Image from bestofessex.com
I generally try to stay in Hudson County for our featured businesses, but when offered the opportunity to play in the "World's Largest Halloween Store", I'm certainly not going to turn it down. Plus I think every Hudson County-er can handle a 20 minute drive. Family owned and operated, the State Fair brand is also behind State Fair Meadowlands (your favorite NJ State Fair), and certainly understands entertainment for the whole family.
Walking into State Fair Seasons Halloween, is like walking into an absolute Halloween wonderland. It's the kind of place where I'd happily spend money with reckless abandon. Firstly, it's HUGE! Take about three of your NYC Halloween pop-up stores and maybe that will give you an idea. It's also open all year long-- some of the inventory may be switched to cater to Christmas or the Summer pool season-- you can always expect to find a good amount of costume inventory.
When I meet store representatives Steve Solomon and Michelle Tartaglione (a part of the family that owns State Fair) in the store, they're lovely and excited to show me around. I'm ready to dress up, because, well, there are few things that get me as excited as dressing up. We start at decorations that span from small rubber spiders, to life-size animatronic scary women that evil-y cackle with fervor. There are aisles of tombstones, ghosts, scary things that make noise, you name it.
Next up we check out the mask/ hat/ wig wall. Rest assured, I'm not lumping these in together because there isn't enough inventory-- in fact there's so much it takes up three major walls in the store. Masks span from licensed characters like the South Park kids and Avatar, to scary, to weirdly obscure turkeys and hairless cats. Not to mention there're hundreds of different hats and wigs that will work any costume you're planning.
The store is stocked with costumes and accessories for everyone in the family from infant, to Plus Sized Adult, to pets. They have couples costumes, costumes for the whole family, and not to mention the kids section is a whole entire separate room. There're shoe walls, aisles of accessories, walls of pantyhose and tutus, and basically anything you could possibly need. Want to build a costume from things in your closet, and just need a few chosen accessories? State Fair has it. Need a full deluxe costume with alllll the trimmings? This is your place.
On top of all of that, they invite local makeup artist, and also part of the State Fair family, Catherine Cramer to do Halloween makeup tutorials. I definitely walked in not knowing what to expect, but hoping it was going to be the kind of gory makeup I've always tried to accomplish, but lack the skills to achieve. Catherine delivers and then some. Through a special effects zipper piece, cotton balls, liquid latex, fake blood and Ben Nye makeup (did I mention the makeup selection is extensive?), she managed to make my face look like it was coming undone. I was so happy I drove home with my makeup on.
Make sure you check out State Fair Seasons for all of your last minute Halloween costume and decorating needs, as well as their website here and their Instagram here. And don't forget to follow Catherine here, where she's doing her #31daysofHalloween challenge and ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT!
