On the Thursday afternoon before Halloween, Harygul’s Halloween Superstore in Virginia Beach was bustling. Soft pop music played from speakers overhead as a customer looked for hair wax. Another wanted bowties. One parent hunted for a braided purple wig for his daughter, who had her heart set on dressing as Rumi from “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
Every now and then, a sinister laugh or otherworldly growl would rumble from the corner of the store where animatronic ghouls, goblins and werewolves lined up.
“We're excited about a Saturday Halloween,” store owner Deepak “D.” Nachnani said. “Friday, Saturday, Sunday and even Monday are solid Halloween years where everybody wants to celebrate.”
Tuesday and Wednesday Halloweens usually dampen people’s will to celebrate, he said.
Nachnani’s dad started Harygul’s — a portmanteau of his grandfather’s and uncle’s names — in 1973. Now, Nachnani runs it.
He said this year, home decor has been in high demand.
“People are buying huge skeletons, they're buying fog machines, they're buying all kinds of stuff,” he said.
When it comes to costumes, people are reaching for the classics. Think: horror films and vampires.
“Ghostface is creeping up as number one,” he said. “Michael Myers, huge.”
But after the spooky stuff, Nachnani said people are buying up poofy blonde wigs.
“Dolly Parton,” he said. “We've seen a tribute to Dolly, which is really cool.”
Parton, a beloved country star known for her charity and sparkle, died Aug. 26.
Chesapeake resident Amy Wilson said she decided to dress as Parton this year to honor her memory.
“It's hard to lose such an iconic person,” Wilson said.
For her Dolly look, Wilson opted for a shaggy blonde wig with “big old bangs” and a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader outfit like the one Parton wore during the 2023 Thanksgiving Halftime Show. Parton was 76 years old at the time.
Wilson’s costume will be part of a group, which includes a Willie Nelson, Prince and Elton John.
“We just thought it'd be a fun group costume idea,” she said.
Virginia Bird, a shop associate at Echoes of Time costume store in Virginia, said celebrity deaths, current events and pop culture usually inspire costume trends. But she said she hasn’t dressed a Dolly Parton yet.
“I was kind of surprised with the vampires and the pirates this year, to be sure,” she said.
Nachnani said fangs that can custom fit to a person’s teeth have been selling well. Angel, creepy clown, witch and Mario costumes have also been popular.
Nachnani said the 10 days leading up to Halloween are the busiest, bringing in more than half of total sales. Friday and Saturday before sundown will be the busiest of all.
“It’s definitely a last-minute holiday,” he said.
