Halloween ranks fifth on the list of holidays on which Americans spend the most money, behind Christmas, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. According to studies done by the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade organization, Americans spend upwards of nine billion dollars between August and November on Halloween. BILLION! That’s more than I make an entire year! And that figure has nearly doubled in the last decade. I mean the amount we spend on Halloween, not my annual salary. Whew – now I need some candy. In fact candy is the most purchased item, especially in the South. It speaks to the generous nature of the American Southerner, doesn’t it? An article on Southernkitchen.com reports that South Carolinians will buy in excess of fifty-seven tons of candy corn this year. However, this is not going to be a candy review blog unless I encounter something truly unique. That said, I’m a fan of the limited edition M&Ms “Cookies & Screeem” that the chocolate giant releases each year since 2017. They can be found at the big box stores like Walmart, Target, and CVS, but you’ll have to be fast – they sell out quickly. Also now I am thinking about a giant made of chocolate. Second in shopping dollars spent, and not even really close behind, are home decorations, then costumes, party items, and entertainment (haunted attractions, movies, music, games, etc.). Any day now you’re going to see a SPIRIT HALLOWEEN store appear, like an apparition, in a once-vacant retail space. The pop-up store is a chain that operates between September and November nationally, but here in South Carolina, local treasure HALLOWEEN HIGHWAY is open all year to satisfy folks like us! Located at 333 S. Pleasantburg in Greenville, the warehouse sized facility has costumes, decorations, and every day in October – A HAUNTED ATTRACTION inside – for FREE! What a gem! I make a point to attend every year, and the walk-thru maze is packed with creepy atmosphere and animatronic frights! There are no live actors to jump out at you, but there are some genuinely spooky moments in it – and of course all items feature can be purchased in store. ***EDITED: 10/26/2020*** Halloween Highway is closing this location permanently on November 1, 2020, and moving to Carolina Fashions, 400 Bon Air St, Mauldin, SC 29662. They will continue to produce their annual walk-thru haunt. In the weeks to come, I will showcase other haunted attractions that populate the Carolinas, several of them regular features among the Top 10 Best Haunts in the nation! All photos by Todd Livingston
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AuthorStoryteller, filmmaker, author, comics creator, retired comedian, certified BBQ judge, Halloweenologist. Archives
November 2020
Categorieslogo by Haley Ard
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