It’s time for Page Two: news that might not make the front page for Friday, October 31, 2025.
Witch Hats and Wallets: Halloween Hits $13.1B!
A little DIY magic helps families keep the Halloween spirit alive without scaring their wallets.
“She wanted to be a unicorn ballerina butterfly”, Cambria Houtte said. “So we bought a new unicorn horn from Three Bears for $3, found a tutu at a thrift store, and had some butterfly wings gifted to her this summer. We might add some homemade “hooves” out of cardboard, too.”
That thriftiness might make sense this year, because Halloween 2025 is shaping up to be the most expensive in history. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on the holiday — up from $11.6 billion last year. That’s about $114 per person, the highest ever recorded.
Breaking it down, about $3.9 billion will go to candy, $4.3 billion to costumes, and $4.2 billion to decorations. And then there’s the greeting card industry. Americans spend roughly $700 million to wish each other a spooky night.
But not everyone’s heading to the store. A CouponBirds survey found that more than half of parents plan to make their children’s costumes from scratch, spending an average of $40 on materials, compared to more than $74 for store bought outfits.
Halloween wasn’t always a commercial juggernaut. In the early 1900s Irish and Scottish immigrants brought over “souling” and “guising.” By the 1920s, pranks had replaced treats, and during the Great Depression, mischief sometimes turned to vandalism.
The solution? Organized trick-or-treating. It exploded after World War II when sugar rationing ended. Candy companies seized the moment and turned Halloween into a consumer tradition.
In Alaska it’s no different. Candy sales on Oct. 31 are double the monthly average, proving that even in the far north, a sweet-tooth has no boundary.
The top picks for costumes this year read like a mix of Broadway and pop culture. Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked, characters from KPop Demon Hunters, members of the Addams family, and the eternal crowd favorites, Dracula and the witch.
And, with a little help from thrift stores and cardboard, a unicorn ballerina butterfly.
Halloween Hollow at Raven Hall runs from 3 p.m. to 8 pm. This Valley favorite event supports the Special Santa Program. Tickets are on Eventbrite or at the door.
Teens can watch the classic Ghostbusters and other movies at the Youth Arc-Hive starting at 5 p.m.
Or join the Colony High School Key Club and JROTC at their Annual Haunted Hallways in Colony High between 5 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Friday Open Mic just got spooky at 203 Kombucha from 5:00 p.m. until 7 p.m.
The Menard Center is hosting Halloween Spooktacular from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Enjoy free public skate and skates, a live DJ, lights, and even a smoke machine.
Then on Saturday get over to the Borough Gym for the First Saturday Vendor Market. The Saturday Vendor Market celebrates local creativity and handmade goodness from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
And, Sweeney Todd continues its run at the Glenn Massay theater this weekend. Check out glennmassay.com for more information.
Page Two articles are written by Emily Forstner and Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
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That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday, October 31, 2025.