Mall-o-ween

In our urban area the "traditional" trick-or-treat free runs are being replaced by a safer and enclosed version of children's costume promenade in the mall. I enjoy going there on Halloween night to see all the costumes, which ranged from the minimal to the elaborate. There were a lot of princesses and fairies and witches, and ninjas and super-heroes, and pirates and animals. Occasionally there were more scary get-ups, like Dementors, ghosts, zombies,and vampires. For some reason, bloody sewn-up face cheeks are a big make-up item these days. The parents often dressed up too, which led to Green Lantern being Superman's dad. Most of the costumes were gender-stereotyped, with plenty of princesses in bouffant skirts and space warrior boys. Some of them managed to be more evenly matched, with both boy and girl pirates and cartoon characters. I did my best to sketch from a constantly moving crowd.

Here's another view, with some of the mall architecture around the rotunda. Costumed children are throwing balloons. This sketch also features a grass-skirted hula girl on the left, and a spotted ladybug, in center. But my vote for "Most Original" costume was this "balloon kid." He (or she, I couldn't tell) had a large helium balloon attached to his head, which was connected by a loose grid of ribbons. And the lower part of the kid was enclosed in an openwork bucket, hence an old-fashioned balloon. I don't know whether the youngster enjoyed the innovative concept, but I suspect that one or both parents might be engineers.