Owner Kristin Loomis displays Halloween costumes in her shop window at Thrift and Gift in Gearhart.

I still remember winning my small town’s annual Halloween costume contest. I was an orange pumpkin my mother had made out of chicken wire and large orange towels, with a green towel stem for my face to peek out.

Later years, I’d run to the local thrift stores to find Halloween costumes, or fun clothing items to make into costumes. Here on the North Coast, there are several thrift stores to choose from with plenty of Halloween inspiration.

Watch Me Grow

3599 Highway 101 N, Gearhart

The resale store, Watch Me Grow in Gearhart, offers a wealth of costumes for children newborn to kid size 14.

“We have had a very large selection of costumes come in, more than we ever had for everyone from puppies to adults,” owner Tanya Houston said.

According to Houston, family themes are popular this year. Entire families come in wanting to dress as “The Incredibles” or the characters from “The Wizard of Oz.”

One of Houston’s favorite costumes this year is a giant snowman that may actually be comfortable to wear.

“We have a large Olaf from ‘Frozen,’ the kind you can wear a fan inside so you don’t get too hot,” Houston said. “It’s super cool.”

Last year Houston started a Trunk or Treat Drive-thru during the pandemic. She plans to repeat the event this year.

”We’ll have cars set up to give candy out to people in their cars,” Houston said. “So, it’s safe for kids who are immunocompromised.

“Everyone decorates their own cars. We did it last year and it was a great hit.”

The Trunk or Treat Drive-thru will take place Oct. 30 at Watch Me Grow’s front parking area from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Linda’s Rag & Bone

1011 7th Avenue, Seaside

Linda’s Rag & Bone in Seaside offers a variety of military surplus, vintage clothing and ball gowns. The shop has some kid-sized costumes available as well.

“The military things are always pretty popular,” owner Linda Isle-Martin said. “We do have quite a lot of military clothes from different countries, eras and branches of the military. Sometimes people want to go as sailors or current soldiers or soldiers from the past like WWII.”

Isles-Martin said her personal favorite costumes are a leprechaun outfit and dressing in all orange.

Thrift and Gift

3350 101 N., Suite C., Gearhart

Thrift and Gift in Gearhart, formally known as Second Chance Bargains, has many different Halloween options in stock.

“We have 200 plus costumes,” owner Kristin Loomis said. “Men’s and women’s, teen’s and children’s. We have wigs, accessories and make-up.”

Loomis shared that Wonder Woman is her personal favorite.

Her store is packed full of all kinds of costumes, from characters like Elsa from “Frozen,” Care Bears, Ninja Turtles, Luke Skywalker, Kermit the Frog, Dracula, Frankenstein, pirates, pilots, witches and baseball players. They also have unique costumes like checkers or scrabble boards, ketchup and mustard or crayons.

The store even has reversible costumes which alternate from Dorothy from the “The Wizard of Oz,” to Little Red Riding Hood. Another reversible costume is a cat that can become a mouse.

Thrift and Gift also stocks masks, costume headbands and decor such as caution tape, and spooky paper plates, cups and napkins for parties.

Warrenton Goodwill

1450 SE Discovery Lane, Warrenton

The Goodwill in Warrenton has a wide selection of Halloween costumes and decorations.

According to Dale Emanuel, public relations manager for Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette, Halloween is their biggest season.

“Distributed throughout our territory of stores, is about 100,000 pounds of all things Halloween,” Emanuel said. “We are excited and ready. It’s not just our Halloween section. It’s our whole store. Shoes, wigs, accessories. We have uniforms, prom dresses, PJs, hats, in addition to the Halloween aisle. We also have new items like makeup and decor.”

They have a Halloween costume contest on their Facebook page.

People are encouraged to post photos of their costumes for a chance to win Goodwill gift cards, $100 first place and $50 for second place. They have multiple categories including adults, teens, couples and groups, children’s and pets.

“Our community has been very enthusiastic about Halloween,” Emanuel said. “Halloween is a really fun time to have permission to laugh and play. Our employees dress up too. We like what the donors have brought us every year.”

In addition to the four thrift stores highlighted, costumes and clothing may be found at some of the other thrift stores on the North Coast, including Seaside STUFF at 1706 Roosevelt in Seaside, and NW Alliance Thrift Store at 207 7th Street in Astoria.