Scarecrow Costume Takes Grand Prize at Los Alamitos Halloween Carnival

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA—October 28, 2026

Elizabeth Rizo fondly remembers dressing up as a scarecrow as a young girl and competing in the Costume Contest at the Los Alamitos Halloween Carnival. Now a mother, Elizabeth figured it would be fun to recreate one of her favorite childhood costumes for her 3-year-old daughter, Kimberly, for this year’s track festivities.

Her idea turned out to be a grand success: Kimberly not only won the 3–4 age category, but she was also crowned the overall Grand Prize winner of the track’s annual Costume Contest.

“I made it from scratch,” Elizabeth said of the colorful outfit, which was delicately decorated with autumn foliage, vibrant orange flowers, and bright sunflowers. “It took me about four days to make. I had a lot of fun doing it, and I love how it turned out.”

Kimberly’s scarecrow costume won the judges over, and her homemade garden rake was one of the unique touches that captured their attention.

“The pieces for her rake came from my avocado tree. I put it together with glue, and that’s how we did it,” Elizabeth added. “She loves it and loves modeling it—she likes to pose. I came up with the idea because when I was little, I (dressed up) as a scarecrow and wanted to recreate one of my childhood costumes. I even competed here (at Los Alamitos.”

Held in conjunction with the track's live racing program for the past 27 years, the Los Alamitos Halloween Costume Contest features seven age divisions, with each category winner advancing to the grand finale.

This year's winners included:

  • 2 & Under: Luca Martinez. (Tractor Driver)
  • 3 & 4: Kimberly Rizo (Scarecrow — Grand Prize Winner)
  • 5 & 6: Kaylin Aguilera. (Butterfly)
  • 7 & 8: James Jimenez. (Venus Flytrap)
  • 9–11: Liliana Estrada. (Cruella de Vil)
  • 12–15: Karen Arcos. (Oscar the Grouch)
  • 16 & Up: A group of six from Los Alamitos dressed as The Price Is Right contestants, complete with the famous Big Wheel from the Showcase Showdown.

Proceeds from the event benefited the Boys & Girls Club of GreaterAnaheim/Cypress. Photos and videos of the event will be posted on the track’s social media pages on Twitter and Instagram @losalracing. For more information on the event e-mail larace@losalamitos.com.

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