Tim Gunn Judges a Literary Costume Contest — See Exclusive Photos from the New York Public Library's Halloween Parade

Mar. 15, 2025

A costume from ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ at the New York Public Library’s Halloween costume parade.Photo:The New York Public Library/Jonathan Blanc

The New York Public Library/Jonathan Blanc

Tim Gunn and judges decide on the best costumes at the NYPL’s Halloween Costume Parade.The New York Public Library/Jonathan Blanc

“It’s enormous fun,” Gunn says. “It’s always a surprise to see what people do and how creative they are. And the people who attend this event couldn’t be lovelier. They’re just warm, open people with great stories.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“It’s a great escape, and we need an escape these days,” Gunn adds.

The event has been a longtime favorite tradition, says the New York Public Library in a statement shared with PEOPLE.“The full restoration of funding for public libraries has allowed The New York Public library to resume hiring and vital programming, as well as seven-day service at locations that previously offered it,” the statement reads. “OurRooftop Happy Hour: Halloween Editionwith Tim Gunn is one of many beloved events that members of the public and our patrons look forward to year-round.”

Costumes at the NYPL’s Halloween costume parade.The New York Public Library/Jonathan Blanc

And though not everyone who attended the event participated in the parade, lots of attendees still showed up in costumes that held special meaning. For friends Kendall Latimer and Amanda Steyer, who dressed up as greasers from S.E. Hinton’s classic novelThe Outsiders, it was a way to show off their love for a story that connected them.

“I read [The Outsiders] in middle school and it’s one of my favorite books ever. So I made her read it,” Steyer tells PEOPLE. “And then we did a book club together this summer."

“We’d meet up, we’d read the book, we’d go on walks to talk about it, we’d go out to eat, really kind of immersed ourselves in the book.”

“It really made this book one of my favorite books,” Latimer adds. “I’m a pretty harsh critic when it comes to what makes this book special, and I think doing it with a friend and reading it within the time span of a week … was a lot of fun."

As for those thinking about joining the celebration next year, Gunn has some words of advice for how to make your costume shine.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Just own what you’re doing, make certain it’s literature-referenced, appropriate and have a good time,” Gunn says. “In terms of don’ts, don’t be lackluster, really go all out. It makes a difference.”

source: people.com