Ghoulish decorations and spooktacular costumes filled the gazebo in Memorial Plaza on Oct. 6, 13 and 16. Local residents were asked to bring gently used Halloween decorations and costumes for PleasantvilleRecycles’ annual Halloween Costume Swap.

PleasantvilleRecycles not only promotes recycling initiatives, it also looks for ways to reuse and reduce waste. ”One of the things anyone who has been a kid or has a kid knows, they use a costume one time and then never again,” said Danielle Barry, the chair of PleasantvilleRecycles. “They might just play dress up with it or put it into a closet and then they outgrow it,” she said, chuckling as she looked upon a child trying on a costume with his mother. 

“We found that having a swap where people could donate their old costumes and then pick up a new costume was a way to keep out of the waste stream,” Barry said.

The costume swap is held beside the Pleasantville Farmers Market in order to attract shoppers. Michelle Vinjamuri visited the costume swap Oct. 13 with her two children. “Kids grow so fast,” she said. “Whenever you get something, it’s so temporary. Within a few months, they grow out of their costumes. This way, things can get reused and recycled and have more of a lifespan to them.”

This is the second year Vinjamuri brought her children to the costume swap. Last year, her now three-year-old son found a sheep costume. This year’s costume? A cheetah. “Halloween is my favorite time of the year, ‘cause I get costumes and candy,” Vinjamuri’s 6-year-old daughter Tessa added to the conversation as her little brother Colin, 3, rawred around the gazebo with enthusiasm and a bright smile.