Creeping closer: C. Oregonians get ready for Halloween

Halloween is creeping closer, and NewsChannel 21 checked in with Central Oregonians on Tuesday to see how their preparations are going.

Employees at Spirit Halloween in Bend said people are so excited, they’re lining up outside the shop well before the store opens.

Cameron Avery said the top-selling costume by far is anything related to the very popular online game, Fortnite.

Avery said the other costume themes people are gravitating toward are: Harry Potter, steam-punk, unicorns and inflatable costumes – specifically “Donny the Dino.”

Fortnite also tops Google’s list of most searched for costumes in the United Sates. Spider-Man, unicorns, dinosaurs and witches round out the top five.

Google’s report also shows the No. 1 costume people in Oregon are searching for is dinosaurs.

Avery said his favorite part about working at a Halloween store is seeing people’s reactions to all the fun and spooky things hanging around.

“Kids get scared all the time with the animatronics. It’s the best part, if you work up front,” Avery said. “Families will come in, and kids will get really terrified or just have no expression. The babies, it’s crazy, just a still expression.”

The National Retail Federation projects total spending on Halloween this year will reach $9 billion. That’s about $87 per person.

Of that $9 billion, consumers plan to spend $3.2 billion on costumes, $2.6 billion on candy, $2.7 billion on decorations and $400 million on greeting cards.