Characters from fairy tales, horror stories and even Santa Claus himself came to life as students flocked downtown Saturday for Halloween.

“Where’s Donkey?” a concerned-looking man dressed as Shrek asked.

An equally worried-looking Fiona, a man in a full-length dress with fake breasts, stood by Shrek’s side.

Like Fiona’s cozy dress, people got creative to brave the chilling winds, below-50-degree temperatures and rain.

But the skin-showing getups still made their debut.

“Rain ain’t going to break my character. No girl,” a man said while wearing an opened camouflage button-up top with a black bra exposed underneath.

Strutting down the sidewalk, a middle-aged man turned heads as he sported a bodysuit Wonder Woman costume and matching red latex boots. Another man decided to forget clothes and just wrap himself in caution tape, ensuring his patterned underwear was fully visible.

Mixed in were the typical schoolgirl and cat costumes.

Keeping the downtown chaos in line, police equipped with helmets and zip ties stood guard on the Esplanade extension. They also walked up and down the streets in packs, intermingling with witches, fairies and every superhero imaginable.

To entertain the growing crowd cluttering the sidewalks, a man played violin for tips while a group of people offered free spiritual readings across the street.

“Woo, Kent. Turn up,” a passerby screamed.

Nemo with a school of fish and Miley Cyrus also came out to help “turn up” the festivities. Scooby Doo even made an appearance, clutching his 20-pack of Bud Light.

However, the night wasn’t all fun and games.

Ambulances and fire trucks drove through the backed-up traffic more than once. Paramedics took a person away on a gurney and others found themselves taken downtown to the police station.

The festivities roared on at 2 a.m., and a dance party busted out in front of Panini’s. Men and women flagged down cars, offering $10 for a ride home.

By the time 3 a.m. rolled around, the last of the masked men and fairy-tale princesses made their way back to reality.

A man in a SWAT team vest with nothing underneath remained. He stood on the street corner by CVS, waving his hand at every car that drove by as he anxiously dialed numbers on his phone.

Littered beer cans, Instagram photos and Kent Halloween hashtags remain as evidence of the Halloween festivities.

Contact Brandon Koziol at [email protected].