Halloween Costumes Scare up Big Business

This year some of the most popular kids costumes include Super Mario, Angry Birds, vampires, zombies and witches.

With Halloween just a days away, kids are narrowing down their costume ideas. What’s flying off the shelves locally? This year some of the most popular kids costumes include Super Mario, Angry Birds, vampires, zombies and witches, according to an employee from Halloween City at 1316 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove. One of those costumes coincides with what’s trending nationwide. According to the National Retail Federation 2011 Top Costumes survey, conducted by BIGresearch, more than 2.6 million men, women and children plan to dress as zombies this Halloween. Due to the popularity of the characters in recent books, television shows and video games, zombie costumes jumped from number 22 last year to number nine on children’s top costume …

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Reader Photos: Pets in Halloween Costumes

Share your awesome pet costumes with Patch by adding them to the gallery or emailing them to lauren.williamson@patch.com.

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Pumpkin Farms, Parties and Hayrides, Oh My! No Shortage of Fall Fun

Fall fun for families of all ages

If Halloween haunted houses and scary monsters just aren't your thing, there's plenty of other family friendly activities that can help you celebrate the fall season. The following is list of the some of the activities being offered in local Patch communities. For an even more comprehensive list, check this out. Johansen Farms WHAT: At Johansen's Farms, you can spend the whole day enjoying the free hayrides, air slides, train rides (weekends only), navigate your way through the corn maze, play in the hay tunnel and enjoy more than 500 animals in the petting zoo, including goat mountain and the rabbit hotel. Indulge in fresh-baked apple and pumpkin pie, their famous apple cider donuts, then head home, pumpkin in hand. Weekday admission: $7.…

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PHOTOS: Halloween Fun at the Lions Club Party

Hundreds turned out for the Lions Club's annual Halloween Party at Sportsplex.

The Darien Lions Club hosted its annual Halloween Party at Sportsplex Sunday night, complete with a magician, games, ice skating and an inflatable obstacle course. But the kids stole the show with their scary, brilliant, creative and adorable costumes. Scroll through the photo gallery for a true Halloween treat.

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Darien Goes Down the Rabbit Hole for Halloween

Local stores report "Alice in Wonderland" characters are the most popular costumes this year.

Darien's neighborhoods are going to look just a little bit more like the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland this Halloween night. Alice in Wonderland costumes—particularly Alice, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts—were the top sellers in 2010 at Halloween City, one of the two pop-up costume stores that made a home on 75th Street this spooky season. Manager Wendy Benson said that she thinks the Tim Burton movie, released in March, contributed to the surge in popularity. At Halloween Express, also on 75th Street, Mad Hatter costumes were among the most popular, as well, said store owner Nina. Costumes of Toy Story characters follow close behind. The trend in Alice costumes lines up with what's going on nationwide. Characters from the story …

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