Ten days until before Halloween, Midstate families were in a scramble to find the right gear and all the hoopla is helping local businesses thrive in a tough economy, and those business owners say it's a sign of an economy on the mend.

     Whether they like it dark or colorful, Halloween is one of the best times of the year for a lot of Midstate families.

"It's the one time of year we get to go crazy," Eric Dulberg said.

And it's also pretty great for the staff at Performance Studios in South Nashville, where the customers just kept rolling in Sunday afternoon.

"When we're at our busiest time, this store is in total chaos," said Gary Broadrick, store owner.  "The line will start [at one end] of the register, and it'll loop all the way around the store and usually end on [the other] side of the register."

Broadrick said long lines and busy cashiers are a small price to pay for happy customers.

"This my first time here and it's a lot bigger than any other store I've been in so it's pretty cool," Haley Daniels said.

"There's so much to pick from here, we're going to be here for hours because we can't decide," Dulberg said.

Whether they left dressed as Spartans or police officers, Broadrick said customers are vital to his small business.

"Performance Studios is a locally-owned business," Broadrick said.  "It's myself and my business partner and we have 13 year-round employees."

The store has been in business in Nashville for 24 years.  Broadrick says he's been around long enough to know when times are tough for Midstate families and right now, he sees signs of an economic recovery.

"People aren't as scared to let go of money as they used to," Broadrick said.   I'm seeing a lot more things being charged than used to be, which tells me they're not as scared to put things on their credit cards because they have faith that they'll be able to pay their credit cards when that amount is due."Halloween Sales a Sign of Recovery, Entrepreneurs Say - Eric Alvarez