Mercer’s Halloween Costume Contest: A Spooktacular Day of Fun and Community!
This year’s annual Halloween Costume Contest at Mercer was one for the books! Each October, Mercer’s campus comes alive with creativity, humor, and a little friendly competition as departments and individuals go all out in their costumes and decorations. It’s a day we look forward to all year long—a chance for everyone to cut loose, show off their creative side, and celebrate the unique Mercer spirit.
Our Amazing Winners: A Costume Showcase
Our contestants made it tough on the judges this year, with creative costumes, hilarious ideas, and team efforts that turned the ordinary office into a whimsical wonderland. Here are the standouts:
Most Scary: Jackie Taylor as a terrifying, balloon-wielding clown demon.
Most Funny: Matt Heintzman as a giant Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants.
Classic Costume: Lexie Cunningham as the Wicked Witch of the West.
D.I.Y. Costume: Tony Wells channeling ZZ Top with flair.
Best Duo: Maryna Shkurko and Yadira Perez as a wise, experienced vampire paired with a newly turned one.
Best Group Costume: Accounts Payable transformed into a team of artists, embodying “painters in a studio.”
Best Department Decor: Rates, Billing, and Collections took the prize with their circus-inspired office transformation.
Best Workstation Decor: Lori Page’s setup was a winner in its own right!
Thank you to everyone who put in the time, effort, and imagination to create these masterpieces—you truly made this Halloween special!
A Special Thanks to Our Judges
Our panel of dedicated judges—Tyler, Amanda B., Jazmine, Porsche, Jacob, Dale, and Roderick—had the nearly impossible task of choosing winners. Bribery attempts abounded (of course), but they held strong and judged each category with fairness and a bit of laughter. Huge thanks to our judges for touring the entire campus and keeping the spirit of fun and good humor at the heart of it all!
The Department Showdown: Big Themes and Fun Surprises
This year, we saw some epic team efforts as departments brought their A-game. Billing and Logs continued their rivalry with elaborate setups.
Logs cleverly chose an “idioms” theme, with each person representing a phrase—visitors even got to guess the idioms for prizes!
Meanwhile, Recruiting went back to the Old West, with cowboy hats, lasso attempts, and even a wooden horse for some wild lassoing action.
OD Permits, small but mighty, brought Toy Story characters to life, and the Company Store (run by a single person) added a sweet touch with an array of treats in little take-home bags for everyone. It was wonderful to see each team add their own special spin to the day.
Perfect Timing and Perfect Weather (Almost)
The costume tour ended just as the skies darkened, with a rainstorm arriving right after the last group made it inside. This spooky twist added just the right amount of drama to wrap up our Halloween festivities, but we were all safe and dry—talk about perfect timing!
A Mercer Tradition Worth Celebrating
This event is more than just costumes and decorations. It’s about bringing us all together, creating memories, and celebrating what makes Mercer such a wonderful place to work. Some of our teammates have been participating in this costume contest for over a decade, which shows just how special this day is. Thank you to management for supporting these events, and thank you to everyone who helped organize, participate, and cheer on our contestants.
Events like this costume contest make Mercer more than just a workplace. They create a sense of community and connection, building a culture that feels like family. We’re grateful to everyone who dressed up, decorated, and made us laugh. We can’t wait to see what next year’s contest will bring, and we encourage even more of you to join in the fun next Halloween!
Happy Halloween, Mercer family! 🎃