October 29, 2026
Courtenay Harris Bond/PhillyVoice
Some low-budget, low-effort Philly-themed costumes include a hungover Founding Father, Rocky turning 50 and an Uber Eats robot.
When it comes to Halloween, there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who are adding costume ideas to their notes page in February and those who throw on a flannel shirt and declare themselves a lumberjack.
If you happen to fall into the latter group and take a slightly more casual approach to this holiday season, you might have procrastinated in deciding what to wear this weekend. If you don't want to consult your more festive friend's yearlong stream of consciousness, we've got you covered.
Here are seven Philly-themed, DIY costume ideas that are quick, easy, cheap and clever. What more could you ask for?
One of the city's most controversial figures under 3 feet tall is the delivery robots made by Avride. They're cute and popular enough to warrant an expansion. Yet, their presence also has been the subject of protests against the displacement of human workers — which resulted in the arrest of a Penn professor this month.
Love them or hate them, it seems the bots are here to stay. If you can't beat them, join them! All you need is a makeshift label, robot-esque sunglasses and a small flag to wave around. I used a pole from my hamper and construction paper to make mine. You also could try putting on a backpack filled with snacks and other goodies. Make sure to demand payment from potential customers, though. (Shoutout to Billy Penn for sharing the same thought on this one.)
Creation duration: 20 minutes, depending on your skills with construction paper.
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 2.5. Cutting things into precise shapes can be hard.
Cost: $0-$20, depending on how many snacks you want to include.
What to say: "Smile, you're on camera!"
– Molly McVety
The semiquincentennial swept through Philly this summer, inspiring countless exhibits and documentaries dedicated to the Founding Fathers. Those guys are long dead, but if they had lived to see 250 years of their creation, it stands to reason they'd be painting the town red, white and blue. This costume imagines what a Founding Father might look like after going a little too hard on the cider at a semi-q soiree — and struggling to revive himself in time for Continental Congress the next morning.
Creation duration: 10 minutes
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 1-2. It all depends on how you handle the "powdered wig" part of the equation. Those who take the term literally and dump baby powder on their head, like this masochistic writer, will need to spend a little more time distributing and cleaning. But to paraphrase the great Ina Garten, if you can't make your own powdered wig, store-bought is fine.
Cost: $15-20. Hit up a discount store for tinsel, hats or whatever party detritus you desire. The wig may bring costs up. An empty coffee cup and your favorite pair of dark sunglasses complete the look.
What to say: "I cannot tell a lie … I feel sick."
– Kristin Hunt
It's hard to believe it's been a half century since Sly Stallone first made that triumphant jog up the art museum's steps. As a fun twist to the standard take on Philly's favorite fictional boxer, transform the classic Rocky into a 50-year-old version as a tribute to the anniversary. Maybe add some wrinkles or lose some hair. Or maybe you're blessed with all the essentials to pull off this transformation with little to no makeup required. Ditch the beanie for a birthday hat if you really want to lean into the theme.
Creation duration: 5 minutes
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 2. This comes down to how tough it will be to make yourself look 50. For a 40-something editor, it wasn't that big of a challenge. I just added a hint of salt to my salt-and-pepper beard and that seemed to do the trick.
Cost: $0. If you or a friend don't have a gray sweatsuit, take this as a sign that you need to start investing more in your leisure.
What to say: "All I wanna do is go the distance."
– Jeff Tomik
Remember the Philadelphia Museum of Art's short-lived and controversial rebrand? Yeah, we barely do either. But what better way to remind people that the 150-year-old Philly institution went through a four-month phase where everyone on the internet called it PhART than by showing up to a party dressed as its metaphorical tombstone?
Just be prepared to potentially be asked to explain the whole saga — the rebrand launched in an attempt to increase accessibility, the subsequent firing of the CEO who spearheaded the idea, the wrongful termination lawsuit that resulted because of it, and the unanimous decision to revert the museum's name back to how it was. This is one of my favorite Philly stories in the past year. A glorious, fleeting time it was.
Creation duration: 5 minutes.
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 0. Wear a grey shirt, find a shoelace or piece of string and tie a piece of paper around your neck.
Cost: Free. You can really do as little as you want with this.
What to say: "Did you know it cost almost $50,000 to change my name back?" It'll be either an instant conversation starter or complete Debbie Downer moment!
– Molly McVety
The Portal has had a rough time in Philly. First it was in LOVE Park, where vandals boosted its copper wire — a first in the installation's international tour. Then it moved to the City Hall courtyard, where it was safer, though accessible only at certain hours. (Basically, whenever the gates were open.) Now, it's leaving for good after Friday. Give it a proper sendoff with this DIY tribute.
Creation duration: 15-20 minutes
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 3. This project requires a bit of arts-and-crafts finesse, but not much. After stenciling the shape of a hula hoop onto scrap cardboard, cut out the pieces and hold them against the hoop. Indiscriminately cover it all with aluminum foil to hold in place.
Cost: $0. Most of these materials are household staples, but if you don't have a hula hoop, just bother your neighbors or local Buy Nothing group.
What to say: No words, just waving. You can't hear anyone on the other side of the Portal!
– Kristin Hunt
The best DIY projects are ones that start with buying a cheesesteak. This villain costume is a portrayal of the criminal influencer who hurled a cheesesteak at a manager of Pat's King of Steaks earlier this month. After he fled the scene, Pat's offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who could identify the man. A day later, he turned himself into police. If you're looking to make a wardrobe change at any point during your party, the foil-wrapped hoagie could double as a meatball sub prop and you can be the Eagles fan who went viral for appropriately asking earlier this season, "What's happening at halftime? Are we eating meatball subs?"
Creation duration: 5 minute
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 1. All it takes to put this look together is a foil-wrapped hoagie, selfie stick and hoodie.
Cost: $0-$20. This could be free if you didn't throw away the selfie stick you got as a socking stuffer a decade ago and you wrap socks in aluminum foil.
What to say: "I said witout!!!"
— Jeff Tomik
Since it was announced that the oldest natural science museum in the country would close at the end of September, one of the (many) burning questions that has lingered in people's minds has been the fate of Haddy and the other dinos stored in its halls. The fossilized remains of a Hadrosaurus foulkii dinosaur (affectionately known as Haddy) was the first publicly available mounted dinosaur in the world and drew such large crowds that the formerly free museum began charging people 10 cents to enter.
Now that the Academy has shut down and the future of its displays remain up in the air, Halloween could be a good excuse to lobby friends and family into re-homing Haddy and her friends. Start asking if anyone has room for a 25-foot long, 10-foot tall statue or two and maybe go on a rant about the history of wildlife dioramas while you're at it. Plus, this is a good opportunity to have a night out in sweatpants.
Creation duration: 10 minutes. Buy a skeleton sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Or don't and just hold the sign and wait for people to ask.
Level of difficulty (out of 5): 0-1
Cost: Combined, the skeleton sweatshirt and corresponding sweatpants were $20 at Five Below. Do with that what you will.
What to say: "I've got a bone to pick with you."
– Molly McVety
