Halloween

White columned mansion photographed at night

Arts, Music & Culture

Piedmont Pit Stops: Halloween Haunts in Winston-Salem's West End

6:00am October 31, 2024

In Celtic tradition, Halloween is the one night a year when spirits of the dead can return to Earth. But, tour guides from Carolina Haunts and History believe some spirits roam the city of Winston-Salem all year long. For this spooky edition of Piedmont Pit Stops, WFDD’s April Laissle tagged along on a ghost tour of the city’s historic West End.

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‘Witches marks’ and curses found carved into the walls of historic England manor

5:03pm October 30, 2024

About 20 carvings in “a wide range of designs” including some meant to trap demons or to seek help from the Virgin Mary have been found at Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire, England.

National

Kids in Iowa's capital will trick-or-treat on Halloween for the 1st time since 1938

5:00am October 30, 2024

Kids in the greater metro area of Iowa's capital city typically go trick-or-treating the night before Halloween, a tradition that began in the 1930s as a way to help prevent vandalism.

This DIY Halloween costume turns you into the world's scariest animal

8:01am October 29, 2024

Here's a costume that won't take a lot of fuss — and will earn you the title "world's scariest animal" this Halloween.

Step inside this legendary shop full of handmade costumes — while you still can

5:00am September 13, 2024

For nearly half a century, Ursula Boschet has run a legendary costume shop in Los Angeles. Now, the 90-year-old is closing up — and everything is for sale.

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Charlie the superdog is the only member of the King family who got two Halloween outfits this year. His other costume is a doughnut.

National

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

11:10am October 31, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

More U.S. shoppers are buying into Halloween this year, scaring up a new spending record for costumes, decorations, candy and cute outfits for pets.

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Children go trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, 2022, in Houston.

Why the urban legend of contaminated Halloween candy won't disappear

5:11am October 31, 2023

by Kaity Kline

There is no evidence of any deaths or injuries from contaminated Halloween candy. Why are people still afraid of it?

A car is open at a trunk-or-treat in 2014. The events allow children to collect candy from trunks of cars gathered in parking lots.

What to know about trunk-or-treating, a trick-or-treating alternative

5:01am October 31, 2023

by Ayana Archie

Trunk-or-treating has been popular among churches, where people gather in parking lots and decorate their car trunks. Here's a rundown of how it started and how to find one nearby.

This former NPR intern shows off our mosquito costume. He'd no doubt rather bite into candy corn than a human arm.

Health & Safety

On Halloween, here's how to dress up as earth's scariest critter — with minimal prep

6:51am October 28, 2023

by Susan Brink

It's not a shark. It's not a lion. It's not a snake. And all you'll need is some pipe cleaners, sunglasses and gossamer wings.

Arts

Should my Halloween costume include a fake scar? This activist says no

12:05pm October 27, 2023

by Claire Murashima

For some, scars aren't just Halloween costumes. One activist asks us to think twice before using them.

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