2016 Halloween Report

20th Annual Report: Halloween at Duncan Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia

This year's jack-o-lantern

I have tracked Halloween trick-or-treaters at my doorstep in West End Halifax for 20 years. This year's numbers were down slightly but still healthy - and entertaining.

TOTAL: 81

Past Totals-

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

First Caller:  5:52 p.m.      Peak: 7:00         Last Caller:   8:45 p.m.

Costumes by type:

AC/DC Rock Star (Angus Young): 1

Astronaut Cow: 1

Batman: 1

Butterflies 2

Cat: 1

Construction worker: 1 (Impressive safety gear): 1

Corpse Bride: 1

Dory: 3

Dinosaur (Stegosaurus): 1

Dragon: 1

Fairy (Woodland Fairy, beautiful flowers): 1

Hermione (Harry Potter character): 1

Hockey Player: 1

Hot Dog: 1

Jaguar: 1

Knight: 1

Leopard: 1

Lion: 1

Luke Skywalker: 1

Masquerade mask: 1

Mavis (Hotel Transylvania character): 1

Monster Inc: 2

Minecraft (Steve): 1

Mouse (Paw Patrol): 1

HMCS Nelson frigate: 1

Ninjas:  6

Nemo: 3

No costume (A Hollister shirt): 1

Paddington Bear (very good costume): 1

Pilot (1930s): 1

Pirate: 1

Pizza: 1

Police Officer (SWAT team, cool helmet): 1

Pokemon character: 1

Popcorn box: 1

Princess: 1

Power Rangers: 2

Puppy: 1

Raven (Everafter High character): 1

Robin Hood: 1

Rumpelstiltskin: 1

Santa: 1

Scorpion (Mortal Kombat): 1

Scream Masks: 2

Slimer (Ghostbusters character): 1

Soldier: 1

Spiderman: 1

Stormtrooper (Star Wars): 1

Stripper: 1

Supergirl: 1

Tiger: 2

Two Headed monster (creative homemade costume): 1

Vampire Cat: 1

Vampires: 6

Vintage Clothing: 1

Witch: 1

Windwalker character: 1

Zombies: 2

Zombie Bride: 1

Zombie football player: 1

Zombie school girl: 1

Our suspended spider which, from time to time, pounced on unsuspecting survey respondents.

Best Overall Costumes:

1) Box of popcorn (home-made with beautiful kernels made from spray foam insulation)

2) Halifax class frigate with toilet paper gun turret, worn by a sea cadet

3) Woodland fairy, with lovely real flowers

Costume Trends:

1) Vampires tied with Ninjas.

2) Dramatic fall off in witches, only one compared to 5 last year

3) The skeletons have died: one this year but five last year.

4) Zombies flourishing in several varieties.

5) Dory, finding Nemo big with younger kids

6) A fall-off in superheroes

7) A lot of video game characters

8) Big cats flourishing: tigers, leopard, jaquar, lion. 
9) No Donald Trump. The one kid I thought might be one was a homemade Luke Skywalker costume with a very unruly yellow wig. (I have never seen any children in my neighbourhood do a political character for Halloween - that's boring adult stuff.) 

Most parents, about 2/3, were, wearing costumes, up from past years.

My thanks to survey helpers: Patricia Acheson, Mary Louise Conlin, Dana Echner and Bruce MacDougall.