Our Family’s Annual Costume Contest: Fall Fun with Food from The Original Mexican Café in Galveston

Every year, we have a Fall Costume Contest & Pumpkin Carving Halloween Party. Here, please come to ours with us. It's informal, fun and everybody gets creative about what they want to come dressed as and what their carved pumpkin at the end of the night should look like. 

We ordered from The Original Mexican Café in Galveston and made some dishes of our own. We often do this combo for parties, cook some and order food delivered to the house, that way it’s not overwhelming.

A true island classic that’s been serving locals since 1916.

The Original Mexican Café is the longest continually operating restaurant on Galveston Island still at its original location. It was established in 1916 and is in Galveston’s Historic District and is within walking distance of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Hospital. It is perfect for casual dining, business lunches and large groups. They have a full bar, and happy hour specials every day. 

Colorful, cozy, and full of that old Galveston charm.

The Original Mexican Café, known for Classic Tex-Mex Since 1916, was voted BEST Margaritas 2012 and BEST Mexican Food 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024!

(From: WWW.TheOriginalGalveston.com)

Our family has eaten at the Original for many years, finding the food delicious, reasonably priced with large servings and great service. They also have happy hour food and vegetarian choices. Cost per person varies from $10-$20.

You can practically smell them through the screen.

The very best thing about The Original is that the menu offers what we consider classic authentic Mexican cuisine that we have had for many years, and nothing has changed. Our all-time favorites are the Cheese Enchiladas, Beef Enchiladas, Beef, Bean and Cheese Burritos, Chili Con Queso Enchilada Plate, Nachos, Beef Fajitas, and Homemade Tortilla Chips.

Comfort food done right at The Original.

Before our party, we bought pumpkins for guests to pick from to choose as their carving choice. We also gathered common kitchen utensils, and Marks A Lot Big Pens to carve pumpkins.

The calm before the creative chaos

Tools of the trade: carving utensils waiting for their moment to shine.

Before the party, we strung purple and orange tiny lights along the dining tables and decorated under our breezeway outside with cotton spider webs and hanging decorations. We usually have one theme, choosing a gargantuan spider web and black spider climbing up the side of the house this year.

Festive, spooky, and full of personality.

The perfect touch for Halloween décor.

We usually need two 8 foot tables for food to be served family style, and one bar size table for mixed drinks and punch set up. We had ice chests with prosecco, cokes, water, beer and ice prepared and sitting by food and dessert tables. 

Another area had templates and stencils of pumpkin cutouts for guests to choose patterns for carving, plastic sheeting for covering tables, paper towels and hand wet wipes.

Food was set along tables from The Original Mexican Café as it was delivered and we added our homemade goodies as well. As costumed guests arrived, there were shouts and gasps with everyone else trying to decide who was under that mask or inside that costume!

Karen’s husband getting into character.

Guests were given drinks and nibbled on appetizers as kids (and adults) snuck bites of candy, cookies and had overflowing cups of fizzy punch. Here’s our menu and Costume Contest Trophy  particulars:

The party spread

Invitation and Menu:

Fall Costume Contest & Pumpkin Carving Party – costumes required!  

October 2025

• Homemade Bean & Cheese Burritos 

• Beef Fajitas-The Original Mexican Cafe

• Rice, beans, pico-de-gallo, guacamole, sour cream

• Flour tortillas

• One dozen corn tortillas

• Extra salsa & extra chips

• Chili con queso 1 gallon

• One dozen cheese enchiladas

• Dinner salad with ranch/Asian dressing

• Assorted fresh fruit tray

• Mimi’s Ooey-Gooey Buttery Rice Krispy Treats

• Blueberry/Lemon icebox pie

• Marilyn’s Texas Trash Chek Mix

• Williams-Sonoma-Halloween Mummies and Ghost caramel apples

• Williams Sonoma Cake pops

• Campfire S’mores 

• Halloween candy and goodies

• 1 Gallon Original Mexican Café Frozen Margaritas

• Prosecco

• Beer-Bud Light, Miller Lite

• Christmas Punch

• Topo Chico fizzy water

• Coke, Sprite, Organic Chocolate Milk, Gatorade, 

Costume contest –

Winner of:

*Scariest costume 

*Most Original costume

*Prettiest costume 

*Best Overall Costume-$25

*Grand Prize Winner Costume! $25

Trophies lined up and ready for the costume contest winners.

After dinner, judging on the costumes began with the whole group deciding who was the winner in each category, with each of them winning $25.00!

A table was lined with plastic and pumpkin carving commenced.

A plastic-lined table makes for easy cleanup and maximum fun.

Whether stencils, templates or free hand there was unquestionably carving wizardry at work. When all pumpkins were carved, small glass votive lights were put in each one and participants shadowed their works of art as still pictures and video were made.

The grand finale: carved pumpkins glowing proudly in the dark.

To cap the evening off, everybody gravitated to the fire pit where partygoers lounged in Adirondack chairs overlooking the Gulf. Campfire S’mores were made, all of us sharing just being together as dew gathered on the grass, and soft sea breezes cooled, making us all realize what meant the most, our family and friends gathering to welcome cooler weather, changing leaves, and our annual pumpkin carving on this very special fall day.