Voodoo Music + Arts Experience’s proximity to Halloween makes for the perfect opportunity to break out a costume and dress for the occasion. From the classic to the trendy to the downright wacky, here’s your guide to the costumes of Voodoo 2017.
Fictional Characters
Fictional characters also served as the muse for many festival goers. One group dressed as characters from Roald Dahl’s classic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” including one member donning a giant blue blow-up suit as Violet Beauregarde, the young girl who turns into a blueberry. People also liked to throw it back to favorite childhood TV characters such as Scooby-Doo, Tigger and the Count and Big Bird from Sesame Street.
Food
If the long lines at Forked Up Food Court — featuring New Orleans vendors like Mona’s Cafe, Dat Dog and Swamp Kitchen — didn’t give it away, food was on attendees minds this year, and costumes were no exception. People dressed up as hot dogs, bananas, a bottle of mustard and even the more obscure black pepper.
It’s all in the details
The work put into some ensembles were evident from the thorough detail exhibited from head to toe — breathing new life into classic costumes. A “Wizard of Oz” Dorothy costume I spotted wouldn’t have been complete without the little wooden basket and stuffed animal Toto the attendee carried around. A fist-pumping Elvis donned a gold suit, black wig and sunglasses as he jammed to the sounds of Black Pistol Fire at the Altar Stage.
Trendy
The most common costumes of the weekend were mermaids, unicorns and skeletons. The mermaid look ranged from casual — green scale-printed leggings and a t-shirt with shells on it — to more extensive, with sea-colored hair and makeup. Unicorns were usually in the forms of onesies and masks while skeletons donned dark attire and elaborate face paint, fitting into the classic Voodoo theme.
Wackiest
Amidst the myriad of costumes, the most memorable came in the form of the most surprising. A self-proclaimed “gangster pope” found near the entrance paired a long white robe and mitre with a gold dollar-sign chain and gold shutter shades. Across the park at the Altar Stage, a full-body anteater costume complete with a protruding snout stood out in the crowd.
