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McALLEN — Spooky season is officially back, and one telltale sign is the reemergence of Spirit Halloween stores.
Spirit Halloween, the popular Halloween costume store, has opened four locations in the Rio Grande Valley — McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen and Brownsville.
The McAllen location is located in what used to be a Kmart at 1801 South 10th Street.
Walking inside the store, one is immediately greeted by a life-like animatronic Ghostface, the infamous villain from the “Scream” movie franchise.
Ghostface, with his blood-soaked mask, stands at the entrance of Spirit Halloween’s new animatronic display called “Welcome to the Carevil.” The display takes customers through a horror-themed amusement park with other animatronics that come to life when prompted.
Grace Alanis, the manager at the McAllen Spirit Halloween, said that the animatronics have been the biggest draw to her location since the store opened Aug. 24.
“We’ve been very busy,” Alanis said. “Our animatronics have been selling a lot, a lot. That’s the first thing that flies out the door.”
Alanis has worked for Spirit Halloween for 21 years. She said that the displays have always been a popular attraction to her stores, and this year’s carnival theme is proving to be no different.
The display features a number of popular characters including Art the Clown from “Terrifier” films inviting guests to participate in the carnival game “Down the Duck,” as well as Emily and Victor from “Corpse Bride,” and a few other cackling clowns.
“People always love our displays,” Alanis said. “You know, we always have different themes. Every year it’s a different thing. What’s different about this year is that we have a carnival theme.”
While the animatronics continue to be the big attraction, it is the store’s large selection of Halloween decorations and costumes for customers of all ages that has helped make Spirit Halloween a one-stop shop for all things spooky.
“As movies come out, we get a lot of new costumes,” Alanis said. “That’s what really sells. The first thing that sells, actually.”
With “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the long awaited sequel to the 1988 horror comedy, set to release in theaters this month, Alanis said that Beetlejuice-theme costumes are this year’s popular theme.
As customers purchase their costumes, masks, mugs and other horror-themed knick-knacks, they also have the opportunity to make a monetary donation to “Spirit of Children,” which benefits children departments at local hospitals throughout the country.
Donations made at the McAllen location will go to South Texas Health System Children’s. The store will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony next Thursday at 10 a.m. to kick off the campaign.
The stores are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Customers will have until Nov. 3 to visit the stores.
“If you need anything, you can find it here or we’ll help you find it anyway,” Alanis said. “I’m excited about the season. That’s why I’ve been working for them this long.”
To see more, view staff photographer Joel Martinez’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Spirit Halloween returns to Valley with horror-themed animatronic displays
