Halloween Express, Gastonia

Joining the witness-protection program is the best way to disguise your identity, but the vast array of costumes at Halloween Express gives the program a run for its money. For more than two decades, the chain’s 300-plus stores have supplied customers with costumes year-round from vampire capes for Halloween to Caesar togas for the Ides of March.

In preparation for the fall of 2015, they’ve added more than 3,000 new items to their Halloween collection. These costumes range from Day of the Dead masks to Darth Vader costumes for dogs. The store’s party supplies add a spooky touch to festivities and include tombstones, rotting pumpkins, and giant hairy spiders.