If you’re still waffling on what kind of costume to wear for Halloween this year, let us suggest taking a homegrown approach. By that we mean putting together a creative costume that keys on on San Antonio and Texas culture and public figures. Consider this your puro San Anto idea list!  

A concha (or any piece of pan dulce) You are what you eat — and you really can be this Halloween. Dress up as your favorite piece of pan dulce. If you’re really trying to get a conversation going, get a group of folks to cover all of the popular treats. Photo via Instagram / artofzyanya
Isis Romero If you tuned in to the nightly newscast on KSAT, you’re likely well-acquainted with Isis Romero. Although the station recently declined to renew her contract, she spent more than a decade with its news team and remains a familiar face to San Antonians. Romero isn’t too far from home, as she was born and raised in Robstown. Photo via Instagram / romero_isis Credit: Instagram / Isis Romero
Mike Yuchnitz If you went as the Tiger King last year, keep the party going by dressing up as San Antonio’s own Tiger King, the late Mike Yuchnitz. The optical chain owner became a local demi-celebrity by dressing like a pimp on his TV commercials, then grabbed headlines after he was arrested in 2010 for allegedly trying to hire a hitman to shoot his wife of 32 years. Photo via YouTube / Ben Kubany
You can’t eat barbacoa at any establishment that doesn’t also offer Big Red. Photo via Instagram / alanisgood Credit: Instagram / alanisgood
“No Fucks Given” Pop Depending on which side of the political divide, you either love or hate the “No Fucks Given” version of Spurs Coach Greg Popovich who emerged during the NBA bubble. Remember when he skewered Texas’ GOP leaders as “cowards?” Grab a black “Vote: your life depends on it” T-shirt and a white Spurs hat to complete the look. Photo via Twitter / RealTomPetrini
Mexican Elvis Though he prefers to be called the “Hispanic Elvis,” you’ll be right to go local and pay tribute to San Antonio’s one and only Mexican Elvis. Photo via Instagram / taino_impressions Credit: Instagram / taino_impressions
You’re willing to eat street food at Fiesta with your hands moments after using one of the porta johns. Photo by Jaime Monzon
La Llorona Want something spooky? Prepare to scare the shit out of everyone with your La Llorona costume. Photo via Instagram / makeupbyanaisv
Baby Spur With veteran players largely gone from the Spurs’ current lineup, you have plenty of “Baby Spurs” to choose from. Just order one of their jerseys — 18-year-old Joshua Primo’s is a good choice — and complete the look by hanging a pacifier around your neck and holding a rattle. Photo via Instagram / spurs Credit: Instagram / Spurs
Greg Abbott and Donald Trump
This one makes a great couples costume, so long as the partner dressed up like Greg Abbott is up for an uncomfortable Halloween. That person will need to keep their face firmly embedded in the Trump costume wearer’s posterior all goddamn night.
Photo via aInstagram / governorabbott Credit: Instagram / governorabbott
Jeff Davis “Jeff’s here 4 you!” Sound familiar? Yeah, because you’ve seen Jeff Davis’ loud commercial in which he reminds you that all you have to remember is “4.” Yup, (210) 444-4444 Jeff’s your guy if you’re looking for an accident or injury attorney. Photo via YouTube / Davis Law Firm
Jalen McKee-Rodriguez Come on, who wouldn’t want to show up at a party as city council’s best dressed member? Don’t forget the bow tie! Photo via San Antonio Heron / Chris Stokes Credit: San Antonio Heron / Chris Stokes
Striking San Antonio Symphony Musician All you need is a picket sign, a second-hand musical instrument and that old tuxedo or formal dress you wore to prom. Photo by Sanford Nowlin
Someone who hangs out at Ingram Park Mall If you’re really down, you’ll get the haircut and everything. Be warned, you may lead a life of petty crime if you do. Photo via Twitter / mercadoprojects
Gov. Greg Abbott’s Steel Wall Use magic markers and scissors to transform a cardboard box into a Department of Public Safety vehicle that you wear over your shoulders. Staple lots of fake taxpayer money onto the hood. Now you’ve got the perfect representation of the governor’s taxpayer funded anti-immigrant stunt. Photo via Instagram / texas_dps
The Donkey Lady Some say she’s the product of a fire that left her horribly disfigured, others say that she was a donkey herder drowned by angry men. Now like a spinster at a Halloween party, she stalks those who stay on Donkey Lady Bridge, located off of Applewhite Road on the south side, and is a staple to San Antonio’s ghost stories.You can get your own costume at costume-works.com/the-donkey-lady.html Photo via Instagram, ashtenthorp32
Bud Light Can What’s more quintessentially San Antonio than a cool, refreshing and nearly flavor-free can of Bud Light? If you’re attending a Halloween cookout, just be warned some tipsy guy may attempt to drink you. Photo via Twitter / budlight
COVID Denier Plenty of places on the internet sell T-shirts with bullshit slogans like “COVID-19 is an inside job” and “Reject Big Pharma,” but if you want to make the costume truly scary, assemble a fake ventilator out of old junk you find in the garage. Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Hu Nhu
Ted Cruz and [IInsert Celebrity Name Here] Ted Cruz solo costumes are a little played out right now. Anyone can grab an ass-ugly fake beard from the costume shop. So, expand the Senate’s part-time insurrectionist and full-time internet troll into a couples costume by having your partner dress up as Patton Oswalt, Daisy Ridley, Mark Cuban or AOC. Tweet insults back and forth all night. Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore
Thoughts and Prayers Here’s a couple’s costume idea: Put on your best business attire and go as Texas Republican politicians tweeting after a school shooting. One partner can wear a sign around their neck reading “Thoughts” and the other can wear “Prayers.” Photo via Twitter / JohnCornyn
Handmaid As Texas continues to wage its war on women, this costume based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” has become even more topical — and scary. Photo by Hulu
On Jesus Not Being the Messiah (2007) ”Jesus did not come to Earth to be the Messiah … since Jesus refused by word and deed to claim to be the Messiah, how can the Jews be blamed for rejecting what was never offered?” Not only is this controversial, but it’s also plain wrong. Experts have pointed out that, according to the Bible, Jesus does in fact claim to be the Messiah. Photo via Instagram / pastorjohnhagee Credit: Photo via Instagram / pastorjohnhagee
A piñata Go the colorful route and be a piñata! Design it however you like and be ready to be the star of the party. Photo via Instagram / ernestolivo
Beto O’Rourke There’s a good chance you applied fake sweat stains to a blue button-up shirt when you dressed up as Beto during his 2018 U.S. Senate run. Grab it from the closet, because everything old is new again. The former El Paso congressman is teasing a run against Gov. Greg “No Abortions or Vaccines Allowed” Abbott, a politician who seems to be working overtime to become just as reviled as Ted Cruz. Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore
Local Healthcare Worker Not all costumes need to be scary or goofy. If you’re looking for one that’s truly heroic, forget the store-bought Marvel costume and suit up in some scrubs. These folks continue to work their asses off to keep us healthy through the pandemic — even when many of us refused to listen to the science and get jabbed. Photo via Instagram / eveandpie