'Flintstones' Win Bel Air Halloween Costume Contest 2018

BEL AIR, MD — Rain could not keep costume-clad families away from the annual Halloween parade in The Festival at Bel Air. Organizers billed the event, now in its 30th year, as rain or shine.

Approximately 100 people entered the costume contest, and "The Flintstones" took the grand prize.

Colin Higgins of Abingdon, who is 17 months old, was Fred Flintstone, behind the wheel of the car made by his dad, Tom, who dressed as Dino. Next to "Fred" was "Wilma," played by 4-year-old Caroline Autry, whose mom is friends with Colin's mom.

Higgins was a double winner — he took last year's grand prize for his "Claw Machine" costume. After that, someone told him he wouldn't be able to top it. So he started planning.

In three weeks, he created the Flintstone-mobile. He bought a shopping cart from Toys R Us when the store went out of business, he said, and put leather over it to create the top. He sewed his son's costume using material from JoAnn Frabric. Autry's aunt made her getup, he said.

Coming in second in the contest was Remington Wood of Elkton as a mousetrap.

Braden Chambers of Elkton, dressed as "The Toilet," won third prize.

Chambers has been in the contest for the past six or seven years, according to parade emcee Michael Blum. "He's different every year," Blum said, noting the imagination that went with each costume. One year he was dressed as a garden gnome, Blum recalled.

Given the weather, Blum said he thought the contest went well. This was the 30th anniversary of the Halloween costume contest at The Festival, so everyone who came was given a tote bag to mark the occasion. Children were able to trick or treat at the shops in The Festival at Bel Air until 2 p.m.

Did you miss the contest? Watch it here:

This post will be updated.