Day 279

Around this time of year most cities and towns have empty stores that are suddenly filled with Halloween galore (or maybe I should say "gore"). They show up at the end of September and keep their doors open until the very end of October, with clearance sales beginning on November 01.

But in Fairborn, Ohio Halloween happens all year round. It's here that you will find Foy's Halloween stores.

 That's right I said stores...plural. 

Four generations of the Foy family have kept these multiple Halloween-themed stores open for the gore-loving and witch-faithful. Settled literally on Main Street, you can make a whole afternoon out of finding just the right costume.

There is the original costume store, of course, with it's thousands (literally) of costumes and accessories lining the walls for every age, shape, and size. And some costumes of course, that just shouldn't be worn by anyone of any size...

There's also the general store, a bit nostalgic up front where you can purchase just about any kind of candy imaginable. The middle of the store plays to general themes with decorations and costumes that could be used for all sorts of gatherings throughout the year. And the back of the store is dedicated to their more expensive collection of masks. Want to be a famous president for Halloween? They have the mask for you. Feeling like being a dinosaur from Jurassic Park? Yup. They got it.

There's also a store purely for those wanting to decorate their home or start an actual haunted house- it's the first place I've seen where you can buy a "bag of rats"...

Next door is the Kids Costume Store, and finally the haunted museum and Store. The sidewalks are filled with moving ghouls and electric chairs you can take your picture in, while hot cider and pumpkin bread are sold under a tent. It's nothing fancy, but it sure beats those thrown-together warehouse stores in the nostalgia department.

I took the 11-year old and 2 of his friends to experience Foy's. My only regret was that I didn't do it at night, which is of course when you get the full effect. Still, they had a blast looking at all the "cool" stuff and getting their picture taken in the electric chair and with their arm around the zombie throwing up green liquid into a biohazard bucket. The only bad part was my anxiety because they just seemed to have to touch everything...

Tonight's picture represents a family's dedication to it's favorite holiday. Some towns have a house that is famous for it's Christmas decorations, while others may choose fireworks and flags for the Fourth of July. I can't say that Halloween is my personal favorite, but I can appreciate the time and effort others put into their spider webbed front porches and carved out jack-o-lanterns. Plus, I can't deny that Halloween is a great excuse to have candy in the house...