Halloween may be over, but the costume fun is lingering just a bit longer. The Northern Sentry is keeping the spirit alive by announcing the winners of our annual Facebook Costume Contest, showcasing the funny, quirky, original, scary, and downright adorable costumes of Minot AFB residents.

Halloween 2025 was as spirited as ever, judging by the number of photos submitted! Residents shared snapshots of their costumes on Facebook, and other users voted by “liking” their favorites. The rules were simple: the photo with the most likes wins.

Second place went to 2-year-old Hadley Little, who stole hearts with her family’s adorable bat-themed costumes. Her dad, Jesse Little, came up with the idea, wanting something fun and unique for their family’s Halloween in Minot. The Littles spent the evening making the most of the chilly North Dakota weather. “We stopped by the Minot Public Library and a church in town, then did a loop around our neighborhood off base before it got too cold out,” Jesse shared.

First place went to the McKenzie family, who took themed costumes to another level: Jaxon as SpongeBob, Gage as Mermaid Man, Ava as Plankton, and NovaLee as Sandy Cheeks! Mom Novalee said she started planning their group look back in June and had to search as far as South Dakota and Montana to complete the set. Their winning photo was taken at the Med Group’s Trail of Treats event. “I love Halloween because I know we’ll be putting up our Christmas lights the very next day!” she said with a laugh.

Other standout costumes included the Hartzell sisters as Wednesday Addams and Bluey, and Lindsay Nygaard’s mini dachshund, who celebrated her first Halloween dressed as an adorable jack-o’-lantern.

Even though costume season has come to a close, we can still carry that festive spirit into the long winter ahead. Thank you to everyone who participated in our Halloween Costume Contest, and stay tuned for our Winter Photo Contest, launching this December!