The YMCA’s lawn was festooned with tutus, witch hats, and racks and racks of Halloween costumes on Saturday at the annual recycled Halloween costume sale.

Each September, the Y collects donated costumes that it resells before Halloween for prices ranging from 50 cents to $10. Although the proceeds go to the Y’s annual fund that subsidizes membership and program costs for those in need, the sale is mostly meant to help kids and families celebrate the holiday without spending too much money.

Cathy Longfield, the Y’s special events coordinator, said that she briefly questioned whether to hold the sale this year amid the ongoing pandemic. But with more and more Halloween events popping up, including a socially-distanced trunk-or-treat event at the Y, she decided to go forward with the sale.

She said that even if kids ended up using the costumes for imaginative play at home rather than for more traditional Halloween festivities, that would be a success.

“Being creative for kids this year is more important than ever,” Longfield said.

The event was held outside this year to better allow for social distancing. 

Longfield added that a number of the costumes were donated by the St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop in Buzzards Bay, which gets many costume donations but not many costume shoppers.

“We’ve got a nice collaboration,” Longfield said. She added that the YMCA will accept costume donations year-round.

For information about the YMCA’s planned Trunk or Treat event, click here.