Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
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Zombies and beastly masks have been a huge hit this year at Spirit Halloween.
Whether it’s a zombie doctor, zombie hippie or zombie bride, there’s a good chance of seeing the walking dead roaming the streets this Halloween.
Haven’t got enough of these guys? Don Defoort, manager at Spirit Halloween, holds up masks of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. (JILLIAN AUSTIN/BRANDON SUN)
Spirit Halloween manager Lynn Defoort gives a nudge to the “Walking Dead” lifesize prop on Friday, surrounded by other delightfully creepy Halloween decorations. (JILLIAN AUSTIN/BRANDON SUN)
Disney princess costumes line the wall at Spirit Halloween. (JILLIAN AUSTIN/BRANDON SUN)
Lynn Defoort, manager at Spirit Halloween, said the undead costumes have been snapped up by revellers of all ages.
"They don’t just buy a costume, they buy the teeth, the make-up, the jewelry," Defoort said.
For boys especially, Defoort said "the creepier the better."
"Creepy masks have gone over like crazy," she said.
Little girls are still drawn to the Disney princess wall, while the tweens are buying Monster High costumes. The line of dolls are inspired by monster movies that include Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura.
"Little girls, lots of them want to be princesses … and there’s still lots of Strawberry Shortcake," Defoort said. "If they’re not into Monster High, they’re into zombies."
Donna Freeman of Neepawa came into the store to find the finishing touches for her granddaughter’s "Hunger Games" costume. The store has "Hunger Games" wigs, clothing and pins.
"This was the only place you could find it," she said.
Superheroes are once again a popular choice for young boys.
"‘The Avengers,’ ‘Superman,’ ‘Spider-Man’ … anything that has been in the movies," she said.
For many women, the naughty nurse, risqué witch or sexy superhero continue to be the costume of choice.
"Police officers tend to go quickly no matter what," Defoort said. "Everybody wants to be a police officer …maybe because they like the handcuffs."
Other popular female costumes are Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" and Snow White from the popular Disney film.
Men, on the other hand, tend to be drawn to the more humorous costume, such as an "Angry Bird," teddy bear from the movie "Ted," or squeezing into a colourful skin suit.
Couples have been co-ordinating their costumes quite a bit this year, Defoort said, including a Bavarian couple, a cop and jail bird or a flapper and a gangster.
"Always popular is your doctor and nurse," she said. "That ranges from classic doctor to your nasty doctor, to your zombie doctor."
Spirit Halloween is a seasonal store, open for just over six weeks. This was the first time it opened in Brandon, and Defoort said it’s been a hit.
"The whole community has just really embraced us," she said. "It’s amazing. People spend more money and time decorating their yards, etc. for Halloween than they do for Christmas."
From zombie babies to jumping spiders and screaming ghouls, there is a wide array of home and yard decor.
"There doesn’t seem to be a lot of cutesy home decor, it’s mostly creepy and people love creepy," Defoort said.
At the checkout, customers can donate $2 to the Spirit of Children initiative and receive safety glowsticks. Funds raised go to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition October 27, 2012
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Whether it’s a zombie doctor, zombie hippie or zombie bride, there’s a good chance of seeing the walking dead roaming the streets this Halloween.
Lynn Defoort, manager at Spirit Halloween, said the undead costumes have been snapped up by revellers of all ages.
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Whether it’s a zombie doctor, zombie hippie or zombie bride, there’s a good chance of seeing the walking dead roaming the streets this Halloween.
Lynn Defoort, manager at Spirit Halloween, said the undead costumes have been snapped up by revellers of all ages.
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