Halloween Adventure in the East Village arisen from the grave, but will it last forever?
When it was announced in January that the beloved, longstanding Halloween Adventure, at 808 Broadway and 104-110 Fourth Ave., would be closing its doors for good, customers mourned the loss as another artistic business that fell victim to the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, thanks to aid from a community gift card charity drive and additional funding backed by their former owners, the 40-year-old spooktacular shop re-opened its doors to the public on Sept. 15 — at least for this season.
“We are here and back in action. We are ready to make your imagination come true,” said Stitch Azintime, the manager at Halloween Adventure.
Azintime, as well as other staff shared their enthusiasm to welcome back customers, and are hoping the store stays open indefinitely, yet that will depend on their Halloween and Holliday patronage.
“Hopefully forever, forever if this Halloween does well then it will be forever. I think it should because this is a New York landmark,” Azintime said, sharing his excitement to be back in action.
For Ashley Pena, a customer who returned to Halloween Adventure says the store was always a place to visit with friends, to try on masks, and to just have fun being creative. It wasn’t until she decided to prepare for the spooky season with a costume based on Cuban singer Celia Cruz that she realized the store had been closed down for several months.
“I hope this store stays open, it’s amazing! The people are super nice in here,” Pena exclaimed, remembering all of the memories she had exploring the shop. “I love this place. It’s for everyone.”
Joe Guardino was disappointed when he learned of the closing but was greatly surprised when he discovered it had once again re-opened its doors. He was excited to take his young son, Logan, to shop for his Halloween costume — Miles Morales from the Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse.
“It’s such a cool store. It’s not like your typical costume store, it’s got so much more. This is just a one-of-a-kind store,” Guardino said, advocating for more people to stop by and show Halloween Adventure their support.
Pet costumes, kids’ fairytale outfits, adult fantasy wear, stage props, and gag paraphernalia fills the business with a quirky atmosphere that fosters all aspects of your imagination, which many New Yorkers feel gives it a vibe unlike any other.
“It’s amazing to be back. It’s definitely a good feeling because this is our other home and it’s a place in the city for people to find costumes and to make themselves be a different person and dress up in everyday life when they need to for clubs, events, and parties. There is no other place like this,” Azintime said.
Halloween Adventure is open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.
Additional reporting by Amanda Moses
