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

This "Pirate Carrying a Mermaid" optical illusion has been named the winner of Patch's Best Halloween Costume in America contest. Its creator—and wearer —will receive a $5,000 prize for assembling the most creative and innovative costume.

By Cindi Lash
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November 13, 2012

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New York Finalist & Grand Prize Winner

"Pirate carrying a Mermaid" Optical Illusion Halloween Costume. I really wanted to make a Halloween costume this year that would have people staring and trying to figure it out....I knew an optical illusion costume was the way to go! This is a picture of my "Pirate carrying a Mermaid in a treasure chest" costume that my dad and I made together. It was such a fun project for the two of us to work on, and it turned out better than we had imagined. It was a blast wearing this costume out. I cannot tell you how many people actually thought there was someone in the pirate walking around, when really it was me walking around. It was a lot of hard work to create this costume, but it was all worth it :-) Ashley Playford

Photos (21)

Photos

Credit Dan Jarkiewicz

Larry, Curly & Moe!!! My 3 year old triplets as The Three Stooges for Halloween this year...it seemed fitting!

Credit Kelly Reed

Sean Vlkovic dfrom Scotch Plains, NJ as a roadside Skydancer

Credit Michael Vlkovic

Amari as Edward Scissorshands. Costume made by mommy and daddy! :)

Credit Krystal Johnson

My IV tubing lit up and I also filled my homemade IV bag with highlighter fluid so it would glow under the blacklight! Green glowstick fluid was poured ontop of the pea/oatmeal vomit, adding an awesome glowing detail!

Credit Mallory Lombardi

Our little stinker. Austin Pratt Smelly the Skunk. Kitchen cabinet liners make great grippy foot pads and toes in this toddler costume.

Credit Tammy Pratt

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Ashley Playford dressed up as a pirate carrying a mermaid this Halloween. Well, actually, she dressed up as the mermaid. The result of her creativity has earned 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 for yourself at the photo she entered on Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch.

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

National judges chose one finalist from each Patch state (we combined North Carolina & South Carolina for this contest, as well as Washington D.C. and Virginia). Pennsylvania's finalist, Lucian Meckley of Germansville, Lehigh County, won over the judges with his recycling truck costume assembled by Mom and Dad.

Each state finalist will receive $250. Judges chose Playford from those finalists.

Congratulations to Playford and to all the other statewide winners chosen for their creative and innovative costumes. Check out our gallery above for photos of all the finalists and the links below for more information about them.

We can't wait to see what you come up with next Halloween!

Statewide finalists include: