With temperatures hovering in the low 40s, families turned out in the hundreds for the annual downtown merchant’s Halloween costume parade which started at 11 a.m. at the Barton County Courthouse Saturday. Businesses along Main Street decorated tables and staff members dressed up in anticipation of treating youngsters. Costumes ranged from sweet to ghoulish and everything in between. Ages ranged from the stroller bound to those entering middle school, with some parents getting into the act too. They dressed mostly as superheroes, unicorns, ghosts and goblins. Some groups adopted overall themes with their costumes, while other trick-or-treaters dressed as treats themselves. Taking advantage of good weather was the goal of many, with the forecast predicting temperatures dipping back into the freezing range with a chance of rain on Halloween night. Saturday evening, the Great Bend Zoo Boo took place at the Brit Spaugh Zoo. There, many organizations, clubs, churches and schools set up similar displays to provide a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating.