OXFORD – Sunday, Oct. 26, was a beautiful day for the Oxford Lions Halloween Costume Parade held indoors at the Oxford Fire Station. This year there were 59 registered participants (which included one “Super” dog), all wearing very creative costumes, making it a very difficult task for the judges to choose prize winners. Oxford Lion, DJ Jim Baldwin was back with his bigger than ever (sound) castle, complete with skulls and a drawbridge mouth as a wonderful backdrop for the competing youth.
Lion Ava Douglass announced each grade category. The contestants marched behind their Lion leader, around the room and past the judges. Several of the Oxford Academy High School National Honor Society student volunteers had the difficult job of judging the costumes. Those students were: Miranda Batsford, Jessica Roach, Jessica Martin, Chelsea Farrell, Ashley Nichols and John Petersen.
While the judges were deliberating, DJ Jim kept the party atmosphere going with spooky themed music. The break also afforded everyone with time to take plenty of great pictures.
The winners were:  PreK: 1st place – Ethan Hodge as a little bear, 2nd place – Ethan Ehly as a pirate, 3rd place – Summer Wasiura as Cinderella. K-1st  grades: 1st place – Cooper Rice as a football player, 2nd place – Makayla Whaley as a cowgirl with a pony, 3rd place – Amelia Wakefield as Raggedy Ann.  2nd & 3rd grades: lst place – Jacob Murrer as the Jolly Green Giant, 2nd place – Noah Shapiro as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, 3rd place – Andrea Dempsey as Princess Jasmine from Aladdin.  4th & 5th grades: 1st place Jackie Murrer – as Kraft Easy Mac & Cheese (with a fork), 2nd place Stephen Ehly- as Indiana Jones, 3rd place – Raigen Ehly - as cat-girl.  Middle School: 1st place – Jasmine Albin as the “cereal” stalker, 2nd place – Marisa Baldwin as a she-devil and 3rd place – Kassidy Hodge as a baby. High School: 1st place – Scott Williams as McCrackin the plumber (complete with butt crack) and 2nd place - Brittany Dunagan as a punk rocker. In the Group/Family Category: 1st place - Jacob, Jaclyn and Levi Rough as the Super Heroes; 2nd place – James, Angela, Sadie and Audrey Gregory as Mother Goose’s nursery rhymes; and 3rd place – Kylie and Mya Rae Roys as a scarecrow and pumpkin.
DJ Jim kept the music going and everyone enjoyed Halloween candy, cider and donuts. Thanks were given to the Oxford Fire Department for generously providing their wonderful space to the Oxford Lions Club and the community for this great event.