Leading Party Goods Retailer, Party City, Can Help You Go All the Way on This Year's Halloween Weekend!

ROCKAWAY, N.J. -- What will be this year's favorite costumes? Party City has the answers.

Halloween has become America's second most popular holiday and time for kids of all ages to pick the perfect costume. What will be the hottest costumes this year? Party City, the nation's leading party store, predicts that action heroes will return to center stage.

"Current movies and events always play a big part in people's choices. No question, Spider-Man will be a hands-down favorite with boys again this year," said Lisa Laube, Chief Merchandising Officer. "We predict girls will choose some of their perennial favorites like princesses and Cinderella, but with contemporary styling from flared sleeves to midriff tops and low rise pants."

But why limit Halloween to the humans? This year, pet costumes promise to be big. With trick-or-treaters taking their pets along for safety and companionship, they too can join the celebration. Party City offers an entire line to create a creepy canine or fearful feline. "Halloween has become a full family experience and pet costumes are definitely a part of this trend," Laube says.

What else do the experts at Party City predict come this Halloween? Here are a few other Halloween happenings to watch out for:

--Heroes in uniform - Party City sees city police and firemen, nurses, and doctors costumes and accessories selling well.

--Young kids love their favorite characters - Sponge Bob, Power Rangers and Bob the Builder still top the lists of many younger boys. And don't forget "Lord of the Rings." Frodo will be ringing many a doorbell.

--Monsters all - For many kids, Frankenstein, Dracula, witches, devils and ghouls are the only way to scare up attention on Halloween. Another trend has emerged: the more gruesome and realistic the make-up, the better! Party City has a wide array of easy-to-use options to satisfy a Hollywood make-up artist.

--Let them howl with laughter - For every skeleton, there's apt to be a trick-or- treater wearing a costume to touch someone's funny bone. Some that will be popular? Party City's Tacky Tourist, Referee and Cry Baby, as well as its Padded Plumber, complete with saggy pants and a cheeky backside.

Halloween is party time

Although 41 million kids still trick or treat, Halloween has become a major party night -- the country's third largest behind New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday. And with Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, the holiday offers a whole weekend of party possibilities. "Halloween has become a great time to get creative with household decorations," said Laube. "With our help and without fuss, people are turning their homes into Halloween statements."

Party City's new line of Floor Gore, Door Gore and Window Silhouettes, for example, can turn any 'bare-bones' house into a Halloween masterpiece. For under $20, frightening footprints, awesome apparitions and shadowy specters will have neighbors and Halloween visitors howling.

Other Halloween home decorating trends and tricks:

--Oversized inflatables: Giant pumpkins, ghosts and even favorite characters like a Dracula-dressed Snoopy will be adorning front yards.

--Lights, action: Party City now offers great Halloween light sets, featuring spiders, pumpkins, ghosts and even eyeballs.

--Did you hear that?: A true haunted house needs some sound effects. People are all ears for sound machines that provide the right level of shrieks, cries and ghostly boos.

--Dare you go inside: People are using black fabric, fog machines, flaming cauldrons and black lights to create a complete mood inside the house too.

It's no wonder the big Halloween story this year will be fun. From costumes to parties to haunted houses, Party City will help you go all the way this Halloween weekend.

Party City Corporation is America's largest party goods chain and currently operates 249 company-owned and 255 franchise stores. To learn more about the Company, visit the Company's web site at http://www.partycity.com.