Area Halloween fan opens costume store

Published 6:55 pm Saturday, October 5, 2013

Angel Hogate, employee of Hallow's Eve costume shop, looks through costumes Friday. The shop, which features costumes purchased from the former Courtly Manor, opened Monday in advance of the Halloween holiday. Sarah Stultz/Austin Daily Herald

Angel Hogate, employee of Hallow’s Eve costume shop, looks through costumes Friday. The shop, which features costumes purchased from the former Courtly Manor, opened Monday in advance of the Halloween holiday. Sarah Stultz/Austin Daily Herald

Carly Solland of Hartland is a self-proclaimed Halloween freak.

With her birthday falling on Nov. 9, she and her husband, Gary, have hosted a combined Halloween and birthday party for the last 20 years.

Her love of the fall holiday has now led her and her mother, Mary Umstead, to open Hallow’s Eve, a costume shop, on 221 S. Washington Ave.

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The store opened Monday, and features 374 costumes purchased from the former Courtly Manor and 48 costumes of Solland’s own. Most of the costumes are gently used, though there are a handful of new items as well.

“There’s nothing better than being able to dress up and go trick-or-treating or go out with friends,” Solland said.

In the shop, there’s everything from costumes depicting Elvis to convicts to nuns and even Dalmatians. There’s dresses from the 1920s through the 1990s, along with dozens of hats, masks and wigs.

There’s also costumes for other holidays such as Easter Bunny outfits, Santa suits, leprechaun and cupid costumes, she said.

Most of the costumes are adult sizes, but there is a small children’s section. Solland said as the business continues, they hope to expand on their children’s costume selection.

It is the second venture for Solland and Umstead. The mother-daughter team are also partners for Blondie’s Baskets at the Freeborn County Fair.