Haunted Listings: Costumes

buy it brand new or go DIY with your gruesome garb

A-1 Express Rental Center 2515 Mall Dr., Eau Claire • 834-2727 • www.a1expressrental.com What’s better than dressing up for Halloween? Not having to pay full price or hold onto a garment you will never wear again. Renting a costume means you could afford to get something different every year. Not to mention, at A-1 you can try on everything before you pay, unlike buying stuff sealed in a plastic bag. Reserve yours today, but make sure you bring it back when you are done!

Goodwill Eau Claire 3605 Gateway Dr., Eau Claire • 835-0532 • Tap into your creative side and make your own costume from tons of (locally) used clothing and accessories. Not only used items are available if you need a mask or make-up.

Goodwill Menomonie 2500 Hills Ct., Menomonie • 235-8488 • Check out their seasonal selection of donated costumes and props. You’ll also find brand new decorations and costumes.

Grand Rental Station 402 W. River St., Chippewa Falls • 720-4957 or 723-8002 • Getting your costume early so that they are not all picked-over is one major fear when it comes to Halloween. You don’t want to be the third person at a party dressed as a hotdog, right? Why not come in a few days ahead of time and reserve exactly what you want? Pay a one-time rental fee, have a blast, then return it when you are done. Easy as pumpkin pie.

Hope Gospel Mission Bargain Center 2511 W. Moholt Dr. Eau Claire • 839-9498 • www.hopegospelmission.org • Take advantage of donated clothes and eccentric accessories to make a costume no one has ever seen before! Well, except maybe the person who sent in the plaid slacks …

JoAnn Fabrics 4045 Commonwealth Ave., Eau Claire • 836-7132 • www.joann.com • Come find more than just fabrics for your Halloween this year. (Although they still have loads of it if you feel like making a costume from scratch.) They carry make-up, costumes, decorations, home décor, even activities and crafts for kids. Since everything is pretty much always on sale, look for some good deals! Don’t forget to use their coupons, either.

Savers 2833 Mall Dr., Eau Claire • 835-8500 • www.savers.com Oh Savers, you truly are the hot spot for all needs Halloween. So go out on the town in spooky style or just look good on a budget, now that’s a treat.

Shopko, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. Well as you Halloween fanatics might know, there is not a store at the mall dedicated to all things gory and glorious this year. So what are you going to do to get your fix? Looks like you will have to stick with the tried and true, reliable chain retail stores. They usually have pretty good prices on masks, costumes, make-up, and other accessories. They also sell some pretty nice Halloween home décor, so stopping to get bags of candy might not be the only reason to go there this year.