PENNSYLVANIA — This week, Affordable Pennsylvania and community partners gave away 300 free Halloween costumes to children and teens at events in Carlisle, Bethlehem and Scranton, helping families celebrate without adding another expense to their budgets. The giveaways drew many families, who expressed gratitude for the opportunity to choose costumes for their children.

Halloween is more expensive for families this year in part due to the Administration's tariffs on everything from chocolate to decorations, tariffs which Congress has so far failed to repeal:

• Halloween candy prices have risen by 71% since 2021, more than triple the national inflation rate.

• Halloween costumes have increased up to $60, which could leave families spending around $200 just to purchase three costumes.

• A 100-piece bag of candy is $16.96 in 2026, up 3.5% from last year, and 71% since 2021

At the Bethlehem event hosted with the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley, a 12-year-old attendee shared that rising gas prices have made it harder for her mom to afford extras. Her experience reflects a challenge facing families across Pennsylvania: after paying for essentials like transportation, groceries, housing and utilities, there may be little left for the things that make childhood special.

See photos from the events here.

“As a parent, you want your kids to enjoy being kids, but everything costs more now. Between groceries, gas, health care, housing and utilities, there’s less money left for extras like Halloween costumes and candy. It’s devastating to have to think about skipping something that makes childhood special because all those little costs add up. Families deserve to enjoy these moments with their kids without worrying about how they’re going to pay for everything else,” said Aidalis from Bethlehem.

Affordable Pennsylvania partnered with Hope Station in Carlisle and the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, and NEPA Youth Shelter in Scranton, to distribute 100 costumes at each event.

The giveaways are part of Affordable Pennsylvania's work to highlight how rising costs affect families across the state and connect policy decisions to people's everyday lives. While decisions about tariffs and other federal policies may happen far from home, families feel their impact when they fill up the gas tank, buy groceries or try to make room in the budget for something extra.

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Affordable Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania organization focused on holding elected leaders accountable for the decisions they make and their impact on working families. We make sure Pennsylvanians have the facts about how federal policies and votes affect the cost of everyday life, including groceries, health care, child care, utilities and transportation.