Every year it’s the same old thing: you know Halloween’s on its way, you mean to do something about it, you even read all of Jeanna’s Halloween posts here on Metroblogging Seattle, and ye, somehow, you’re still not entirely ready for Halloween. The clock is ticking and you’re running out of time. it’s not too late, though, you still have your options for getting your Halloween act together.
Archie McPhee has everything you need for Halloween–costumes, party decorations, toys–and, as an added bonus, all of their employees are dressed in costumes to celebrate the holiday.	Photo courtesy Archie McPhee. Thanks, David!

Another great spot for last minute Halloween shopping? Value Village. Not only do they carry a full line of new Halloween costumes and geegaws, they’re also a great place to put together your own custom costume from the ever-changing assortment of donated items.

Friday

• Did you miss Regina Spektor last night ^[seattlest] at the Moore? She’s playing a free show tonight at the LQA Easy Street Records store. [easystreet]
• Michelle Orange went to Italy in search of her ancestors and a series of delightful dispatches came back [mcsweeneys]. Now the letters are collected in a handsome package called the Sicily Papers [$]. She reads from them tonight at the University Bookstore along with Stephen Elliott and other writer pals. [ubookstore]
• Husband and wife rock duo Viva Voce pair up with Silversun Pickups, who can’t seem to get enough of this town. [crocodile]

Saturday

• You’re running out of time and vintage/thrift stores are bound to be picked over; so get out there and buy a Halloweeen costume.
• This is the last weekend for the fantastic Washington State Corn Maze. Twelve acres of corn are intersected by four and a half miles of actual “roads” with “towns” and “cities” and “landmarks”. After picking up trivia while tromping through the state’s highway system, stick around for fresh baked goods, a massive pumpkin patch, a cute overload petting zoo, and then watch real pigs act out the story of the Three Little Pigs. Pretty much the best autumn activity ever. [thefarm]

Sunday

• Scare yuppie shoppers by walking Zombie-style through University Village [upcoming]
• The band names keep changing, but Tim Kinsella continues to make oddly compelling and accessible free-jazz fusion projects. This time it’s Make Believe drawing you to the new and improved Comet. Now with modest cover charges! [comet]

What are you doing this weekend and where did you get your sexy costume?

Yep, more frightening
Halloween costume ideas …

So, you know that Display & Costume and Champion Party Supply have a big selection of ready-made Halloween costumes — but where can you go if you don’t want to spend a lot of money and/or you want to do something original and creative? One option is to check out your local Value Village.

Each October, Value Village brings in a large variety of new (and some used) Halloween costumes and accessories — this year the Halloween store is called “Dr. Frankenfrugal’s Halloween Factory”. Although the quality isn’t what you would find at a place like Display & Costume, the selection is good and the prices even better. I had been looking for a curly blonde wig at Display and Costume, but couldn’t find the right style — and certainly didn’t want to spend $26.99 or more for it. This past Saturday, I checked out Value Village’s Halloween wigs and discovered tons of different styles, all at very reasonably prices. Of course they’re hideously tacky and not very well made, but I’m guessing the one I bought will survive one or two nights of partying — and at $5.98 I’m not going to care if it falls apart shortly thereafter.
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Display & Costume’s “Barista Babe”
Scariest Halloween costume ever?
I don’t know about you, but this one
is going to give me nightmares.

There are only a few short weeks between now and Halloween, and hopefully you’ve already started working on that fabulous, clever outfit you’re going to be wearing to all of those wonderful masquerade balls you’ve been invited to.

Have you got the perfect costume idea — but no idea where to acquire seven yards of magenta fake fur, 10″ pimp daddy platforms, and large fake ears? Or has your costume muse abandoned you, leaving you with nothing but a rising sense of dread and the fear that you’ll wear the plastic fangs and cheap satin cape again this year? In either case, Seattle boasts many fine purveyors of Halloween accoutrements who are eager to help you find everything you need or to give your creativity a kick in the butt.

Let’s start with the most popular Seattle Halloween supplier: Display & Costume in Northgate (11201 Roosevelt Way NE, with an additional location in Everett). Display & Costume has been around since 1952 and prides itself as a “one stop party destination”. They have a huge, newly-renovated Christmas display room and sell all sorts of wedding and party supplies. Come October, they bring in an amazing assortment of Halloween costumes, d