Today Show’s Halloween 2025 Turns Into a Coast-to-Coast Costume Party
From Savannah Guthrie’s “Miranda Priestly” to Chipotle’s “Boorito” deals, Halloween 2025 hits every corner of pop culture from TV sets to drive-thrus.
New York, October 31 EST: Leave it to the “Today” show to turn Halloween morning into a full-blown American road trip wigs, sequins, and all. This year, the NBC crew hit the plaza in a 50-state costume party, trading news scripts for pop icons and turning Rockefeller Center into a mashup of The Devil Wears Prada and a Midwestern karaoke bar.
“Today” Takes a Cross-Country Detour
The 2025 theme? “USA Road Trip.” But instead of postcards, the hosts sent out character cameos. Savannah Guthrie channeled Miranda Priestly, the icy queen of fashion, while Jenna Bush Hager matched her as Anna Wintour complete with bob, shades, and a knowing smirk. The two even strutted down the studio floor to “Vogue,” turning a morning broadcast into a mini Met Gala.
The rest of the cast filled in the map: one went full Prince for Minnesota, another strummed along as Jimmy Buffett in a Florida state of mind. It was equal parts camp and Americana, a reminder that this show’s Halloween game is as reliable as pumpkin spice in October. According to People, it’s a tradition that goes back decades, each year topping the last in sheer commitment.
If there’s an award for “most chaotic good energy before 10 a.m.,” the Today team probably just claimed it again.
The Feast Before the Fright
While morning TV leaned into fashion fantasy, the rest of the country focused on something spookier: free food. From Chipotle’s Boorito to Krispy Kreme’s costume doughnuts, Halloween 2025 basically turned into America’s biggest food crawl.
Chipotle, as the New York Post reported, brought back its $6 entrée deal for costumed Rewards members and yes, your half-hearted ghost bedsheet counts. The brand also launched a TikTok costume contest, because in 2025, your burrito is only as good as its social engagement.
Krispy Kreme kept things simple and sweet: show up in costume, get a doughnut. No purchase, no fine print, just sugar. Meanwhile, Dunkin’, Wendy’s, and Burger King joined in with orange-splashed cups, themed drinks, and app-exclusive discounts for anyone paying attention to push notifications.
And this wasn’t just a big-city thing. As Midland Daily News noted, small-town cafés and convenience stores got in on the act too, offering two-for-one candy bags and free coffee refills for trick-or-treat chaperones. Across the board, brands aren’t just selling food they’re selling participation.
Not a Holiday, but a Headliner
It’s worth remembering: Halloween still isn’t a federal holiday. According to the Economic Times, the government doesn’t shut down, schools stay open, and paychecks arrive on schedule. But culturally? The day has long outgrown its calendar slot.
Halloween in the U.S. has become something closer to a national mood equal parts nostalgia, cosplay, and economic engine. This year’s spending is expected to blow past $12 billion, a record that proves even in an age of algorithmic attention spans, dressing up still sells.
Why It Still Works
Part of what makes Halloween magic is its low barrier to entry. No complicated family dinners, no airfare, no expectations. You can go full prosthetic zombie or just buy a plastic crown at CVS and call it character work.
And maybe that’s why the Today show’s campy commitment feels like the perfect mirror for the day itself: everyone’s in on the joke, and everyone’s trying at least for a few hours to be someone else.
Tonight, as costumed crowds fill the streets from New York to Los Angeles, it won’t really matter that October 31 isn’t technically a holiday. Between the TV tributes, the TikTok burritos, and the candy-fueled chaos, Halloween 2025 has already claimed its crown as America’s favorite excuse to play dress-up.
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Trained in war zones, raised in Newark, and seasoned in city hall, Jordan blends grit reporting with deep integrity. From floods to finance bills, they’re always first on scene and last to leave.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
