Abbey Hanley, dressed as a playing card, and Chris Dinan, in costume as an evil emperor, both of West Stockbridge, Mass., were part of the crowd at Saturday night’s “WaterFire.”

The Providence Journal / Ruben W. Perez

PROVIDENCE –– It was a dark and blustery Halloween night, and the winds were spooking the “WaterFire” river bonfires.

To end this extended-extended WaterFire season, for the first time the focus of the costume party wasn’t the usual gondoliers dressed for Venice. Instead, there was Helen Davis of Rehoboth, who donned a sizable pointy black hat to watch “WaterFire” as a witch.

“No, that’s the way she dresses normally,” joked her husband, Tom Davis.

“It’s a really elegant hat,” his wife joked back.

At 7 p.m., the river came to light with pumpkin-colored light and the music flowed from the speakers. Like any “WaterFire’s” soundtrack, the first tune was more mystical than maniacal, more eclectic drums than piano keys tapping out the eerie theme to the movie “Halloween.”

Two people watched dressed as the Coneheads.

One guy wore a glistening silver sequin blazer that nearly outshone the scores of river bonfires, or braziers, as they’re called.

There was the headless butler, who with hunched shoulders managed to take drags off a cigarette through his mask.

Dracula showed up.

Perhaps nothing could top Daniele and Jeremy Roy of Bristol, husband and wife and, on this date night, two decaying zombies. Jeremy Roy said he could see the Halloween “WaterFire” becoming a tradition.

Several attendees said they’d hit on a gem: Cozier crowds, and a Halloween in Providence that hit a high of 72 degrees at 2:12 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The season’s last “WaterFire” was supposed to be Oct. 10, but Saturday’s came through sponsorship from restaurants and distributors, the tourism council and others.

There was no need to wait until dark for Halloween. On the city’s west side, more than 200 children, parents and pets started celebrating Halloween in the afternoon, converging on Dexter Training Ground Park for the second annual Goblins and Gremlins parade and party.

Organized by the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, there was a magician and the popular pumpkin catapult: loading would-be jack-o-lanterns into the leather sling of a replica medieval catapult and then watching pumpkins fly through the air before smashing to the ground.

Zora Greene, 2½, was convincing as an owl with feathers down to her shoelaces, and 16-month-old Ruby Walsh was a content ladybug. There was a costume parade around the grassy city park and parents were handed maps of neighborhood homes that would be handing out candy at twilight.

bpoliche@projo.com