Halloween Havoc has been providing the community with all things Halloween for nearly two decades, and owner Joni Autry said this year is no different. Autry said there has been some confusion about if they were open because of their location in the now-closed Towne Square Mall, but with a direct entrance to the parking lot she stressed that the locally owned store is open and offers an experience that can’t be matched by corporate competitors.
Halloween Havoc is located next to the former main entrance to the mall. While many windows have been boarded up across the front of the mall, Halloween Havoc is open. The entrance can be easily spotted due to the inflatables next to the doorway.
Autry said one thing that helps her business stand out is that it’s locally owned, meaning she can custom order costumes and get nearly anything a customer desires.
“I order what I want. If I run out of something, I order it. If someone comes in and I don’t have it, I special order it. I own this by myself, so I don’t have to just carry what a company wants,” she said.
Hundreds of costumes line the several aisles set up in the space, but Autry said she also carries a big selection of masks. Nearly the entire back wall is covered in masks that span all themes of the spooky season.
Halloween Havoc also has full-size animatronics, along with many smaller products. Autry noted she doesn’t carry a lot of “cutesy” items such as decor, and instead carries more “scary” products such as props.
Also unique to her store is a “create-your-own” section for customers who want to DIY their costume or who just need one or two pieces to complete an outfit.
“For a year I’ve been gathering pieces,” she said. “You don’t have to buy a full costume, you can just get bits and pieces.”
Halloween Havoc also has a fitting room to try on costumes, a perk not found at many Halloween stores. However, all purchases are final.
Halloween Havoc is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The store will remain open through the first week of November.
