Halloween Report 2023

It was strong night with lots of creative costumes, including some creative ensemble costumes. Dinosaurs with the top costume and a three-way tie for second place between witches, Spidermen and dragons. Despite all the hype, not a single Barbie or Ken! Numbers were very close to last year and just above average for the number of costumes on the street over 27 years.

27th Annual Report: Halloween at Duncan Street, Halifax, 2023

 TOTAL: 139

 Past Totals- 2022: 145; 2021:127; 2020: 151; 2019: 143; 2018: 138; 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

 27-year average: 135

• First Caller:  5:55 p.m.
• Peak: 7:00-7:30 pm
• Last Caller:  9 pm
• Clear, dry night - but cold, 2 C

Anime character, misc            2

Anna Karenina (with tiny train)           1

Anna Karenina's lover (with tiny horse)             1

Arsonist (with gas can & cool creepy vibe)        1

Assassins        2

Bananas           2

Barbie (none!!)           0

Baseball player           1

Batman            1

Black Panther  1

Bunny 2

Bloody Bride  1

Cheerleader     1

Chuckey (horror character)     1

Clown, Classic            1

Cowboy          1

Devil   3

Dinosaurs, including some elaborate T-Rex!:       7

Diver (with octopus stuck to head!)  1

Dragons           6

Dying Person  1

Elsa (Frozen character)           1

Fairy    1

Fire Fighter:    1     

Garbage bag (transparent bag with trash inside, a great homemade costume)       1

Gatorades        2

Ghouls (misc.) 4

Glinda the Good Witch           1

Godzilla          1

Guy Fawkes/VforVendetta, Anonymous                               1

Guy with a gas mask              1

Grand Admiral Thrawn (Star Wars) homemade!                               1

Harry Potter, various houses 4

Harry Potter (the Weasleys)   2

Hunter (video game character) 1        

Jason (horror character)          2

Jester, evil       1

Link (from Zelda game)         1           

Mandalorian (Star Wars)        1

Mermaid         1

Microwave head masks (great homemade duo costumes)                        1

Migration of mushrooms (an ensemble performance)         4

Monkees (60s band)   2

Mummies (part of entire mummy family)            2

Nightmare Before Christmas character          1

Ninja Turtles    2

No discernible costume:         2

Purge (video game character) 1

Pirates!            4

Plaque Doctor 1

Police Officer:            1

Power Rangers            1

Pumpkin         1

Princess (classic)         5

Princess Poppy           1           

Rapper 1

Ronaldo (soccer player)          1

Rubik's Cube (homemade)     1

Robot, lovely homemade costume     1

Rook (chess piece, nice homemade costume)            1

Samurai           1

Santa Claus (really into role!) 1

Scooby-Doo ensemble crew    4

Serial Killer    1

Skunk (homemade, first Halloween!)                         1

Sith Lord (Star Wars)             1

Skeletons        2

Spider              1

Spidermen       6

Stranger Things Character (homemade)         1

Unicorns         1

Vampires:       5

Vacuum Cleaner (with candy backpack)        1

Warlock          1

Werewolf        1

Wednesday Adams     1

Witches (including a coven of 3!)       6

Zebra   1

Zombie Ballerina        1

Zombie Cheerleader    1

Zombie Dorothy (with  skeleton Toto)  1

Zombie scarecrow (with Dorothy)           1

 

Best Costumes:

1)  Four giant papier-mâché mushroom hats and capes with an ensemble performance.

2)  Two homemade microwave masks.

3)   A whole family with a nautical theme: mom & dad as Rose & Jack from Titanic with daughter as mermaid and son as diver with octopus.

4) A whole family of homemade mummy costumes.

5) A Zombie Dorothy with amazing make-up and a skeleton Toto.

6)  A homemade backpack vacuum cleaner with collection slots for “chocolate” and “candy”.

7)   A Santa Claus handing out candy canes and asking people what they want for Christmas.

 Trends:

1. Dinosaurs were the most popular costume with some very impressive T-Rex.
2. A three-way tie between witches, dragons and Spidermen.
3. No Barbies or Ken costumes!
4. Specialized Zombie variations popular.
5. A good night for pirates!
6. Harry Potter remains strong.
7. Some missing classics: no ghosts or grim reapers.
8. Aside from the big Spidermen turnout, very few superheroes.
9. Many parents in costume: 52 with several family theme costumes (mummies, nautical, clowns.)

Halloween Report 2022

 

26th Annual Report: Halloween at Duncan Street, Halifax, 2022

Halloween. It is an enduring annual ritual - and one that we are exploring at Pier 21 in an exhibit that opens this Saturday November 5 called "Kids Celebrate" that is all about the power of annual celebrations that draw from many traditions to bring people people together: Kids Celebrate

For Halloween at West End Halifax, we had a near perfect night. Good numbers and the triumph of some classics with witches being the most popular costume and ghosts and skeletons coming close to zombies. Aside from a Harry Potter comeback, the big franchise characters did not make a strong showing. 

TOTAL: 145

Past Totals- 2021:127: 2020: 151; 2019: 143; 2018: 138; 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

Anime Character        2

Athlete, misc.  1

Ballerina, Goth           1

Banana            1

Baseball player           1

Batman           1

Bear    1

Bee      2

Bunny 4

Bunny, Playboy          2

Butterfly         1

Buzz Lightyear           1

Cat      3

Cave man        1 

Cheap Thrills character          1

Clown, Classic            2

Clown, Dead   1

Daphne (Scooby-Doo)  1

Dead Mouse (DJ)        1

Devil   1

Dinosaur:        2

Doll, broken    1

Dragon                        1

Elsa (Frozen character)  3

Fast Food        1

Fire Fighter:    1

Flynn Rider (from Tangled): 1

Football Player:          1

Ghosts             4

Ghoul  1

Gladiator         1

Grim Reaper   1

 Harry Potter    1

Hermione        1

Hogworts Students     2

Headless Man 1

Hippo  1

Hockey Player 1

Hulk Hogan (wrestler)            1

Ironman          2

Kermit the Frog          1

Knight 3

Knight, Black (Monty Python) 1

Knight, Mexican         1

Lobster (baby) 1

Lumberjack     1

Marty McFly (Back to the Future) 1

Medieval, misc.          1

Mickey Mouse            1

Minecraft (game)        1

Mouse 2

No discernible costume:         2

 Peasant            1

Pirates:            3

Police Officer:            1

Power Rangers            2

Pumpkin/Jack o' Lanterns       3

Princess (classic)        6

Princess (Bloody)       2

Princess, Goth 1

Red Bull Gives You Wings    1

Robot, lovely homemade costume     1

Salt Shaker      1

Serial Killer with chain saw   1

Serial killer's victim   1

Scissors Killer 1

Shark   1

Skunk  2

Skeleton          6

Steampunk      2

Superman        1

Super Mario    2

 Tractor (charming homemade costume)        1

 Unicorn           3

 Vampires:       5

Video Game character, misc. 1

Velma (Scooby-Doo)  1

Volcano, covered in lava!       1

 Wolf, Big Bad 1

Witches:          12

Zombies:         6

Zombie with baby       1

• First Caller:  6:01 p.m.
• Peak: 7:05 pm
• Last Caller:  9:55 p.m. 

Numbers dropped abruptly at 7:30, then small surge at 7:50 of young teens and immigrant trick-or-treaters.
Clear dry night with nice half moon, mild chill in air

Best Costumes:

1. Decapitated Man holding his head, great repartee with sword wielding gladiator friend.
2. Volcano with red lava streams.
3. Red Bull Gives You Wings, devil with angel wings, gave out handmade red bull wing cards.
4. A very shy but beautiful butterfly.
5. A boisterous Velma and Daphne form Scooby Doo.
6. An impressive homemade knight costume with shield and helmet.

Trends:

1. Witches were the most popular (12)
2. Zombies, with variations, second most popular (7)
3. Strong return of classics: Skeletons, ghosts, vampires, pumpkin/jack-o-lanterns.
4. Big Harry Potter comeback
5. Very few superheroes, not a single Spiderman!
6. Fewer franchise characters, Elsa from Frozen being an exception.
7. Unusually strong showing of medieval characters, lot of knights!
8. Lot of bunnies.
9. Many parents in costume: 50 including the “Super” family, parents as Supermario costumes escorting their boy as Superman.