The snickers and milky way filled bags have been emptied. The kids have trick-or-treated. The sugar has been gathered, and most young bloods have already made a sizable dent in their giant candy pile.

The parties are over. The uncomfortable costumes have finally come off, and the mountains of trash have been cleared from the hosts’ streets because of west side Halloween shindigs over the weekend.

Now that the excitement, adrenaline, and sugar rushes have subsided, it is important to reflect upon the glorious Halloween celebrations before we jump right into the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas. After all… this glorious holiday only comes once a year.

“What even is there to reminisce over?,” you may ask. Well, we can start and end upon the most iconic feature of Halloween itself. While the loads of candy and scary movies are crucial elements, there is no question the key component of any successful Halloween (regardless of age) is the costume.

And what better way to remember this year’s Halloween than to review the most memorable costumes of 2017. Thus, without further ado, I present the top five best costumes I was able lucky enough to encounter over the weekend (not in any order).

Hippies: Andrew Broxterman & Lilly Moorman 

Honestly, one can never go wrong with this costume idea. Being a hippy for Halloween is a smart call for several reasons.

First of all, being a hippie might be the most inexpensive costume. All you really need are jeans, a colorful shirt, and maybe a bandanna. A frustrating website visit or inconvenient trip to buy a costume is almost entirely eliminated through this costume.

Being a hippie is also great because there is not a strict guideline to the costume. Unlike a superhero or celebrity, a hippie costume provides convenient versatility which makes it great for Halloween. The weather is unpredictable so if a simple tye dye shirt will not cut it for the low temperatures, any beat up or old jacket will suffice.

Andrew and Lilly opted for the most traditional hippie look with the round glasses and rainbow shirt, which did the trick perfectly in my opinion.

Superman and Lois Lane: Zach Harp & Cecilia Feldman

Harp has an uncanny ability to hit pressured three pointers as if he is rolling in a layup in his driveway, so there was no surprise when he appeared superhuman with his superman outfit flashing underneath his lab coat Saturday night.

With Harp’s relatively plain style of dressing on purple Fridays… or any day for that matter, I pinned him as more of a “Look. I am being Zach Harp for Halloween” kind of guy with only gray sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt. However, I speak for many when I say he he shattered my expectations.

Harp not only brilliantly pulled off Clark Kent, Superman’s secret identity, but Cecilia dressed as Lois Lane. Harp and Feldman pulled of the stunt with ease, and even though we were taken by surprise, the duo ultimately may snag the spot as best costume overall.

Greasers from The Outsiders: Nick Hilsinger, Jack Mazza, Jack O’Brien, Charlie Mazza, Eddie Cliffe, Vince Sabato, Ben Farwick, Nick Dirr, Jacob Rhoads.

At the Halloween celebration I attended, it was nearly impossible to extend your arms fully without rubbing up against one of these fellas. The Outsiders Greasers theme was easily the largest collaboration when it comes to costume matching.

The raw presence of a large gang of teenage boys striding around in leather jackets, rolled up jeans, and old converse gave the aura of truly being enveloped in the classic 60’s Outsiders world. I do not think anybody would have been surprised if a group of socs rolled in, and there was an all out brawl.

For the overall effort and gritty attitude the greasers showed, these men have earned themselves a high spot on the costume list.

Fireman and Dalmation: Eric Groll & Grace Metzger

The classic fireman and dalmatian dynamic duo had to be brought to the party by a couple, and Groll along with Metzger nailed it.

This innocent creative idea was like a breath of fresh air among the greasers, nurses and nuns. Groll even carried around a plastic ax as a prop to emphasize his already well put together costume.

If this costume does not win best overall, it automatically takes the cake for the cutest couple.

Professor and Student: Josh Lammers & Corrine Reid

Although I would deem this theme as a bit stereotypical, something about Lammers dressed up as a teacher just cracks me up.

Whether it is bow tie, quarter zip, or forced smile, an aspect about Lammers sets him apart from the usual dull teacher/student combo.

I think we can call a spade a spade when it comes to Josh’s enthusiasm for dressing up in a costume, so the fact that he made such a strong effort for his “straight A” student keeps this couple high on the costume list.

As I previously mentioned, Halloween only comes once a year, and entertaining costumes such as these provide the memories that make such a hallowed night worth while.

Do you agree with my favorites? Vote below to contribute your own take on who had the best costume listed above.