Gott says her shop is seeing a higher volume of people and sales, but less spending per shopper. Halloween regularly falls in the top three most celebrated holidays in the U.S., typically following Christmas and Thanksgiving. “It’s a big deal everywhere, not just in Denver, not just in Colorado,” said Gott.

Senior staff writer Sierra O’Neil examines the true costs — from pumpkins to costumes — of college students' favorite holiday.

Darth Vader was a top seller in 1977 following the release of the first Star Wars movie. C-3PO and Luke Skywalker were also big hits. Horror and fear were more in style in 1988 as Freddy Krueger became the runaway sellout. Exclamations of “Yeah, baby!” echoed in 1999 as Austin Powers took the top spot.

Here's a list of West Virginia-specific costumes that are sure to win at your local costume contest (or at least turn some heads).

From pop-culture icons to classic creatures, here are the top costumes that will be lighting up Rockford’s neighborhoods this year.