Ghostface masks, superhero suits and KPop Demon Hunters costumes headline the choices for Halloween shoppers picking this season between familiar favorites and pop culture characters. Others are once again skipping packaged attire and creating their own looks.
With the cultural holiday only days away, shoppers and employees at stores across North Central Florida shared with WUFT News what’s drawing their interest, how they choose their costumes and what they consider too much for certain settings.
Their inclinations reflect a mix of movie inspiration, nostalgia, budget and personal expression. Nationally, familiar characters also remain favorites, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2026 Halloween consumer survey.
What follows are five costume choices drawing interest in north central Florida.
Ghostface
Ghostface — the masked killer from the “Scream” movie franchise — remains a familiar choice for shoppers. The first “Scream” movie debuted in 1996, and “Scream 7” hit theaters in February.
The prevalence of the mask has earned it its own section at Spirit Halloween in Palatka, with sales associate Isaac Zamora saying it is popular with both children and adults.
“It’s all Ghostface,” Zamora said of its place among other adult costume choices.
Many shoppers shared how they sported the elongated white mask in previous years.
Julia Martinez and her son, Julian Rizo, were excited to dress up for Halloween after recently moving to Palatka. Julian, 12, said he dressed as Ghostface last year and tried to create a custom costume using a mask each year. He browsed other masks for this year’s costume.
“I think Ghostface is definitely always popular,” Martinez said. “We were into, like, horror. … We love all the franchises.”
Dina Cherise Smith-Glaviana, a Virginia Tech fashion researcher who studies Halloween costumes, said familiar characters can appeal across generations.
“There’s just a lasting appeal of the classic Halloween things,” she said. “That could be that rewatching from someone’s childhood and sharing it with their children, that could be a huge influence on why these are sticking around and coming back around.”
KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” costumes are another returning favorite among children. They ranked eighth on NRF’s costumes list, up from ninth last year.
The movie premiered in July 2025, but costumes inspired by its characters, including Rumi, Zoey and Mira, continue to draw interest at local Halloween stores.
Amethyst Sandelier, a sales associate at Midnight Halloween, one of three seasonal tent pop-up Halloween stores in Ocala, said it is the most popular costume she has noticed.
“We see huge numbers within the KPop stuff,” she said.
Sandelier said it is most popular with girls ages 6-8; the same costume in larger sizes has remained on the shelves. She said her elementary school daughter plans to dress as Mira.
Dian Austin has worked at Spirit Halloween in Ocala for two years and has seen an increased interest in the costume specifically this year.
“All those little girls are obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters this year,” said Austin, an assistant manager at the store.
Smith-Glaviana said popular films and the availability of merchandise can influence costume choices. But choosing a character can also be personal.
“They find things that allow them to express multiple aspects of themselves,” she said.
Spider-Man
The retail federation reports Spider-Man as the top costume choice for children in 2026, with the broader superhero category second. The character also appears in the adult top 10.
The costume has held the top spot among children’s costume choices in the annual Halloween survey since 2023. This year, an estimated 4.6 million children plan to dress as the character, while 2.3 million plan to wear other superhero costumes, according to NRF data.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was released this year in July, more than four years after the previous live-action installment, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Austin said she always sees superheroes as popular costumes. “Boys, obviously every year, the superheroes, and this year definitely Spider-Man,” she said.
Beyond dressing as a favorite superhero, wearing a costume can change how someone feels, said Smith-Glaviana.
“Clothes have this powerful ability to help people transform, at least change their mood, and then at least let them let loose and become someone else,” she said.
Toy Story
Toy Story is another popular costume following the release of “Toy Story 5” in June, seven years after the last installment.
“This year people bought the crap out of our Toy Story costumes,” Austin said.
She said she was surprised by their popularity among adult customers.
“I’ve noticed this year a lot more families are doing the family costume thing, and that’s really cool,” she said.
Smith-Glaviana said coordinated costumes can reflect a shared family identity rather than each person’s individual preference.
“Sometimes it’s really more of like a family display,” she said.
Homemade
Consumers plan to spend an average of $115.14 on Halloween this year, according to the retail federation. With costumes among those expenses, some shoppers are using items they already own to create their looks.
Sandelier said customers frequently come looking for individual accessories.
“The majority of people that come into Midnight Halloween are looking for parts of a costume,” she said.
Sandelier — who appeared on a Zoom call for her interview dressed as Annabelle, the character from “The Conjuring” movie franchise — also makes her own costumes for a “31 Days of Halloween” series on her personal social media. For a “Silent Hill” nurse look, she used a white dress from Goodwill, cardboard and fabric.
Smith-Glaviana said making a costume can offer a way to save money, express individuality and showcase creative skills.
“There’s this element of that as well, like pride in your work, you’re showing off your skill,” she said.