Well, what are you going to be this Halloween? Whether you buy a readymade costume or create your own, when Halloween's around the corner, half the kids in Brooklyn are thinking about costumes. Here are some places to get costumes, or find cool stuff to create a homemade original.
Or, get creative, have a blast, and make your own Brooklyn theme Halloween costume.
1. Target
Photo courtesy of Target, 2011
Target, with several locations in Brooklyn, sells affordable, mass produced Halloween costumes. A boy's cowboy costume runs about $20,an infant's lions suit is $16. Adult costumes are more. The woman's Sweet Eats costume costs $44.99. You get free shipping with purchase of $50 or more.
2. Kid's Annual Costume Swap OCTOBER 22, at Wyckoff Farmhouse
What a great idea! The historic Wyckoff Farmhouse has a "costume swap."
Here's how it works: Parents can bring their child's outgrown costume and swap it for another one. It's a good idea to get a Swap Ticket ahead of time by bringing in an old costume so the volunteers at this nonprofit organization can have enough costumes to go around. You can then redeem your Swap Ticket on October 22nd. There's also the annual Harvest Festival then, so arrive early.
- Where: Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, 5816 Clarendon Road
- Contact and Website: (718) 629-5400. http://www.wyckoffassociation.org
- When: OCTOBER 22, 12-4 p.m.
3. Party City
If you're looking for the most popular mass-produced costumes, Party City has three locations in Brooklyn. Call for hours.
- Atlantic Center Mall: 625 Atlantic Avenue. (718) 399-7252
- Canarsie: 2183 B Ralph Avenue. (718) 531-3538.
- Sheepshead Bay: 3797-3849 Nostrand Ave. (718) 332-6848
4. Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. Park Slope
Shhh. Don't tell anyone. The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company is actually a tutoring center for kids, disguised (year-round) as a Superhero store, which is pretty great. And they sell hilarious and fun stuff too, and never for a second drop the facade that it's all superhero merchandise. They sell, for instance, "capes, secret identities, gear, robotics/cybernetics/mutations, lairs, and invisibles."Invisibles!
- Where: 372 Fifth Ave., nr. 5th St.
- Contact: 718-499-9884; http://www.superherosupplies.com/
You can order online and get it shipped, which is a good idea as the store is small.
5. Ricky's
Ricky's is a big national chain store with two locations in Brooklyn. If you want to dress up like a zombie or superhero, Rapunzel or Firefighter, you can get it all at Ricky's. They sell kids costumes, ladies and mens costumes, couples costumes, makeup and all the spooky, fun accessories you might want. Kids costumes tend to be in the $30 range, with some smaller sizes at $15.
- Park Slope: 478 Bergen Street, off Flatbush Avenue.
- Brooklyn Heights: 107 Montague Street
6. Havin' a Party (Canarsie)
Get in the swing of a Brooklyn Halloween. You can find theatrical makeup from the cheapest to movie-quality products, and wigs from $1.99 to $200. "If you want to be Frank Sinatra, we have a wig for that. If you want to be Lady Gaga we ave a wig for that, too," says Larry Scott, owner of Havin' a Party, who has an infectious laugh and a wild imagination for fun costumes. How many costumes do they have? Thousands.
- Where: 9520 Ave. L, nr. 95th St. (Take the L train to Rockaway Parkway)
- Hours: During Halloween, open daily (Mon-Fri 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.;Saturday 10:30-6, p.m. Sunday 11-5 pm.),Mid to late October, they may stay open "as late as midnight."
- Contact: 718-251-0500 http://www.havinaparty@aol.com
7. Salvation Army Thrift Stores
Looking for an old plaid jacket, or a gold halter top? A pair of oversized boots, or a too-small hat? The Salvation Army could be your Halloween costume mecca, both for inspiration and bargain shopping. There are nine Salvation Army Thrift Stores in Brooklyn, where you can find both old Halloween costumes, and bits and pieces for a homemade Halloween costume.
8. Vintage Stores
The sky's the limit on Brooklyn's vintage shops. If you're lucky, you'll find something you can use again. Here are a few places to start looking:
