"People really came out this year," said contest chair Lynn Baumann, an Autumn Fairy Queen for the occasion. "Everyone was welcome to be in the parade, and it just kept growing."
She said that the contest drew 238 entrants in costumes they'd either bought or made. Most were Coastsiders but others hailed from the Peninsula and even out of state.
 A large ensemble of Coastsiders mixed Kansas with Half Moon Bay as "The Wizards of Pumpkinville," the costume contest's group grand-prize winner. |
"What was most enjoyable to me was, the willingness of everyone to participate and join in the fun," said first-time judge Judi Engel of Half Moon Bay.
"The amount of imagination and the sheer amount of work people put into their costumes totally blows me away," said Coastsider and Half Moon Bay Information Services Librarian Joe Toschik of El Granada, another first-timer.
In his age category alone, he said, contestants dressed as the Empire State Building, a helicopter, and there was even Elvis, Raggedy Ann and Bart Simpson.
"It was like 'Beach Blanket Babylon' in a way," Toschik said, referring to the long-running San Francisco stage musical known for its lavish costumes.
The contest had previously been held on the Cunha Intermediate School sports fields, but this year, due to construction, it was moved to the Half Moon Bay Library parking lot. The new location had advantages, Baumann said: it was less dusty, and the library donated tables for organizers to use and gave entrants little bags containing bookmarks and pamphlets on reading, and age-appropriate books to first-place winners.
Local businesses also sponsored winners: first place by Cameron's Restaurant and Inn, second place by Casey's Café, third place by MCoffee and Honorable Mention by the Half Moon Bay Coffee Company. Cunha's Country Grocery provided $25 gift certificates for the grand prizes, both individual and group.
The Coastside winners, by age category, were:
Three children from Half Moon Bay won awards in the 0-3 category: Jovanni Huerta won a first place as a caterpillar. Ella Ebert won a second place as a mouse with cheese. Emily Garcia won a third place as a duckie.
Several Coastside children did themselves proud in the 4-6 category: First-place awards were won by Holly Ebert of Half Moon Bay as a sugar crystal fairy, Matthew Conry of El Granada as a man-eating shark and Grayson Barmore of Half Moon Bay as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz." Second-place awards were won by Finn Rollins of Half Moon Bay as Elvis and Faith Conry of El Granada as Dorothy Dinosaur. Third-place awards went to Luke Longaker of El Granada as a boxer and Half Moon Bay residents Hailey Barmore as a flapper, Kiana LaGuardia as "Springtime Fantastic" and Angela Shermoen as another Dorothy. Honorable mentions went to Moss Beach residents Sage Shepard as Robin Hood and Tatiana Ortega as Mulan, the Chinese princess.
In the 7-to-9-year-old category, a second place went to Juliet Shelton of El Granada and Emma Spaeth and Sasha Takata of Half Moon Bay as the Three Blind Mice, and also to Christina Conry of El Granada as the Statue of Liberty. Third-place awards went to Lexie Rollings of Half Moon Bay as Elvis and Mara Shepherd of Moss Beach as "Luna from outer space." Honorable mentions went to Half Moon Bay residents Karina Garcia as a witch and Brittany Gutierrez as a cheetah cat.
In the 10-to-12 category, a second place went to Lauren Barmore of Half Moon Bay as a cave girl. A third place went to Half Moon Bay residents Shane Acton as Bart Simpson and Talia Findley as a Junior Jaguar, and to Robby Ketchum of El Granada as a goblin. Honorable mentions went to Half Moon Bay residents Brandon Gutierrez as a phantom, Eric Garcia as "Scream!" and Kate McCarthy as a street sweeper.
In the 13-to-adult level, a first place went to Norman Breshears and Shane Atkin as Homer and Bart.
In the group category, Coastsiders took first place as a "Wizards of Pumpkinville" ensemble, a Halloween-flavored takeoff on the "Wizard of Oz" and complete with all the classic characters. They included: Adam, Jordan, Stephen and Rita Semprevino, Katie, Frank, Sandy, Susie, Vincenzo, Carmen and Tony Vella, Dan Stienrok, Taylor George, Douglas Harris, Ali Diehl, Cleonie Kerseg, Sarah Feller, Maurine Nevin, Eli Granlum, Adam Drake, John Bear, Dianna and Morgan Butcher and Rosanne, Joel, Ben and Julian Salberg.
Second place in the group category went to Armando and Mateo Ayala and Hunter Fontana, of Half Moon Bay, as the Pumpkin Pirates of Half Moon Bay.
Grand prize awards were given to Julia Sakamoto of Saratoga (individual), who had made her helicopter costume, and to the Wizards of Pumpkinville (group). The Half Moon Bay branch of the Odd Fellows donated trophies for the two grand prizes.
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