Members of the Seymour High School marching band and color guard perform during the Halloween parade Monday night. Jordan Morey

Ansley Williams could hardly contain her excitement.

The 3-year-old enthusiastically clapped her hands and jumped up and down before running around the parking lot of American Legion Post 89 on West Second Street.

Williams had plenty to be excited about as she won the Seymour Evening Lions Club’s 53rd annual costume contest Monday evening. The event also featured a parade following Seymour Main Street’s Downtown Trick or Treat.

Dressed as the Morton Salt Girl, Williams was the winner of the 3- to 4-year-old competition and the overall winner.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

Williams smiled brightly as she held her umbrella onstage in her homemade costume. She had a can of salt tied around her waist with white ribbon pulled through the can to symbolize salt falling beneath her.

“It was fun going up there and dressing up,” she said afterwards. “The umbrella is my favorite.”

Her mother, Kylinda, said the family always thinks of creative ideas for the contest each year. Ansley’s sister, Avery, also competed and has won as an overall winner once when she dressed in an elaborate costume as the Elf on the Shelf.

“We love it, and we’ve been coming since Avery was a baby,” Kylinda said. “It’s fun because they get to be creative, and I let them pick out some of their own ideas.”

Kylinda said it is fun to make their own costume because it gives the children some ownership in the process of dressing up for Halloween.

“We’ve seen some neat ones that have been bought, but we try to find something they like and want to be and make it,” she said. “She thought the salt coming out of the can was cool. I think if they make it, they enjoy it more.”

Bob Kamman with the Seymour Evening Lions Club said he saw Ansley’s excitement when she was named the winner.

“That’s your pay,” he said with a smile. “A lot of people feel good about seeing the kids get excited.”

Kamman said the organization offers the costume contest to the public because it is a great way to give back to the community that supports them. The event drew an estimated crowd between 300 and 400 people.

It’s also a fun way to celebrate the fall, Kamman said.

“We are out to raise money for projects and charities throughout the year, but we also give something back to the community,” he said. “I think everyone enjoys this and enjoys getting together.”

The Williams family also spent time with friends trick or treating during the Seymour Main Street Downtown Trick or Treat.

“I like Tootsie Rolls,” Ansley said.

One family also took in the festivities together, each dressing as a character from Disney’s “Aladdin.”

Brooklyn Wingler was Princess Jasmine and Julian Deaton was Aladdin, while their year-and-a-half old son, Tate, was Abu.

“Being a monkey fits his personality,” Wingler said with a laugh. “We just wanted to do something we could all do together, and it’s a popular movie right now.”

Deaton said he liked seeing the community come together to celebrate trick or treating and taking photos with his family.

“It will be fun to have that photo and look back on it and show him when he’s older,” he said.

Wingler said seeing all of the different costumes and families interacting with each other is always a highlight of the event.

Collin Patterson made his way throughout the crowd downtown with his father, Josh. The 10-year-old was dressed as a sumo wrestler he named Fat Lucha Libre.

“I just thought of a name,” he said with a laugh.

The costume was inflatable powered by a battery pack, making Patterson look three times his size.

Josh said he and his brother have the same costume, although his brother was a little under the weather and couldn’t make it. Josh said he enjoys having his son dress up, seeing the other costumes and people coming together downtown.

“When you come downtown, you get to see everything and the community come together,” he said.

Becky Schepman, executive director of Seymour Main Street, said the event was successful, and more than 1,000 people attended. Schepman said the event gives a lot of exposure for the downtown.

She said through their visit, families may discover new places to park downtown or new stores and restaurants to visit in the future.

“I think a lot of people discover that we have the cellphone place, guitar store, salons, picture framing and more downtown,” she said.

Schepman said many have memories of spending time downtown, and the event gives today’s youth a memory of the area.

“We are trying to create those same memories for kids now,” she said.

All of those memories are possible because of the dedication of the downtown merchants, Schepman said. She said some of the small businesses are typically closed Mondays but made sure they were there with candy to hand out to children.

“I think it speaks to how much they support this community and that they’re always willing to give back,” she said.