Halloween Parades
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Trick or treat! And oh boy do we have a treat for you – it’s the return of our annual Halloween Parade! This is our 23rd(!!!) installment of our collection of the best and strangest Muppet costumes we’ve spotted throughout the past year.
Thankfully, Muppet fans continue to be creative in putting together costumes that pay homage to the Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and other Jim Henson productions. I’ll always be impressed by the creativity these folks put into it, which is why I’m so excited to put these compilations together every year.
If you’ve got a great Muppet costume, or if you see any exceptional ones floating around the internet, be sure to email them to us! We’ll include them in next year’s Halloween Parade – it’s never too early to prep for Halloween!
And now, on with the show!
Let’s kick things off with too many cooks! The Swedish Chef always gets some good representation on Halloween, and I’m pleased to see that everyone followed the dress code this year.
Muppet fan and artist Frootbats put together this stellar Rizzo the Rat costume, complete with Rizzo’s signature jacket. If Disney’s going to recast Rizzo anyway, why not just hire Frootbats??
Lots of Bunsens and Beakers this year, including the one on the bottom there that looks conspicuously like our pal Lucas Ross. But it couldn’t be him – he’s not holding a banjo!
I’d be excited to see a Gonger costume, but complete with a Foodie Truck?? And it’s got eyes!
Why are there so many costumes of Kermit? And what’s on the other side? (Probably just Kermit’s back.)
Comic book writer and artist Kate Leth (who also wrote the Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring comic miniseries!) put together this incredible Pepe the King Prawn costume, which features a marionetted second pair of arms and a set of eyes that I have to assume make it impossible to see.
Not too long ago, the Big Bang Boom Cabaret hosted a Henson performance, which came complete with all these great costumes above. Each one is so creative and original, including a Charlene Sinclair from Dinosaurs and Angelica Huston’s character from The Witches, neither of which I think I’ve ever seen attempted in cosplay form.
Instagrammer Fuzzy Felt Butts mashed up the Muppets with the Ghostbusters, but I’m equally impressed at Sweetums’ lumberjack chic style.
With a new Fraggle Rock series on Apple TV+, it was no surprise to see a handful of Fraggle costumes this year. But wow, that Trash Heap is trashy in all the best ways.
It’s a pleasure to see cosplayers and professional nerds Tiffany and Dan (who I met when we were all contestants on a game show!) when they choose to dress Muppety. I don’t think I ever shipped Benjamina Gunn and Long John Silver, but they’re making me rethink the entire movie.
The Electric Mayhem continue to rock on through the power of loud music and awesome costumes. I’m especially impressed by the number of Dr. Teeths and Floyds we got this year – two very complicated costumes!!
What’s weirder: dressing as Gonzo, or Gonzo himself??
John Tartaglia – the puppeteer, writer, director, and Executive Producer behind Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – donned a Gobo costume, despite already being Gobo, like, all the time. I guess it was probably a gift to get to play the character without having to keep his arm in the air.
The Force is strong with this one. But honestly, how obscure for this person to dress as a very specific action figure?
I’m seeing double! Two Counts!
By far the most popular Muppet costume I spotted this year was the fabulous Miss Piggy. No surprise, because who doesn’t want to dress as the biggest star in the world?? Besides, all you need to make a perfect Piggy are a glamorous dress, pig ears and snout, and a pair of heels that are at least one size too small.
This Disney fan is dressed as Taraji P. Henson’s (no relation) character from Muppets Haunted Mansion, complete with Ghost Host Kermit! Okay, so maybe not Taraji’s version, but a Muppet fan can dream, right?
Sesame Street fans represented this year, with a lot of Big Birds and Ernies. If they come to my door on Halloween, you better believe they’re getting extra candy.
An artistic masterpiece like The Dark Crystal deserves phenomenal costumes by its fans. And the proof lies with these two, dressed as the Chamberlain Skeksis and Seladon from Age of Resistance.
Oh. Oh, I get it.
The Muppets always make for such great group costumes. I love seeing all these folks put together their own Muppet Show with just a little extra glitter and hot glue to keep it all together.
This Fozzie Bear costume is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Not only does Fozzie look impeccably on-model, but the design with the hiking bag is a brilliant way to disguise the person inside. I’m honestly in awe of this one.
These vintage costumes are terrifying. If the Muppets ever fall into the Public Domain, these are the faces you’ll see in the inevitable bootleg horror film.
Proof that there’s literally no reason Disney World doesn’t have a Sam the Eagle as Sam Arrow walkaround for photo ops. I would definitely stand in a long line in the Orlando summer heat to meet this guy.
Naturally, we all love the will-they-won’t-they, on-again-off-again, what-the-heck-is-going-on relationship status of Kermit and Miss Piggy. But when a human couple decides to dress as them, all I see is “relationship goals”.
And then sometimes you just love yourself, so you gotta mash them up.
Red One to squad leader! These Muppet/Star Wars mashup costumes are great! But somehow I don’t see Fozzie Bear being able to bullseye a womp rat in his T-16.
Cosplay isn’t just for humans! Dogs get into the Muppety spirit too! (And even a couple cats snuck in.)
And hey, this dog is dressed up for Halloween too! I mean, someone is dressed as a dog. Or something. Whatever, it’s a Rowlf playing a piano, and that’s great.
Gosh I love seeing Jim Henson cosplays. While the beard and the Kermit puppet are mainstays of this costume idea, I love that everyone seems to have gotten the note that Jim needs a braided headband as well.
Simply the best (and simplest) Doc costume ever. And now I know what I’ll dress as when I’m older. Plus, I love a good cardigan.
Sweetums is definitely going to eat that cat.
I dunno, I think this guy’s Bert costume is pretty wooden.
I’m equally excited, confused, disgusted, and hungry. No, mostly just hungry.
Just in case anyone doesn’t have a costume yet, you can find some cursed Bert and Ernie S&M outfits on a park bench outside.
And the winner of the Halloween Parade this year goes to… Vincent Price! Complete with vampyric Kermit the Frog, ready to reenact their famous scene from The Muppet Show. You know we love a hyper-specific Muppet reference!
And thus ends the ToughPigs Halloween Parade for another year!! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Halloween costume images! And a reminder – if you have any (or spot any), be sure to email them to us for next year’s Parade!
Click here to sprout fangs on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
