Rocco Mike, 6, and Frankie Mike, 4, of Connoquenessing, smile in their costumes Sunday, Oct. 29, at Connoquenessing Borough Park, before participating in the borough's annual Halloween parade and costume contest. Eddie Trizzino/Butler Eagle

CONNOQUENESSING — Three members of the Cox family, of Zelienople, took home awards Sunday afternoon, Oct. 29, from the annual Connoquenessing Halloween parade, but their own friends may not have recognized them.

Nathan Cox, 12, of Zelienople, saunters up to the judges' table Sunday, Oct. 29, at Connoquenessing Borough Park, where he would receive an award for his Transformer costume. Eddie Trizzino/Butler Eagle

Nathan Cox, 12, was nowhere to be found at first, until a blue cardboard box unfolded at the seams, revealing him underneath, dressed as a Transformer. Ryan Cox, 15, was only visible when he took the hood off his plague doctor costume, and their mom, Dawn Cox, had a face fully painted to portray a scarecrow.

According to Dawn, her boys came up with their costume ideas on their own, and Nathan even made a majority of his blue robot transformer costume.

“We go all-out for Halloween,” she said. “We enjoy the spooky season in my house.”

Despite continuous rain Sunday, dozens of people still crowded under the pavilion at the park for the parade, which has taken place each year for more than four decades. Matt McConnell, a captain with the Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company, said the event took place on Main Street in the borough until 2020, when it moved to the park.

The event included costume parades and contests for different age groups, food and drink, music and a contest where people guessed a pumpkin’s weight.

“We try to open it up to the whole area,” McConnell said. “It has always been a good event.”

Instead of making their way through the park, costumed characters walked around the pavilion, so judges could choose their favorite costumes.

Rilee Everett, 3, of Connoquenessing, poses as Batgirl on Sunday, Oct. 29, at Connoquenessing's annual Halloween parade event. Eddie Trizzino/Butler Eagle

Rilee Everett, 3, from Connoquenessing, dressed up as Batgirl, for a justified reason.

“I wanted to be Batgirl,” she said.

Connoquenessing resident Rocco Mike, 6, was Pikachu, and his 4-year-old brother, Frankie Mike, was a spider. Their mom, Chloe Mike, said most of their costumes were bought at the store, but she made a mask for Frankie.

“That’s how we spent our day, was making the mask,” Chloe said.

Ryan’s costume only had some homemade aspects to it, but he said he was drawn to being a plague doctor, complete with a beaklike mask with goggles, because of its image.

“I like how it’s mysterious; you have to really look at it to see what it is,” Ryan said.

Nathan had made costumes in the past, including a Minecraft Creeper and the Polar Express, but he said the Transformer costume is his favorite Halloween look he has donned. Although he wasn’t sure if he would wear the entire outfit while trick-or-treating, he said he was happy to show off the costume’s transforming abilities to the judges and the community.

“I think I did good,” Nathan said. “This is my favorite one so far.”