Throughout the city, pirates, princesses and an army of superheroes are eagerly anticipating their Halloween festivities next Wednesday.
Of course, they will be joined by perennial Halloween favorites–skeletons, witches and ghosts–in school parades and evening trick or treating parties, according to local parents.
For 8-year-old Megan Mannion, a third-grader at Donlon Elementary School, the choice came down to three costumes. A “glamorous witch” outfit ultimately won out.
“I liked the feathers and the sparkly spider webs,” she said.
Her younger brother, Brian, 3, will be wearing a pint-sized ’49ers uniform and helmet, but he’ll be sporting his big brother’s Foothill uniform number–14–on his back.
“It’s his brother’s number and it was his dad’s and all his uncles’ number,” explained mom Inga Mannion.
Nine-year-old Ryane Skinner, a fourth-grader at Valley View Elementary School, has known since last year that she wanted to dress up like her favorite TV star, Hannah Montana.
“I like the pop-star theme,” she said.
Her younger brother, Nick, 7, elected to dress like “Star Wars” character Anakin Skywalker.
“He’s my favorite character,” Nick said, acknowledging that the light saber accompanying his costume was a big plus in choosing it.
Pirates and princesses are the big sellers at Encore Theatrical Supply Co. this year, according to owner Ed Margolin.
“Tinkerbell costumes continue to be a good seller for us this year,” he said.
Also selling well are gangster costumes, ’50s poodle skirt girls and flapper costumes, he added.
“We’re selling more adult-sized costumes this year,” Margolin said. “We still do a lot of kids’ costumes, but for the last few years, we’ve been seeing an increase in adult costumes.”
Encore also rents adult-sized costumes all year long, he said, citing Santa suits, Renaissance costumes and ’50s-theme outfits as the most popular rentals.
“We have a year-round costume business, but October is definitely our biggest month,” Margolin said.
In addition to costumes, his store also stocks wigs, authentic theatrical makeup and assorted accessories to complete costumes, he said.
At Boswell’s, accessories were outpacing costumes as the top sellers.
“We’ve been selling a lot of wigs, capes, and masquerade masks,” said store manager Cathy Bradfield. “Accessories are really what are selling. A lot of bling-bling. Grills (jeweled mouthpieces) are very popular this year.”
In costumes, her bigger sellers in the early weeks of October have been pirates and Harry Potter, but she was expecting a new wave of customers this weekend.
“Halloween is one holiday that the sales really pick up the last two weeks,” she said.
Siblings Aoife and Darragh Kennedy are excited for next week’s festivities. Aoife, 4, has a “Lilo” costume and likes to think of it as a “hula princess,” while her younger brother, Darragh, 3, will be sporting a Batman costume. Both attend St. Clare’s Preschool and will have an opportunity to wear their costumes to school on Halloween for a parade, as well as for trick or treating in the evening, said their mom Stephanie Kennedy.
For Blake Zimmerman, 7, a second-grader at Donlon, it’s all about looking scary. This year, he’s a pirate skeleton. He’ll wear face makeup for his school parade, but will have the mask on for trick or treating, said mom Jamie Zimmerman.
“He’s so excited about it. He puts on his costume for everyone who comes over. He’s probably put it on 25 times already,” she said, adding that she shares her son’s enthusiasm for Halloween.
Her house has been decorated for a couple of weeks.
“It’s my favorite holiday,” said Zimmerman, who owns Jamie’s Dance Co. “I dress up every year, too, for my studio. My students have all been asking me what I’m wearing this year, but I’m keeping it a surprise.”
For something a little more on the wild side, women may venture to Lily Ann’s Lingerie downtown. Owner Carol DiSalvi said the store is selling “fun, sassy and sexy” costumes such as:. witches, pirates, school girls, nurses, chefs, FBI agents, race car drivers, maids, devils, soccer girls, waitresses and Raggedy Ann.
“They’re not conservative,” she said with a laugh. “Everything’s short and shows a little bit of cleavage.”
DiSalvi said the costumes cater to the apparent trend for women who want to dress in more scantily clad costumes.
Safety tips
Next week’s trick-or-treaters will enjoy an hour more of daylight for the first time since Daylight Saving Time was established in 1966. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, this is the first year clocks will not be turned back an hour until the first Sunday in November.
Even with the extra hour of daylight, trick-or-treaters still need to be cautious as they are out canvassing their neighborhoods for candy, said Community Service Officer Shannon Revel of the Pleasanton Police Department.
Revel also offers these safety reminders for a safe Halloween:
* Young children should always be accompanied by an adult.
* Older kids should stay in groups.
* Always watch for traffic.
* Be extra careful crossing the street because your costume may hide you in the dark.
* Cross the street in crosswalks
* Carry flashlights or put reflective stickers on costumes.
For candy safety, Revel suggests:
* Parents should check over all the candy before their kids consume any.
* Discard any unwrapped candy or anything that looks like it may have been tampered with.
* If something doesn’t look right, trust your instincts and throw it away.
* Homemade items–as heartfelt as they are–should be avoided.
All of these safety tips are common sense, Revel said, but they are just a reminder that residents need to stay vigilant even though it’s a fun, good-spirited holiday. For more information, call the Crime Prevention Unit at 931-5240 or 931-5233.
