Coming up next on NewsDepth.

How are tariffs affecting Halloween candy and costumes?

A teenager turns his family's basement into a haunted hotel.

Record breaking witches are breaking it down in Sandusky.

And we hear about the vibrant traditions of Dia de Muertos.

NewsDepth is now Halloween is here!

But this year, the spooky season might come with a scary surprise to your wallet.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

Thank you for joining us.

New data from the National Retail Federation reveals that Halloween spending is expected to hit a record $13.1 billion this year, with rising costs fueled by ongoing tariffs on imported goods.

From candy to costumes, shoppers are feeling the pinch, but some are finding creative ways to celebrate without breaking the bank.

Will shoppers find tricks or treats when it comes to saving money?

Anthony Ramos has the scoop.

Creepy masks, decomposing decorations, and tons of candy could cost shoppers more this Halloween season, according to new data from the National Retail Federation.

I am noticing an increase in costs just all around Halloween.

The NRF recently releasing its annual consumer survey, finding that across the nation, Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year.

That's up 1.5 billion from 2024.

With each person projected to spend about $114.

Some of the increasing costs are due in part to the ongoing tariffs on Chinese imports.

According to the Halloween and Costume Association, roughly 90% of Halloween products contain at least one part made overseas, mainly in China.

Some shoppers haven't noticed the impacts.

I think they're about the same.

They're comparable.

Yeah.

How much are you spending on average for Halloween?

About $40 for each child.

So I have two kids, so about 80 bucks.

Others, like Fernley resident Caitlyn Reyes, have noticed a difference.

I'm just buying these costumes makes me want to go home and just do something DIY for the family, you know?

And also just trying to decorate outside.

I, you know, want something that looks big and awesome, but, you know, you can't really afford to do anything too, too fun nowadays.

For shoppers, like Reyes, looking for those DIY options, and thrift stores like Saint Vincent's in Reno may just be the best option, according to Lisa Ross with Catholic Charities.

Oh, Halloween can be super fun, but it can also be very stressful for parents when they can't afford it.

So we have brand new costumes for children from babies all the way to adults.

And maybe you don't want a whole costume, you just want parts.

For Reyes, Halloween starts the holiday season, and despite the cost, she offers a reminder to all.

Oh, even if it costs a little more, it doesn't even matter.

Just enjoy it with the family.

Thanks for the story, Anthony.

From taxing tariffs, we pivot to a peculiar pumpkin paddling party.

Imagine creating a boat out of a large pumpkin and then thrusting it to float with you inside of it.

That was the mission of one of New Hampshire's quirkiest traditions, the annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta.

Mike Moses was there and brings us the gourd news.

Every fall, the Piscataquog River through downtown Goffstown turns into a race track.

- Around that first pin!

For one of New Hampshire's quirkiest traditions.

The Annual Pumpkin Regatta, which turns giant gourds into makeshift boats.

We put them in, you ride them, and we remove them.

Jim Hallene and his volunteer river rats get these oversize vessels in and out of the water.

It's amazing that this many people show up to watch people paddle a pumpkin.

The pumpkin needs to weigh at least 1,000 pounds or more to support the weight of a person.

For them to get inside, then navigate around the river.

Do they get wet?

Yes.

We can just about guarantee that every year Hi, welcome to Wonderland.

This year's event had a Wonderland twist, with paddlers in costume and boats decked out.

But organizers say the real magic Is how the community comes together every October.

To see people shopping and coming out of the village with smiles on their faces, has just been phenomenal.

Fried dough, burgers, dogs.

Beyond paddling the pumpkins they carve, eat and even drop them from nearly 200ft.

And back on the water, Crystal Delahanty crosses the finish line as the winner.

It was close there at the finish.

How did you pull through as the winner?

I couldn't feel my arms, but there's no way I was letting them win.

I'm way too competitive.

Looks like that Pumpkin Regatta was a smashing success.

Thanks for the story, Mike.

One of my favorite fall treats is caramel apples.

In this next story, we visit a candy shop in Illinois that is still making them the same way they've been doing them for decades by hand.

Drew Coffee has the story.

Today we have, just about 600 apples to make.

But Terry wouldn't consider it a busy day.

We make the caramel every day.

We make generally enough apples that we're going to sell that day.

Sitting in the heart of Moline since 1908, It's what Lagomarcino's is best know for.

Well, we've done about 25,000 in a year.

I have to hide them in a different refrigerator.

And, well, they sell.

You could buy caramel apples anywhere.

We like to say the secret in the caramel that you can actually tell the difference between our apple and somebody else's apple.

Making the caramel, dipping them, dressing them, and packaging the finished product.

This team of three does all this in just a few hours every day.

Do you want a copy of your receipt?

And the work pays off...right above them.

We start our season a little bit sooner because we know people love caramel apple so much, and they're wanting them year round.

I really like caramel apple season when it starts, but I love it when it ends.

And for chocolatier Sabien Minteer, he sees it as a form of expression.

You're doing something that you hope has a visual appeal that will attract someone.

And like any medium.

That's what every artist is trying to do.

Whether you're on stage playing music or you're painting a canvas.

A canvas using caramel as its paint.

It is something special, when someone asks for what you make.

Sweet story.

Thank you, Drew.

And that brings us to our poll for the week.

We want to know what's your favorite fall treat?

Leaf your mark.

Head to our poll page and cast your vote.

You can choose between caramel apples, Halloween candy, pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider, or something else.

That's a hard poll.

Can I pick more than one?

Last episode, we saw some awesome stories about inclusive sports.

We visited a dance studio, watched a wrestling match, and took a spin on the ice.

We asked you if you thought sports are inclusive.

Let's check out the results of the poll.

89% of you agree that sports are very inclusive, and another 11% of you think they could be even more inclusive.

Thank you all for voting.

I think we can all agree that inclusivity helps us all enjoy our favorite activities.

Halloween decorator Kevin Holt from Colorado thinks so too.

He built a haunted forest that can be enjoyed by neurodivergent visitors.

Neurodivergent refers to individuals whose brains work differently.

This can include differences in thinking, learning, processing or behaving like with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and much more.

It's not a negative term, it just means someone experiences the world in a unique way.

Kevin created the sensory friendly experience and welcomed neurodivergent students to enjoy the dazzling skeleton display.

Bradley Davis takes us into the spooky forest.

It's all the work of Kevin Holt in Cascade.

They all stand in front of the house and they all collectively say, "Thank you, Mr.

Kevin."

And it just melts my heart.

Skeletons!

His skeletons light up the night and children's faces.

It's just absolutely amazing when you have somebody like Kevin in the community that steps up and gets us.

For four years now, he's invited the neurodivergent students at the Rise Up School in Colorado Springs to walk through for free.

I think it's pretty cool.

Looks pretty festive.

They they talk about it.

They look forward to it.

Spooky.

This is amazing.

Oh, my gosh, this is so much fun!

For these families, enjoying the small things can sometimes be a big challenge.

It's a lot of work.

They don't have a lot of support.

He doesn't really trick or treat.

We've we've tried over the years, but it's just not his thing.

Kevin makes it easy.

I get to bring him out here and he can experience all of these things, at least on whatever level that he gets it.

We, I fly, we river raft, and we come to Kevin's house.

Way to do it, Kevin!

It's, one of the most, unique warming feelings that a guy can ever have.

That, truly, you're given that from your heart, feels that somebody really does appreciate what you do, and they love you.

All while Kevin helps the kids love Halloween.

- Skeletons.

-Skeletons!

-Alright!

Thanks, Bradley.

One teenager from eastern Pennsylvania is taking his love for Halloween to the next level.

Well, I guess to a lower level.

Joseph Venziale turned his family's basement into a haunted hotel.

Wakisha Bailey has all the frightening details in this report.

Joe, are you in here?

I sure am.

Welcome to the Venziale Manor.

A one of a kind haunted hotel built entirely in the basement of a 16 year old.

I know we're having a storm outside right now.

After a creepy welcome, teen creator Joseph Venziale showed us his labor of love.

We're still working.

We're still building, painting.

How long have you been doing this?

Since May.

That's six months in the making.

From checking in, to old Hollywood style details, Joe imagined every corner.

So this is our front desk, and it's just very old Hollywood style.

It's like you walked into the 1930s.

He scouts props year round with his dad.

Joe even built a luggage room to sell the illusion.

To kind of just sell that idea that, you know, you're checking your bags into the hotel and you're here for your, you know, your final stay.

Hmm, final stay?

What is it about Halloween that you love so much, Joe?

I just love the creativity aspect of it and, how much I can do with it and build upon what I already have.

And this year, Joe is adding a ballroom attraction, complete with custom moving mannequins all built with the help from his family.

His mom and grandparents on sets and costumes, and his friends cast as 17 actors.

I always like to improve what I'm doing for not only myself, but for everyone else to enjoy.

And whether you check in just for a few minutes or survive a full tour, this is one experience you won't forget.

Joseph said tickets are $5 and all proceeds go to the Spirit of Children, which collects money for a local children's hospital.

Sticking with Halloween news, the Sandusky Witches Walk just had their 14th annual gathering where they gather dresses, witches for parade and dance party.

This year, there was an adjudicator from Guinness World Records to measure for two new world records.

An adjudicator is someone who makes an official decision.

The Sandusky Witches Walk now holds the world record for largest costume contest of witches and largest group of witches dancing together in one place.

Ygal Kaufman breaks it down for us.

The witch's walk went after a piece of history.

The event includes a large parade of witches and a massive line dance of witches breaking it down.

They went after the world records for both.

What I love about this record attempt is it's not just something they came up with out of a hat.

Right.

This is something they've been doing for 14 or 15 years.

It's part of the Sandusky community.

So to do what they normally do, this giant witches walk, this giant party and then to do two Guinness World Records attempts was really cool.

I'm here mainly for the charity, I've always loved dressing up, watching other people dress up.

I scared at Cedar Point for a while because of my job.

I can't do that anymore.

But I love doing this.

With 970 participants, you've set a new Guinness World Records title for the longest Witches costume contest!

What I love about this attempt and the crowd here is that everyone is so into it, right?

Like no one is here just randomly.

They're here because they want to be at this event.

A lot of the girls from our group go every year, and we get a group, a big group of all of our friends and get together for a few days, make a lot of laughs and memories and dress up and let your hair down and forget about regular, everyday life and be a kid and have fun.

I always just make memories with our friends.

It's great.

We have a great time.

Actually, I'm from Brazil.

We don't have Halloween in Brazil.

But, when I moved, it was my favorite like Halloween outfit to wear.

Witch!

And then we start a big group and then we start dancing.

And then this band, maybe 12 years now, I guess... 12 years?

Yes.

Today you have a total in Sandusky of 727 witches!

That's your second Guinness World Records title.

Once again, Sandusky Witches Walk, you are officially amazing!

Great job, everyone!

The witches successfully set two new world records while raising money for good causes and bringing joy to witches and cosplay fanatics from all over the world.

Thank you, witches!

Awesome story.

Thank you, Ygal.

I know a little someone who is just as excited about Halloween as I am.

Let's see what NewsHound has found for this week's petting zoo.

Oh, hey.

NewsHound, You're all dressed up and ready to go trick or treating for Halloween.

Looks like you're all ready for some tricks and some treats.

There you go.

What did you find for us this week?

Oh, cool.

A story about a rare lobster caught off the coast of Maine.

It is orange and black.

Just like a jack o lantern.

That is perfect for Halloween.

Learn more about Jackie the Calico Lobster on this week's Petting zoo by clicking the thumbnail below this video.

Great story.

Thanks as always.

NewsHound.

All right, let's get back to the show.

November 2nd is a time when families from Mexico come together to honor their departed loved ones with reverence and festivity.

I'm talking about Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

The Sahara West Library in Las Vegas is honoring Dia de Muertos with an altar for the whole community.

Karla Salinas has more.

Over 6000 paper butterflies have taken over the Sahara West Library.

They're all a part of the Dia de Los Muertos altar drawing in visitors of all backgrounds to stop and remember.

This is really a celebration of life, not of death.

And it really connects us back to our ancestors, and the people that were close to us, all those beautiful memories.

And I think that that's why it's so important.

For many, Dia de Los Muertos is a sacred Mexican tradition, a time when families believe the spirits of loved ones return to share in culture and memories.

And then you see the the, the monarch butterflies around here.

You know, we believe that the monarch butterfly brings us spirits of our loved ones back.

The ofrenda, titled The Return, was created by local artist Isaias Hiram Urrabazo and his family, who say the project is about helping people connect with their roots.

It's so beautiful to be here and that so many different types of people walk in here and encounter this, that is welcoming them, not just Latinos, but every body.

Thank you Carla.

On this special edition of Sketchbook, our producer Natalia Garcia, who's actually from Mexico, takes us into the heart of Dia de Muertos, exploring their rich traditions and vibrant altars.

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in the first two days of November.

It's a time to celebrate loved ones who have passed away.

This tradition dates back to the Aztecs and Toltecs ancient civilizations in what is now Mexico.

Here's Dalia De La Torre, an artistic makeup artist to talk about the iconic La Catrina.

To understand what a Catrina is, we need to talk about a character called Calavera Garvancera, which is a satirical character created by Jose Guadalupe Posadas, in the early 20th century.

So he created this image of a skull, a smiling skull.

The one had a very elegant hat, and he made it to, to criticize the people who had indigenous roots.

Later on in the late 40s, came a painter and a muralist known as Diego Rivera, he took this image and he put it in his mural.

He added a body to it.

It was a very elegant, skull with a very big hat.

With a very elegant dress.

Jewelry.

And he named it the Catrina The Catrina was gradually adopted by people as a way to be playful and to celebrate in life, in a very solemn time.

I know it's a contradiction to have the topic of death and the topic, of a celebration in the same, even the same sentence.

But it was a way for us to remind everyone that life was worth celebrating because it was going to end.

One of the most common Dia De Muertos traditions is creating an ofrenda, which is Spanish for offering.

The ofrendas are decorated altars.

They include photos, candles, marigold flowers, and even favorite foods of the people we are celebrating.

And we can't forget the Pan, the Muerto and Calaveritas.

I always like, the Day of the Dead tradition because my grandma and I always set of our altars, and it was a very, very important time for family.

And when I moved to our new city called Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, which is where I live now.

I saw a lot of people had, their faces painted, and I didn't understand, why or what was the meaning behind it.

So I just loved it and wanted to start learning more.

I started, I started taking classes and training, to try to get better and better.

This led me here to, to be, like, my main specialization.

Catrina make up means kind of being your own superhero, because you get to, how could I put it?

You get to become a child again.

I've seen plenty 70 year old, 60 year old grown men and women, who have never done this and who look at themselves in the mirror for the first time after getting their make-up done, And these like they become children again.

They... I think they're reminded of how important it is not to take life so seriously.

And the importance of play.

Day of the Dead is not competing with Halloween in any way, shape or form.

We know both.

Even though they are, frequently confused with one another.

Each one have their own important place in our country's culture.

And that's completely fine.

And this is something, Day of the Dead is something that will keep on evolving.

So make sure to be on the lookout for everything the Mexican artists, and performers, photographers are doing in regards to that tradition because I bet it's going to be interesting.

Thank you, Natalia.

Another Dia de Muertos tradition are Calaveritas, which translates to little skulls.

But in this case, we're talking about funny poems.

Calaveritas are short, humorous poems.

For our write-to-us this week we'd like you to write a Calaverita or funny poem about your favorite fall tradition.

Calaveritas are often paired up with colorful drawings of skulls.

The Dia de Muertos kind.

Students can share their poems and skull drawings using our inbox form online, or by sending us an email to newsdepth@ideastream.org.

On our last episode, we learned about inflatable pants and how they aim to prevent injuries when someone falls.

And we asked you to put on your thinking caps and come up with other ideas for practical clothing.

Let's raid your imaginary closets by opening up our inbox.

Salem from Roosevelt Elementary School in Lakewood has a cool idea to keep you warm.

We should make clothes that can blow hot air for winter, that can blow cool air for summer, and have many pockets so you can sneakily turn on the air.

And it is silent and doesn't blow up.

Lucas from Strongsville Middle School in Strongsville sent in this drawing and wrote, dear NewsDepth, there should be a shirt that can tell your heart rate and body temperature.

And when your heart rate is too high, it will flash red.

And when you are too hot, it releases a small cool wind burst, cooling you down and it comes in any color.

Great job Lucas, I would get that shirt in green because it's my favorite color.

Claire from Independence Middle School in Independence would like to fall with style.

I think some good ideas for practical clothing would be some sort of jacket that has built in wings for gliding.

This next idea from Grayson, from Dodge Intermediate School in Twinsburg, is going to make a big splash at stores.

I like doing cannonballs in the pool, so I think they should make a suit that makes a big splash while keeping you afloat.

And Edwin from Groveport Elementary in Groveport is reaching for the sky with their idea.

Dear NewsDepth, I made inflatable shoes so if you get your kite in a tree, just jump up there.

There are three modes easy jumper and rocket ship.

Don't turn on a spaceship or you will go up to space.

Thank you all for writing.

Your ideas sound amazing.

And there are too many good ones that we couldn't fit them all into this episode.

To check out more of your answers, you can go to the Your Answers page on our website NewsDepth.org.

I'm always impressed by students who represent the quote.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

We recently met with a group of students at Avon Heritage Elementary School in Avon who do just that.

All the student members of the Kids Who Care Club are this week's A-plus Award winners.

The Kids Who Care Club is a schoolwide group led by student leaders called Kids Who Care Ambassadors.

In the fifth grade.

The members of the club who are in third, fourth and fifth grade work to make the school a better place for the students.

But on top of that, they do a lot of work in the community to lend a helping and caring hand to Avon's residents.

When we visited the club's ambassadors, we were very impressed with how busy they are.

Zoey told us that she's really looking forward to working with the Avon Senior Citizens.

The Kids Who Care Club will help decorate the Avon Oaks Nursing Home for the holidays, and spend time with the seniors there.

Gabby and Alex told us that they really enjoyed helping out with the plant sale, because they got to help community members load their plants into their cars and fundraise for the school.

Mia explained that she really enjoys helping others, and that being a role model for younger students is an important part of the club.

Audrey added that the club is a great place to be true to who you are, and that she's proud that it helps Heritage students have a great experience while they're there.

The Kids Who Care Club has nearly 300 members every year.

There are 30 ambassadors who take on leadership roles in the club.

Mrs.

Stringer, the club's advisor, told us that the club was started 14 years ago by a former Heritage student who was concerned about their classmates who might not feel happy at school.

Mrs.

Stringer explained that the club truly is run by the students.

She told us that she's very proud of the work the club has done for the last 14 years, and their work has made Heritage a wonderful place for students and a school Avon should be proud of.

This week's A-plus Award goes to the students at Heritage Elementary in Avon for showing how much they care about their community.

I love learning what you're all up to.

Well, I think we're all out of time for today's episode, but we'll be back next week.

Don't worry.

Until then, you can keep the conversation going because we always like to hear from you, and there are plenty of ways for you to stay in touch with us.

You can write to us.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org.

Plus, you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

Hit subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

See you next week.

NewsDepth was made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.