2019 Halloween costume trends: Dinosaurs, evil clowns and … hey, what’s a ‘Descendant’?

By Jack Pointer
October 18, 2019 | 5:25 PM

It's <em> this</em> Descendant. Jeanine Bartel holds a "Disney Descendants Mal" doll from Hasbro at the North American International Toy Fair, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, in New York. — What the Google search-trend rankings do say is that, somehow, the "Descendants" is the fifth most popular costume nationwide and the No. 1 costume search around D.C. Who knew that the characters in the 2011 George Clooney film — in which a father of troubled daughters comes to terms with his comatose wife's infidelity — could be so terrifying?

<em>Not</em> this Descendant.

The cast, from left, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, George Clooney, Shailene Woodley and director Alexander Payne participates in a press conference for the film "The Descendants" during TIFF on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 in Toronto. — (A colleague tells me "Descendants" probably refers to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descendants_(2015_film)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Disney's fantasy adventure franchise</a>. Disagree. It's definitely the Clooney film, because complicated marital strife is<em> spoOoOoKyYyY</em>.)

A child in a witch costume. — Rounding out the top five in the D.C. area are a witch (No. 2); Spider-Man (No. 3); a dinosaur (No. 4); and Pennywise the clown (No. 5).

Attendees dressed as Spider-Man pose during New York Comic Con at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, in New York. — Nationwide, it's a reshuffling, with Pennywise edging out the witch (No. 2); Spider-Man (No. 3); a dinosaur (No. 4); and "George Clooney" (No. 5).

Fernando Calleros, from San Diego, Calif., dressed as "Pennywise" poses on Day Two at Comic-Con International on Friday, July 19, 2019, in San Diego, Calif. — So that's Big Data's take. What does local retail say? Pennywise is indeed big, as are characters from "Game of Thrones," "Ghostbusters" and "Frozen," according to a source working at the Halloween City in Bethesda, Maryland. That employee wished to remain anonymous; one assumes he was wearing a mask when he said this. Side note: We are not quite clear whether Halloween City is an incorporated municipality in Bethesda or just a neighborhood. We've yet to confirm.

Sayayohn, dressed as Wonder Woman, and Dakotah Luster, dressed as Aquaman, pose for photographers on the second day of the 2015 Comic-Con International held at the San Diego Convention Center Friday, July 10, 2015, in San Diego. — Online, the definitive authority is obviously <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Costume Super Center</a>. Their popular men's selections include <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/grand-heritage-mens-pennywise-costume?via=Z2lkOi8vYnV5LXNlYXNvbnMvV29ya2FyZWE6OkNhdGFsb2c6OkNhdGVnb3J5LzU4OGI4ODllNjk3MDJkNzE5YzE2NDBhNw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pennywise,</a> as well as superheroes such as Aquaman and Captain America. Popular women's costumes include (sigh) more superheroes, witches and something called a "Creepy Sister,"<a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/womens-creepy-sister-costume" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> who just looks bored. </a>

A Denver Broncos cheerleader wears a dinosaur costume for Halloween during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Denver. — <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/pages/groups-couples" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">There are similar classic and trendy options</a> if you wish to coordinate costumes with your boo or your bro. And, because it's a man's world, ladies still have the tedious option of dressing up as a "sexy" whatever instead of Dracula.

Blake Opstad from San Diego, CA, as "Rabbit Raider" from Fortnite on day two of Comic-Con International on Friday, July 20, 2018 in San Diego, CA. — On a budget? Save your money and dress up as <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-mens-pteranodon-inflatable-costume?via=Z2lkOi8vYnV5LXNlYXNvbnMvV29ya2FyZWE6OkNhdGFsb2c6OkNhdGVnb3J5LzU3M2UyZTA5Njk3MDJkNGFjZDA0Mzg0ZQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a pudgy dinosaur</a> or a <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/light-up-stick-man-adult-costume-1?via=Z2lkOi8vYnV5LXNlYXNvbnMvV29ya2FyZWE6OkNhdGFsb2c6OkNhdGVnb3J5LzU3M2UyZTA5Njk3MDJkNGFjZDA0Mzg0ZQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"neon stick light up man,"</a> whatever that is. Thrifty ladies could go as a <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/sweet-eats-cupcake-adult-1?via=Z2lkOi8vYnV5LXNlYXNvbnMvV29ya2FyZWE6OkNhdGFsb2c6OkNhdGVnb3J5LzU3M2UyYmY1Njk3MDJkMjliMTAwMWIxYg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pants-less cupcake</a>, a nun who <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/the-nun-movie-deluxe-adult-costume?via=Z2lkOi8vYnV5LXNlYXNvbnMvV29ya2FyZWE6OkNhdGFsb2c6OkNhdGVnb3J5LzU3M2UyYmY1Njk3MDJkMjliMTAwMWIxYg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">doesn't use moisturizer</a>, or the <a href="https://www.costumesupercenter.com/products/womens-burglar-babe-costume?via=Z2lkOi8vYnV5LXNlYXNvbnMvV29ya2FyZWE6OkNhdGFsb2c6OkNhdGVnb3J5LzU5MGEyMmQxNjk3MDJkMjY5NDE3NDM0Ng" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hamburglar on payday</a>. But why pinch pennies when you could make the safe choice and dress up as a demonic clown? Or, a sexy Clooney?

8 OF 8

A doorway survey of trick-or-treaters usually yields a mix of classic Halloween fashion and questions along the lines of, “Now, what are you, exactly?”

Knock-knock. Who’s there? Why, it’s …

A witch — and Pennywise the demonic clown.
A dinosaur — and an avatar from that Fortnite game.
A rabbit — and one of the “Descendants.”

Yes, Halloween costumes are a mix of bleeding-edge pop culture and … hang on. What in the devil’s name is a Descendant?

Google’s search-trend ranking of the most popular costumes, Fright Geist, doesn’t elaborate. See all of the rankings here.

School bus emergency? Fairfax County students have a plan to handle it

By Heather Gustafson
August 21, 2026 | 10:05 PM

This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage. The wheels on the bus will soon be going round and round again in Fairfax County, Virginia, and some of its young riders are learning what to do if there’s an emergency on the way to school. The annual Safety Patrol Training Camp, hosted by Fairfax County Public Schools' Office of Transportation Services, combined hands-on exercises with classroom lessons to teach students how to keep calm during emergencies on buses. The training can feel remarkably realistic, with overturned school buses on their side or completely upside down in the middle of the county bus depot. Other buses, right side up, fill with smoke that is water-based but mimics the intensity of a bus overheating.

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