Community Corner

The Winner of Patch's Best Halloween Costume in America Contest is...

The Pirate Carrying a Mermaid Optical Illusion finishes first and captures the $5,000 grand prize. An Orange County costume nabs $250 as a finalist.

Ashley Playford dressed up as a pirate carrying a mermaid this Halloween. Well, actually, she dressed as the mermaid. And her creativity has earned her the title of Patch's Best Halloween Costume in America and a $5,000 grand prize.  

It was Playford's use of an optical illusion that won us over. Take a look at the photo she entered on Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch!

Almost 4,000 Patch users entered the contest from Oct. 15 to Nov. 5, with costumes ranging from the Eiffel Tower and Honey Boo Boo to a flower pot and a clever interpretation of "binders full of women."

Find out what's happening in Aliso Viejowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

National judges chose one finalist from each Patch state based on creativity and innovation (we combined North Carolina & South Carolina for this contest, as well as Washington D.C. and Virginia). A Mission Viejo man was California's finalist.

Each state finalist will receive $250. From those finalists, Playford's costume was chosen as the grand prize winner.

Find out what's happening in Aliso Viejowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Congratulations to Playford and all the statewide winners (check out our gallery above for photos of all the finalists).


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