Dress up in your favorite scary, funny or crazy DIY costume and head on over to the Annual Hampden HalloweenFest taking place from 5-8 pm on Tuesday, October 31 on "The Avenue" (36th Street). The event, sponsored by the merchants of historic Hampden, was created to encourage handmade artistry and creativity in Halloween costume design across all ages. Costumed children and adults are encouraged to go shop-to-shop for Trick-or-Treating from 5-6 p.m. with participating merchants along 36th Street, northward up Falls Road, and southward down Chestnut Avenue. For more information, call 410-235-3442 or log onto https://www.facebook.com/Hampden-HalloweenFest-124245551012220/.

The much-anticipated Costume Contest will take place from 6:30- 8:00 p.m. in front of Ma Petite Shoe at 832 West 36th Street and awards will be given to the Scariest, the Prettiest and the Most Original in each age group. In addition, there will also be a trophy for the Best 18-year-old-and-over costume. The contest has been an annual tradition in Hampden for over 50 years and is co-sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hampden-Midtown. The Johns Hopkins University Circle K students function as judges along with community members.