Looking for an extra creative kid’s costume that hits close to home? Try a funny Halloween costume inspired by the San Francisco Bay Area
Halloween is back with a revenge this year and we just know the costumes will be next level! While superheroes and princesses are a dime a dozen, you can win some major bonus points for creativity with these costumes that show your love for our Bay Area. From favorite landmarks to home town heroes to all of our local sports teams, your little one will be the talk of the town at trick-or-treat time. Grab your inspo below!
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A Muni Bus
Got a kid who loves Muni? Got a box from Amazon? You are all set for this totally awesome and totally easy mini Muni costume.
Philz Coffee and Barista
Dress your littles as a tiny barista and cup of coffee which will surely cause a jolt when they are on the streets trick-or-treating!
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Avocado
We love this too-cute option for little ones (because who doesn't love a smiley avocado?) but an avocado can be especially epic as a costume for a pregnant mom!
A Family of Haight-Asbury Hippies
Get out your tie dye kit and get to work making the most psychedelic gear that you can think of. Bell bottoms are easy to make by adding a triangular panel into those jeans that are almost too small. Add some Lennon-inspired shade and you are on your way!
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A Redwood Tree
We love this homage to our beloved Sequoia Sempervirens which, bonus, is super easy to make with those Amazon boxes you have in the recycle bin.
Bay to Breakers Runner
Take an everyday costume to the next level with the addition of a Bay to Breakers race number. It really is the perfect SF costume because you know you'll be chasing those little runners around no matter what your plans look like!
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Steve Jobs
Just get your little one a tiny turtleneck and some glasses and you've got the perfect costume that every Silicon Valley resident will recognize.
Taco
Is there ever a more appropriate time to pose in front of iconic San Francisco taco truck El Tonayense than while dressed as a taco? We think not.
San Francisco 49'er
Everyone loves a pint-sized football player and the 49ers are a great option at Halloween time! We love this costume for its simplicity and comfort. Ditch the helmet and you are basically wearing PJs which is pretty much the Halloween dream.
Boba Tea
It seems like every week a new boba tea shop opens up in SF. Everyone will drink up your little one in this yummy costume that's super easy to make with a big sheet of plastic and some balloons. Make sure that you accompany your beverage with sea life-conscious non-plastic straw.
Golden State Warrior
If you've got a mini-Steph Curry fan in your home, we're guessing you also have a Warriors tee as well. For an easy-peasy costume idea, throw on your kiddo's fave Warriors garb, a headband and a basketball and you've got one slam dunk of a Halloween costume.
The Perfect Bowl of Ramen
It's no wonder our foggy city is having a love affair with this classic Japanese noodle soup. Food blogger Lindselicious dressed her little dumpling up as her favorite dish, complete with soft-boiled egg and barbecued pork. She looks more tempting than any candy bar!
Bart Station
Get the whole family in on a Bart station themed family costume complete with map, fare gates and Clipper card!
Alcatraz Prisoner
Dress your tots as tiny prisoners for an oh-so-adorable nod to the Bay Area's famous island prison. Whether you go as Al Capone or George "Machine Gun" Kelly, this costume is easy to prep in a jiffy with some black clothes and white Duct tape.
San Jose Shark
This South Bay-favorite costume is perfect for the little sports fan even if they are too young to take the ice. Teach them The Chomp to really get immersed in the role.
Golden Gate Bridge
It doesn't get more San Francisco than this classic span. This is a great costume for two (or three) for friends who want are willing to work together for the trick-or-treat-trek. A couple of fog wigs will make the whole thing truly authentic.
Morning Bun
Babies dressed as food are fail-proof Halloween costumes—an adorable hot dog, a little peanut, a sweet cupcake—they’re all so cute. But a baby morning bun is off the charts. Wrap your infant up in padded brown fabric with a dusting of sugar-like glitter and you’ve got something worthy of a weekend wait at Tartine.
Baby Burners
Stripping down and riding bikes or dancing around a fire? What toddler wouldn’t love a visit to the Playa? Outfit your baby like an original Burning Man participant with a tutu, beads and a light-up tricycle, all covered in some sandbox dust. Add face paint and goggles as a final touch.
Ice Cream Vendor
This two year old ice cream vendor, El Niño Paletero, not only dressed the part but also handed out over 100 free Otter Pops in his Mission neighborhood—talk about getting into the role!
Santa Cruz Surfer
Surf's up, it's costume time! Pop the kiddo in their favorite swimsuit, add some faux Ray Bans and a zinc oxide nose and you'll be all set to assume the role of Santa Cruz Surfer Dude!
$4 Artisan Toast
You know that the debate about the price of toast in San Francisco is over when the much-discussed “$4 slice of toast” becomes a kid's Halloween costume. All it takes is an old-fashioned sandwich board costume or a foam mattress topper cut to size and voila—your child is a meme.
Pier 39 Sea Lion
SF's most famous wildlife likes to swim, sunbathe and bark at tourists. These chubby, slippery, loud creatures make the perfect costume for little wobbly toddlers or babes who are still scooting around on their bellies.
Flowers from the SF Botanical Garden
This one is super fun for a DIY fanatic as you literally hot glue or sew as many faux flowers as you've got on to a sweatsuit!
Super Earthquake Kit
Are you Ready? Make the most of your survival stash by cobbling together a superhero costume from items found in your earthquake kit. On the plus side, it makes light of a scary lesson in natural disasters and helps review your family’s emergency plan. The con: you’ll have to replenish your supplies.
A City Under Construction
Little crane lovers must be in heaven! It seems every block of SF is sporting orange cones, teams of dump trucks and blinking caution lights these days. Our building boom may be a pain for moms, dads and drivers, but for little construction nuts, the city's torn-up state is a dream come true. Your kids will stop traffic in these cute construction-inspired costumes made with some foam board, a little caution tape and a whole lotta hot glue.
Robin Williams as Mork
Our beloved hometown comedian can be remembered by recreating one of his most beloved characters—Mork from the planet Ork. "Nanu nanu!"
Karl the Fog
With 352,000 followers on Twitter and over 20,000 Facebook friends, @karlthefog might be the most famous persona in the Bay Area—and definitely the most popular hashtag. Wrap your tot in a fluffy blanket or a cape made from cotton batting and you’re done. Be sure to tag your photos #karlthefog.
Start-up Success Story
The way that some old-school natives talk about the tech folks, you might think they were a new breed of zombie—buying up our real estate with cash and lining up at dawn to board their shiny buses, their faces unnaturally aglow from the light of their smart phones. But this type of ghoul is easier to costume: dress ‘em in a hoodie and jeans, then fill thier pockets with cash and give them as many devices as they can carry.
Priness Vanessa
The closest thing that San Francisco has to a fairytale princess, the preternaturally perfect-looking Vanessa Getty is still referred to as an “It Girl” despite being a 40-something mother of three. Besides her beauty, Getty stands up for animals (she founded San Francisco Bay Humane Pets), rode into her wedding on a horse and appears to solely wear evening gowns. Who’s Elsa?
Cable Car
Cable cars are both the only mobile national monument and a pretty awesome Halloween costume to boot. Add a Rice-a-roni ad to the side for some extra bonus points.
—Christine Lai, Kate Loweth, Erin Feher and Sarah Lynch
featured photo by Nga Ly
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