The Interurbanist

SHAG Interurban's Arts, Style, and Entertainment publication

Visions of Independent Living

SHAG-lloween Costume Contest

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Two women serve desserts and drinks at a Halloween-themed table decorated with spiderweb cloth and fall leaves. Residents gather in a community room decorated for Halloween, chatting around tables covered in orange and purple cloths. A small Halloween table centerpiece featuring a fuzzy orange pumpkin, black netting, and a glowing tea light candle. Three women tally costume contest votes at a counter after a Halloween party, surrounded by notepads and cake trays. A black and white cat in a black-and-white striped “pet prison” costume sits calmly on a walker seat. A small white poodle dressed as a cheerleader sits in a soft blanket, holding sparkly red and silver pom-poms. A woman with cat makeup holds a small dog dressed in a colorful clown costume with floppy yellow ears. A tan dog wearing a red superhero cape looks up attentively beside a walker. A small white dog in a witch costume sits proudly on a walker, wearing a purple hat and cape. Residents in Halloween costumes, including a green-faced witch, sit around a decorated table enjoying cake and conversation.

Residents gathered for a festive Halloween celebration filled with costumes, laughter and sweet treats in their community room. Tables were draped in orange, purple and black, and centerpieces featured pumpkins, spiderwebs and flickering candles. Guests enjoyed cake, cookies and punch as they chatted and admired one another’s costumes under garlands of autumn leaves and tiny skeletons.

The highlight of the afternoon was the costume contest, which drew spirited participation from both residents and their pets. Piper the cat, dressed as a “pet prison” inmate, took first place, followed by Sabrina the cheerleader poodle in second and Rosy the witch dog in third. The pets sat patiently on walkers and laps, soaking up attention as residents cheered for their favorites.

The top three pet-costumers won PetSmart gift cards on the spot, while the two runners-up (SuperCaden and Dobby the Clown) will get PetSmart cards at a later date. See the office if you haven’t gotten yours yet.

Among the human contestants, Judy’s elaborate green-faced witch costume earned her the top prize. She joined a table of fellow witches and Halloween enthusiasts, smiling as friends applauded the winners. The event closed with staff and volunteers counting votes and cleaning up the last crumbs of cake, a sweet ending to a celebration that brought warmth and community spirit to a blustery October afternoon.