Halloween is a great excuse to dress up as something you're not.
And while this year is sure to be dominated by new(ish) ideas like Barbie, Ken, and (perhaps) J. Robert Oppenheimer, there will be plenty of classics with vampires, witches, and the Joker circa 2008.
However, for the more creative folks, it's a chance to come up with a unique idea and turn it into a costume. And what better place for inspiration than the local news?
The brain trust at V.I.A. has come up with 11 different costumes based on stories written since last Halloween.
Them llinis
Drake played a pair of shows at Rogers Arena which brought out thousands of people, but perhaps the most iconic moment of his Vancouver visit was a video he shot in his hotel room asking for a couple of drinks from Cactus Club.
Specifically, "them 'llinis, them Lina Marie's, them Lina Turner's, peach 'linioski. You know what I need. Dressed up with the red."
Now, it doesn't matter what's in a Cactus Club bellini, just how it looks, which is mostly yellow with some red around the rim. A yellow sheet or giant yellow t-shirt could work for the drink (with your legs being the stem of the glass) and add the red how you please.
Alternatively, you could pull off your best Drake outfit and just carry around one of "them llinis."
The shotgunning mayor
This sounds a lot more dangerous than it is, but it's actually quite Sim-ple.
Back in July, during the Khatsalano Street Party Mayor Ken Sim took the name to heart and on stage shotgunned a bear with a city councillor.
To properly pull off the look you'll need a pair of blue-grey shorts, a Vancouver Whitecaps Love Unites jersey, and some pink Vessis.
And beer. The can of beer is essential.
Daddy Seabus
Vancouver's most famous creator of local memes is famously anonymous, but on the odd occasion he does reveal himself, he's always got that haloed smiley face (😇).
So, just make a mask of that and you're set. If you happen to have a black t-shirt with some sort of athletic brand's name on it, all the better.
While it'll be easy to make, be prepared for lots of questions about local issues and how they can be simplified into a meme.
The cupcake thief
This costume has it all, if all you're looking for is a low-effort costume with a fun backstory.
A black t-shirt, some bright orange sunglasses, a plate of cupcakes and you're set for any potluck Halloween party.
The Ghost of the Stanley Park bike lane
Ghost costumes are one of the classics at Halloween, but it's rare for a specific spirit of the perished to be picked.
In this case, add a cycling motif to your white bed sheet and go as the recently discontinued bike lane. Maybe a couple of tire tracks, a bike bell, and an orange cone could help make it more obvious.
A superyacht
Maybe this summer was the year of the superyacht in Vancouver, maybe it wasn't. But there were plenty around.
Dressing as a massive boat may be difficult, but given that so many of them are ridiculous, there's lots of leeway as to the execution.
But, if you want to make sure it is clear what you are, be sure to include a helicopter pad and maybe some action figures or Lego people as the crew.
Lost luggage
With lost luggage a regular issue for travellers at YVR and abroad in the last little while, maybe go as whatever bag of yours disappeared.
This could go one of two ways. You could either dress up as luggage, perhaps cutting a duffle bag up and wearing it somehow.
Or you could just not show up at your destination.
A friendly bus driver
There have been a couple of stories about friendly bus drivers, and friendly costumes can be in short supply.
The costume is simple, too, though to really pull it off a navy blue TransLink shirt or hat would be ideal.
Taylor Swift
Look, there's only one way Swift is going to show up in Vancouver any time soon and it's if one of you (or many) dress up like her.
We hear there are many eras and costumes to choose from, but make sure it's accurate or a Swiftie may launch into you.
A donut
Vancouver may be Canada's donut capital. It's not official, but the city does have a love for donuts.
On top of that, a list of the top 25 donut spots in Canada listed nine from Vancouver, including number one (Mello).
Pulling this off may be difficult, being that few humans are donut-shaped, but perhaps go as something jelly-filled. Donuts are another thing that comes in a variety of colours with different decorations, as well, so once you've got the shape, it's a blank canvas.
A ferry
If you've got a boat-shaped costume, but a superyacht doesn't speak to you, what about a ferry?
There are plenty of options. BC Ferries struggles could be lampooned, Hullo's launch offers a different colour scheme, and with the original BC Ferries ferry nearly derelict, there's an option for someone feeling a little derelict themselves.
