The weather was a little more brisk over the weekend for Brookfield Zoo's Round 2 of their annual Halloween costume parade and contest.
But there was still a great selection of creative winners who took home honors.
Brookfield Zoo calls this Boo! at the Zoo and it offers an array of "spook-tacular activities for the whole family."
Fisher-Price, Bright Start College Savings Program and Jamaican Tourism were among the corporate sponsors for this year's fun.
Everyone receives a prize for participating and there are also first- and second-place "big prize" winners in four categories: scariest, best animal theme, most original and best group theme. For judging duties, I was joined by Dr. Roberta Sejnost of Loyola University, features writer Laura Stewart of The Daily Herald, Melissa Erickson, writer for GateHouse Media News Group, Tamara L. O'Shaughnessy and Alaina Buzas of Chicago Parent magazine, and Linda Rucins, who helped head the public relations department at Brookfield Zoo from 1986 to 2000.
As for the most popular costumes, there were 160 contestants Saturday and 83 Sunday.
There were some definite "traditional" costume returns this year in 2012, including Laura Ingalls, a paper sheet of Candy Dots, Robin Hood, Cleopatra, Raggedy Ann, a 1950s poodle skirt gal, a mime and the Tooth Fairy. One of the most popular reappearing costumes witnessed was the archer princess Merida from the Disney film "Brave."
Here are the winning photos from Saturday and Sunday's competitions. Look closely, and from Saturday, you'll see farm chickens, a dolphin trainer, an egg and chicken, the whale from the movie "Big Miracle," Jack from "Nightmare Before Christmas," a mad scientist, Snoopy and Woodstock, and three sushi rolls, including shrimp and salmon. On Sunday, the winners were a NASA space family, a Mario Brothers Video family, an "Alice in Wonderland" family, Jack from "Nightmare Before Christmas," a peacock, a zombie doctor and a disco ball.
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