Arlene's Costumes

10/20/2026

Watch for us this morning on 13WHAM Rochester! We will be doing spots every 20 to 30 minutes until about 8:45 AM EDT.

10/18/2026

10/18/2026

Less than 2 weeks until Halloween! 🧡 🖤

10/18/2026

Arlene's Costumes Halloween-ish Playlist 🎃 🎶🖤 🧡 🐈‍⬛

1. "Monster Mash" — Bobby (Boris) Pickett
2. "I Put a Spell On You" — Bette Midler
3. "Thriller" — Michael Jackson
4. "Ghostbusters" Theme — Ray Parker Jr.
5. "This Is Halloween" — Nightmare Before Christmas
6. "Superstition" — Stevie Wonder
7. "Somebody's Watching Me" — Rockwell
8. "Time Warp" — The Rocky Horror Picture Show
9. "The Addams Family" Theme — Vic Mizzy
10. "Wolves" — Selena Gomez & Marshmello
11. "Dark Horse" — Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
12. "I'm in Love with a Monster" — Fifth Harmony
13. "Zombie" — The Cranberries
14. "Highway to Hell" — AC/DC
15. "Monster" — Lady Gaga
16. "Runnin' with the Devil" — Van Halen
17. "Get Ur Freak On" — Missy Elliot
18. "Freaks Come Out at Night" — Whodini
19. "She Wolf" — Shakira
20. "The Monster" — Eminem ft. Rihanna
21. "Werewolves of London" — Warren Zevon
22. "I Want Candy" — Bow Wow Wow
23. "Psycho Killer" — The Talking Heads
24. "The Purple People Eater" — Sheb Wooley
25. "Black Widow" — Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora
26. "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" — David Bowie
27. "Disturbia" — Rihanna
28. "Season of the Witch" — Donovan
29. "Heads Will Roll" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
30. "Halloween" Theme — John Carpenter
31. "Hungry Like the Wolf" — Duran Duran
32. "Ghost" — Ella Henderson
33. "Witchy Woman" — The Eagles
34. "Midnight City" — M83
35. "Sympathy for the Devil" — The Rolling Stones
36. "Black Magic Woman" — Fleetwood Mac
37. "True Blood" — Justin Timberlake
38. "Spooky" — Dusty Springfield
39. "Demons" — Imagine Dragons
40. "Boogie Monster" — Gnarls Barkley
41. Remember Me This Way - Jordan Hill from Casper the Friendly Ghost
42. Zombie - Bad Wolves
43. Shout at the Devil - Mötley Crüe
44. Black Magic Woman - Santana
45. Iron maiden - Number of the Beast
46. Ozzy - Bark at the Moon
47. Ozzy - Mr Crowley
48. Slayer - Raining Blood
49. Alice Cooper - Welcome to my Nightmare
50. Alice Cooper - Feed my Frankenstein
51. Metallica - Creeping Death
52. Motorhead - Hellraiser
53. Ozzy - Hellraiser

Thanks to our friends at and others for the ideas! No particular order.

10/17/2026

33 YEARS AGO, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS INTRODUCED US TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD!

Can you believe it's been 33 years since Jack Skellington, Sally, Oogie Boogie, and the unforgettable residents of Halloween Town first appeared on the big screen?

Back in October 1993, moviegoers were introduced to something unlike anything they had seen before. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick, combined incredible stop-motion animation, unforgettable music, and a little Halloween magic to create a film that would become a holiday tradition for generations.

But did you know the movie actually had several debut dates?

The film made its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 9, 1993, followed by a limited theatrical release beginning October 13. During its first weekend, October 15–17, it earned approximately $191,232 from just two theaters!

By October 22–24, the movie had expanded to 563 theaters, bringing in an impressive $6.2 million that weekend.

Then came October 29, 1993, just two days before Halloween! The film expanded nationwide to 1,654 theaters and earned approximately $8.2 million over the Halloween weekend, taking the number one spot at the box office!

For those of us who remember the early '90s, there was something magical about seeing those movie trailers on television, walking into a theater, and experiencing Jack Skellington's strange and wonderful world for the very first time.

And who could forget Danny Elfman's incredible music? From "This Is Halloween" to "What's This?" and "Jack's Lament," the soundtrack became just as iconic as the characters themselves.

What started as an unusual animated film in 1993 eventually became a beloved classic, finding new generations of fans through VHS tapes, DVDs, television broadcasts, and annual Halloween and Christmas traditions.

33 years later, one debate continues: Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie?

For many of us, it's BOTH!

10/15/2026

Thank you everyone for helping us celebrate! 🧡 🖤

More than 100 independent costume stores make up this remarkable community—and these are just five of the shops we’re celebrating. 🎭

From Rochester to Garland, Redmond, Redwood City, and Chicago, each storefront has its own personality and its own people who make costume shopping an experience. Thank you to Arlene’s Costumes, Scrappy Costumes, A Masquerade Costume Co., House of Humor, and Chicago Costume—and to every independent shop that helped make the first National Independent Costume Store Day possible.

Keep showing your local costume store some love this Halloween season. Which independent shop is your favorite? Tag them below!

10/14/2026

We have all of these (and more) fantastic Scream and Scream Ghostface masks in stock - for now! There are limited supplies.

You can also check out other costumes and accessories on our website

10/13/2026

What's your favorite Halloween movie?! It doesn't have to be on this list. We're just in a Halloween-y mood!