Downtown Wilmington businesses prepare for Halloween weekend, ‘Saturween’
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With Halloween falling on a Saturday for the first time since 2020, downtown Wilmington businesses are preparing for a weekend of costumes, events and potentially increased foot traffic.
Local businesses are offering a variety of activities and seasonal treats as they look to take advantage of the holiday weekend.
Ben Motsinger, co-owner of Memory Lane Comics, said the store is looking forward to its annual Trick or Read event.
Motsinger also mentioned how the holiday falling on a Saturday might make it easier for people to enjoy Halloween festivities without having to work around a weekday schedule.
“It’s always a bummer if it falls on a Wednesday and you have to be in bed by eight o’clock,” Motsinger said. “So it should be a lot of fun to see everyone in their costumes and have a lot of fun with it.”
The National Retail Federation’s latest Halloween report estimates Americans will spend $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, up from a record $13.1 billion in 2025.
The report, conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics, found that 74% of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year.
Consumers are expected to spend an average of $115.14 per person on the holiday.
The report also found that 13% of consumers plan to shop at local or small businesses for Halloween, nearly double the 7% who planned to do so in 2016.
Seth Hoyle, marketing director for Thalian Hall, said weekends are important for downtown businesses.
“The weekend is the lifeline of downtown businesses,” Hoyle said.
Wake and Bake Donuts will be open, with different seasonal options on the menu.
Store employee Cora Evanoff predicts the shop will be busy as ever.
“I think we’ll sell a lot of the pumpkin donuts, the pumpkin glaze and the pumpkin cheesecake,” Evanoff said.
For those looking for something different, Wilmington’s Museum of the Bizarre is another option. Admission to the Museum of the Bizarre costs $3.
With businesses across downtown offering different ways to celebrate, Halloweekend is sure to be a great time in downtown Wilmington.
