Port Washington Shops Ready for Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and Port Washington shops have been gearing up for the occasion. Patch spoke with some local retailers to see what they have in store.

Owner Patti Vunk offers costumes for those up to four-years-old and all kinds of Halloween story and activity books for children to enjoy. She also carries coloring books, temporary tattoos, face-paint and temporary hair paint (called hair mascara), all to enhance the costume. For adults, Dolphin carries specific Halloween candles. The specific candles are in a “gorgeous orange container,” Vunk said, adding that they also double as aromatherapy. What else do customers want? “This is the time of year that people are interested in ghost stories and things about vampires,” Vunk said, in order to really bring out that spooky, Halloween spirit.

This is your go-to shop if you're looking for that missing piece to your costume. “People aren’t going to walk in and find a complete Halloween costume,” said shop-owner Cecilia "Cece" Renga. Still, she carries the essentials. There is a 1960s-themed display in the window, and Renga said that could mean a hippie, cowboy, band leader or elegant woman from that time period. Another idea Renga shared: “My daughter came in one day and bought four red blazers, so that [she and her friends] became airline stewardesses and all they did was make their little cap and carried their luggage.”  The shop also carries some masks, shoes, jewelry and accessories to help bring any costume fashionably together. “It’s kind of fun to just come in and get ideas,” Renga said.

The card shop, located across the street from Dolphin, offers Halloween cards, along with paint sets, coloring books, crayons, stuffed animal pumpkins, bats and ghosts and Halloween jingle bells. Owner Florence Leniston also carries some items for adults. “I have black shawls, black hats. I have cross bones and skulls, charms and things like that,” she said. The shop features black-and-orange themed jewelry and fun accessories for pre-teens and teenagers. So far, Leniston said sales have been pretty slow, but she is hoping this week will bring out the Halloween customers.