SONIC 102.9 radio host Lauren Hunter is back with her latest larger-than-life Halloween costume, this year spending over 100 hours crafting a human-sized magpie costume.
The Edmonton afternoon drive host started working on the costume in August, saying it’s the longest she’s ever spent on one costume.
“I actually got engaged back in August, and I delayed my wedding planning so that I could work on this costume for our listeners,” Hunter told CityNews.
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Year after year, Laren has captured the imagination of Edmontonians, constructing a larger-than-life costume plucked from the headlines. From the Walterdale Bridge opening three-years behind schedule in 2017, to Lysol Wipes during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the cracks that delayed the Valley Line SE LRT opening in 2022.
This year’s magpie costume acts as a vote of sorts.
Bird Friendly Edmonton is pitting the black-billed magpie against other birds, like the blue jay and downy woodpecker, in a public vote to choose which one is the most Edmontonian. Hunter believes the smart, and sometimes nuisance bird everyone loves to hate is the perfect choice.
“I feel like Edmonton is the underdog and the magpie is an underdog- even though it is a bird. It’s something that maybe, you know, not your flashy New York City or Los Angeles, but when you come here it is a really great city,” said Hunter.
“Making this costume, I’m like, the magpie is very beautiful. There’s these gorgeous greens and blues and it’s a really misunderstood animal, it’s really smart, it’s intelligent, so I feel like It’s actually a really good metaphor for Edmonton.”
Hunter will be showing off her costume in person on Halloween morning during Sonic’s 20th annual Halloweenie roast, all raising funds for local charity Youth Empowerment Support Services (YESS).
Sonic 102.9 is owned by Rogers Media, the same parent company as CityNews.