For the 18^th year in a row, Fabricland of North Plainfield will hold its annual Halloween Creative Costume Contest and Parade on Thursday afternoon, October 30 at 4:30 p.m. Winners wearing the best costumes - both original creations as well as commercial pattern designs -- will be awarded more than $1,000 in gift certificate prizes. Anyone can join the fun because the age groups range from infants to toddlers to elementary school kids to teens and adults. All you have to do is bring a Fabricland receipt to the store's parking lot ten minutes before the event and register to march before the judges in the parade.

According to store owner Bruce Heyman, clearly the winners in this contest are not just the people wearing the costumes, but also the moms and grandmas who have put tremendous amounts of time, effort and money into creating some fantastic designs. "Every year, the costumes keep getting better and more creative," remarked Heyman recently. "We are always amazed at how many different fabric and design elements go into making an award-winner -- whether it's handcrafted or machine-stitched."

In order to help last-minute costume-makers, Fabricland will host a free seminar on Saturday morning, October 25 at 10 a.m. At that time, Mimi Turner, manager of the store's dress fabrics department, will provide tips and techniques for making easy to sew and "no sew" costumes. She'll demonstrate how to make easy vampire capes, ballerina tutus, Ninja jackets, cowboy vests and lots more - and show how to use different trims to create a unique style.