Wednesday 31 October 2018

Halloween Report 2018


22nd Annual Report: Halloween at Duncan Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halloween on Duncan Street 2018
 
I have tracked Halloween trick-or-treaters at my doorstep in West End Halifax since 1996. This year's numbers were up dramatically, the highest in 12 years with zombies in many forms being the most popular costume. This year also was the first time a political character appeared as part of a costume. (Guess who?)

TOTAL: 138

Past Totals- 2017: 114; 2016: 81; 2015: 101; 2014: 97; 2013: 80; 2012: 50! 2011: 80; 2010: 88;
2009: 99; 2008: 103; 2007: 125; 2006: 168; 2005: 187:  2004: 184; 2003: 187; 2002: 193; 2001: 152; 2000: 171; 1999-175; 1998-160; 1996-215

Alien abduction (cool costume) 1
Alice in Wonderland Zombie 1
Angel  1
Athena 1
           
Basketball Players (team of 4)
Batman (with a cat woman mom) 1
Bee      2
Bendy and the Ink Machine (video game)     1
Bio Hazard      1
Black Angel    1
Black Panther (super hero)     1
Boba Fett        1
Burglar (with crowbar)           1
Butterfly:        1
           
Cat:     4
Cat Ghost        2
Cheetah           1
Cuphead & Mug Man (from video game)      1
Clown 1
Cookie Princess:         1
Cow's Ice Cream         1
Cowboy           1
           
Dead Cat         1
Dead Clown    1
Dead Doll       1
Dead Rabbit    1
Dinosaur         1
Dinosaur (Jurassic Park)         1
Doll     1
Dragons (some nice costumes) 4
Detective         1
Devils  2
           
Evil Monkey   1
           
Fairy    1
Frankenstein   2
           
Ghoul Trooper 1
Ghoul Masks   1
Ghosts 2
Goofy  1
Green Morph Suit       1
Grim Reaper   1
           
Hamburger      1
Hippy  1
Horse   1
           
I'm Cold          1
Indiana Jones (good costume) 1
           
Jake Paul (from You Tube)    1
Jason Hockey mask    3
Jester   1
           
Lion     1
           
Mad Hatter      1
Magician         1
           
Mini Mouse    2
Miranda Sings (from You Tube) 1
Murderer dragging Donald Trump's head      1
           
Nemo (fish) very cute 15-month-old 1
No discernible costume          1
Ninja   3
Ninja Turtles   2
           
Octopus (good costume)         1
Old Man          1
Origami deer skull      1
Owen (Jurassic Park)  1
           
Paw Patrol fire dog     1
Pippie Longstocking (charming) 1
Pirates!            2
           
Penguin           1
Polar Bears     1
Police Officer 1
Poodle 1
Power Rangers            4
Pumpkin:        1
           

Princess           1
Hip-hop Princess        1
Purple Monster with 3 eyes (great costume)  1
           
Revolutionary War soldier     1
Rock Star        1
Robot  2
           
Scary pooh bear          1
Scary Monster             1
Surgeon, blood covered          2
           
Sailor  1
Scream Ghoul Masks  1
Spiderman       1
Super Mario    1
           
Tekashi69 (rapper)     1
Tooth  1
Thing Zero (Dr. Seuss)           1
Turtle  1
           
Vampires        4
           
Walrus 1
Werewolf:       1
Witches:          4
Glam witch     1
Woodland specter       1
           
Zombies          7

First Caller:  5:52 p.m.
Peak: 7:00
Last Caller:   8:20 p.m.

Best Overall Costumes:
1) Purple monster with 3 eyes, very good homemade costume, kid looked much bigger than he was.
2) Pinocchio, with a nose that grows and the girl was really into her role.
3) Mad hatter, a richly detailed and colourful costume.
4) Origami deer skull, beautiful and creepy.
Costume Trends:
1) Zombies in various forms were the most popular costume.
2) Many kids took a classic character and zombified it: Dead Cat, Dead Clown, Dead Doll etc.
4) There was a three-way tie between the classics of witches, vampires and cats.
5) Skeletons suddenly faded. Last year there were 13. This year, zero.
6) A lot of dragons, including some beautiful costumes.
7) Not that many cartoon characters. (A bad night for Disney.)
8) Batman still big, but spiderman fading.
9) Why are Power Rangers still so popular?
10) A growing number of Youtube and video game characters.
11) The first appearance ever, after 22 years of surveys in my neighbourhood, of a political character: the severed head of Donald Trump.
12) Almost all the parents were in costume, some of them quite elaborate.
 
My thanks to survey helpers: Patricia Acheson and Anna Wedlock.

Halloween decor Duncan Street 2018