childsize costumes will still run you about $30 to $40, not including some additional spooky make-up and a handy sack for loading all the luscious loot, according to the retail federation.

The NRF said in 2012 that Halloween spending began to soar when the economy was down. The federation said people wanted something to celebrate and to divert their minds from financial woes. And parents who are sticklers for good nutrition tend to look past the gooey goodies because they recognize that it is a night dedicated to children (of all ages), and if you hit the right block a little prince or princess can haul in anywhere from 3,500 to 7,000 calories in just one hour. The Dietary Research Foundation estimates that the average child will have to walk for nearly 44 hours or play basketball for 15 hours to work off the calories from all of those treasured treats.

Not everyone will celebrate

Retail figures suggest there are roughly 41.2 million children who will troll tomorrow for candy. But in narrowing these numbers down per family, the NRF discovered that only about 60 percent of Americans make it a point to celebrate Halloween, meaning that the remaining 40 percent will spend $0 on the popular night. The consumer who does spend money will likely shell out about $110. Of course, there are many ways a person can curtail spending (e.g. shutting off the porch light or simply purchasing a bag of M&Ms and individually distributing those) but most adults fondly remember their childhood and look forward to having their children and friends celebrate the grand tradition.

The most popular Halloween costumes are selling fast, with some of these outfits representing controversial themes. Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce, is among the top choices. The costume sells through the Spirit Halloween shop online for just under $50 and features a brown wig, ivory corset and matching shorts. You can also purchase a more classic Bruce Jenner costume from the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Jenner said recently that she doesn’t “think it’s offensive at all” when asked about all the controversy about the costume, but some members of the transgender community have been outspoken about it.

Current events and costumes

Cecil the Lion and the American dentist are another controversial costume. The male “Lion Killer Dentist” features white gloves, a blood-stained smock and severed lions heads for the wearer to hold. It’ll run you about $150. Other controversial garb includes Ray and Janay Rice, based on the domestic violence incident between the pro football star and his wife; an Ebola costume; a New York “pizza rat” costume (for kids) and a costume featuring the likeness of  Kim Davis, the Kentucky city clerk who refused to sign gay marriage certificates.

“As we’ve seen for several years, Hollywood and pop culture both have a tremendous impact on how adults and their children decide to dress the part each Halloween,” said Matthew Shay, president of the NRF. “It’s evident that some of the biggest newsmakers of the year will be out in full force this fall.”

Although these costumes are mostly time-sensative and probably fads of the current year, “Star Wars” costumes, superheroes, Disney princesses and classics like pirates, zombies and vampires always sell well. In fact, the Batman and Star Wars costumes continue to inspire fans of all ages. For children, Catwoman, Darth Vader, Evie from “Descendants,” Star Wars Stormtrooper, Halo’s Master Chef and Elsa from “Frozen’” are among the 10 most popular. Many children are expected to favor a zombie (the No. 7 most popular get-up for kids), a Minion (a simple costume that doesn’t have to be purchased—just have your child don a yellow hood with denim overalls, black boots and silver goggles); a Power Ranger (which tends to dominate Wal Mart sales); a pirate (get a stripped shirt, felt vest and boots); and the tried-and-true favorites—Mickey or Minnie Mouse (simply glue felt ears to a black headband, put on red shorts with a black shirt, draw black eyeliner nose on the face, wear yellow shoes, white gloves and attach fake whiskers).

Adults get in on the fun

For adults, it’s Batman and Star Wars in the top 10 as the Joker leads the way, followed by the Capped Crusader’s arch nemesis Catwoman. Other adult top choices include a female Stormtrooper, Harley Quinn Secret Wishes costume and a sexy Little Red Riding Hood. And because of the highly-anticipated “Stars Wars: The Force Awakens” movie, expect to see Chewbacca, Princess Leia and the new character, Kylo Ren, making appearances all over town.

Adults have been encroaching on the Halloween fun for many years. In fact, Halloween plays a major role in increased sales of liquor in terms of parties. According to the website CostHelperActivities, a fancy Halloween party with all the alcohol and trimmings are increasingly popular and can range anywhere from $25 to $250 per person when factoring in the location, decorations, costumes, food and drink, door prizes, etc. If the party is catered, experts say that the cost could run as high as $2,500 for a two-hour spooky soiree.

You don’t have to shell out $20 to $50 dollars to have your little one be the king or queen of scream. A quick visit to the arts and crafts store—and items you’ll probably have around the house—and parent and child can collaborate on a costume that’s sure to attract attention. Here are some ideas:

Make it yourself

—“Spaghetti and Meatballs.” Cut a head-sized hole in the center of a red-checkered tablecloth. Cut white yarn into “spaghetti-length” pieces. Paint eight styrofoam balls with brown acrylic paint. Glue a paper plate on front of the tablecloth and then glue the “meatballs” to the tablecloth cloth where you prefer. Get a small pot to serve as a “spilled” container and put that on the child’s head, then glue strands of “spaghetti” to the pot. Tie the pot under the chin, if desired.

—Rainbow Connection.” Get a tutu, tulle and ribbon of various colors. Affix a paper crown, felt, pipe cleaners, a paper paint bucket, rainbow-stripped pajamas (or any rainbow-colored items you may have on hand like tights, tops or socks) and design the outfit as desired. Little girls tend to love the educational show “Rainbow Connection,” and this is a way to spotlight their favorite characters.

—“Mr. Twister.” Here, get a hula hoop, two large adult-sized dark gray T-shirts, fabric glue, 10 yards of black tulle, a stapler, some twigs and dark gray gloves. First, put on the T-shirts, then wrap the trick or treater in the black tulle and attach the twigs to that. Now your little “mischief maker” is literally a “tornado.”

—A ghost. This is always a very simple costume. Cut a head-size hole in a clean white sheet. Layer the sheet with white chiffon and either design or purchase a white mask. As in the case with any costume, make sure that the sheet doesn’t drag the ground and that the mask will allow for all peripheral vision.

These are just a few of the costumes that can be made, according to the website Examiner.com.

Gooey goodies then and now

Halloween and candy are symbiotic. But good candy can be a subjective thing: one trick-or-treater’s trash could be another tyke’s treasure. The product reviews site, Influensters, set out to find the candy that makes the most kids happy in each state, and the findings may surprise you. The candy that pulled the highest total number of votes was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (miniature or regular size) and it was one of only three candies (the others being Kit Kat and Butterfinger) to be voted by every state in the U.S. The candy choice in the most number of states this year was an all-time Halloween staple—candy corn. What is most preferred in California? Lifesavers by a long shot, then Jolly Ranchers.

Preferences for Halloween candy have changed somewhat over the past few decades. For instance, Influensters found that Lemonhead was once a big favorite but that has changed to Air Heads. The following list may demonstrate what parents once adored and how their kids’ tastes may differ from theirs:

Then: Fruitstripe Gum. Now: Bubbaloo. Then: Zero. Now: Hershey Take 5. Then: Black Jack Taffy. Now: Laffy Taffy. Then: Juicy Fruits. Now: Gummi Burgers. Then: Tootsie Pops. Now: Caramel Apple Pops. Then: Sugar Babies. Now. Caramel Apple Sugar Babies. Then: Hollywood. Now: Hershey’s Cookie & Cream. Then: Chick-O-Stick. Now: Sour Punch Straws. Then: Candy Buttons. Now: Angry Birds Fruit Gummies.

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