Nearly 100 children participate in first downtown Castle Rock costume contest

Winners from the 3-5 age group.

Assorted animals, storybook characters, pirates and several spooks filled downtown Castle Rock’s Festival Park on Halloween afternoon to celebrate the park’s opening and participate in downtown’s first costume contest.

Ninety-nine children from ages 0 to 12 entered the contest – organized by the Town of Castle Rock and the Castle Rock Downtown Merchants Association – for a chance to cavort in costume and win one of many prizes donated by downtown businesses.

Festival Park, Second and Perry streets, served as a stop on the Merchants Association’s Trick or Treat Street. While there, children consumed candy and painted pumpkins donated by Castle Rock Gift and Garden to a backdrop of tunes provided by Castle Rock Music. They also enjoyed demonstrations from dressed-up dogs from Golden Touch Golden Retrievers.

First-place winners in each of four costume contest age groups – 0-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 – won Halloween photo packages from Forever Yours photography. The winners, their ages and their costumes: 0-2 – Radley Nance, 2 months, peacock; 3-5 – Caden Calderon, 4, Captain Jack Sparrow; 6-8 – Skyler Gray, 8, wedding cake; and 9-12 – Webster Heyliger, 11, SpongeBob SquarePants.

Second- and third-place finishers and those receiving honorable mention received gifts from these businesses: The Olde Towne Creamery, The Cat’s Meow Flowers and Gifts, The Mind Garden, They Just Keep Growing and Colorado Community Newspapers. Office Max and Castle Rock Feed and Western Wear also helped sponsor the event.

Winners from the 6-8 age group.

The rest of the winners:

Second place: 0-2 – C.J. Kimberlin, 1, duck; 3-5 (tie) – Pierce Blanchard, 3, and Emma Blanchard, 6, Jack and Jill, and Macy Whisenand, 3, cat; 6-8 (tie) – Alyssa Whisenand, 6, Mary Poppins, and Nicole Buckley, 7, teapot; and 9-12 – Eric Kearney, 11, reaper.

Third place: 0-2 – Weston Vildibill, 1, pirate; and 9-12 (tie) – Jessica Moore, 12, baby, and Alyssa Gregory, 9, clown.

Honorable mention: 0-2 – Sam Smolen, 2, horse/cowboy; 3-5 – Ashley Estes, 5, Wonder Woman; and 6-8 – Madison Mackey, 8, witch.