Halloween 2026 is on track to be the biggest on record, with the National Retail Federation forecasting $13.5 billion in U.S. spending. About half of shoppers start buying in September or earlier, so Houston brands that want a share of it need their Halloween video live this week, not the week of October 31.
That's the short answer. Here's what the numbers say, why Houston's October calendar makes it a bigger opportunity than most cities get, and what to film.
What the 2026 Halloween Numbers Say
The NRF's annual survey, run by Prosper Insights & Analytics, puts 2026 Halloween spending at $13.5 billion, up 3.82% from last year. (Talk Business & Politics) The details matter more than the headline:
- 74% of consumers plan to celebrate. This is one of the few holidays nearly every household takes part in.
- Average spend is $115.14 per person. Roughly flat per shopper, so the growth comes from more people taking part.
- Costumes lead at $4.4 billion, followed by decorations at $4.3 billion and candy at $4.1 billion. Pet costumes alone come to $920 million.
- About half start shopping in September or earlier. The buying window is already open.
- Shoppers are price-aware. About a third shop around for the best price, 26% look for coupons or sales, and 34% want items they can reuse.
That last point is a message brief on its own. People will spend, but they want a reason to pick you, and short video that shows the product, the price, and the value is the fastest way to give them one.
Why Halloween in Houston Is a Month, Not a Night
In most cities, Halloween is one weekend. In Houston it runs all of October. A 2026 roundup from Lodgeur lists about 20 Halloween events across the metro. (Lodgeur) A few examples:
- Halloween at the BOO!seum at Children's Museum Houston, running October 1 through 31.
- Boo on the Boardwalk in Kemah, running across five October weekends.
- Houston Scream Fest on Elton Street, with haunted houses and live music on Friday and Saturday nights into early November.
- ArBOOretum at the Houston Arboretum on October 17, Hocus Pocus Pops with the Houston Symphony in The Woodlands on October 23, and Scream on the Green at Discovery Green on October 30.
- Adult nights such as Mixers & Elixirs at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and The Cosmic Howl at Meow Wolf's Radio Tave on October 31.
That calendar reaches every audience a Houston brand could want: young families in the Museum District, suburban families in The Woodlands and Clear Lake, and 21-and-up crowds downtown and in the Fifth Ward. It also means your customers are out of the house, in costume, and posting on their phones for four weekends in a row.
Who Should Be Filming Right Now
Halloween isn't only for costume shops. In Houston, these businesses have the most to gain in October:
- Restaurants and bars. Themed menus, costume contests, and watch parties give you a reason to post every week of the month.
- Retail and boutiques. Decor, costumes, and candy drive trips to the store. Show what's on the shelf and what it costs.
- Attractions and venues. Haunted houses, museums, and event spaces are selling an experience, and a 15-second clip sells it better than a flyer.
- Pet businesses. With $920 million going to pet costumes nationally, groomers, pet stores, and vets have a built-in reason to post.
- Master-planned communities and apartments. Trick-or-treat events and resident parties are some of the most shareable content a property team can produce.
- Dentists, gyms, and service businesses. Candy trade-ins, costume classes, and "day after" promotions let you join the conversation without selling costumes.
Five Halloween Videos That Earn Attention
You don't need a big campaign. These five formats work for most Houston businesses:
- The reveal. A fast before-and-after of your space, storefront, or menu going full Halloween. It's quick to shoot and people share it.
- The price-and-value clip. Given how price-aware shoppers are, show the product, say the price, and point out why it's worth it. Keep it under 20 seconds.
- The event recap. Film your costume contest, trick-or-treat night, or themed party, then post the recap within 24 hours while people are still talking about it.
- The staff-in-costume series. Short vertical clips of your team in costume. It humanizes the brand and it's one of the easiest ways to get comments.
- The "last call" countdown. Short reminders in the final ten days: what's still in stock, which nights have openings, and how to book.
Cut every one of these for vertical first. Captions on, payoff in the first two seconds, and your location or neighborhood on screen so the algorithm and the viewer both know you're local.
Timing: Build Now, Post All Month
Since half of shoppers are already buying, the best plan is one production day in the first week of October that gives you content for the whole month. Film the reveal, the product clips, and a few staff moments in one session, then add fresh event footage each weekend. That keeps you posting through October without scrambling every Thursday night.
It also sets you up for what comes next. The content systems you build for Halloween carry straight into Diwali, Thanksgiving, and the holiday shopping season, which in Houston all land within about eight weeks of each other.
The Bottom Line
Halloween 2026 is heading for record spending, half of it starts before October, and Houston stretches the holiday across a full month of events. Brands that show up with watchable, specific video every week will earn the foot traffic. Brands that post one pumpkin graphic on October 30 will miss it.
If you want a month of Halloween content built for the screen and shot in one day, start a project with Freddyville Media. Our Always-On Content team can plan it, film it, and cut it into a steady run of scroll-stopping posts that carry you straight into the holiday season.
