TILTON — The winner of the Tanger Outlet Halloween contest Friday night was a Northfield boy dressed as a hot-air balloon, complete with ballast bags and basket.

Justin Correia, 2, won the preschool to age 4 category with a costume created by his parents, Rick and Sherry Correia, who creatively dressed their boy based on an idea Sherry Correia found online.

Getting Justin in the costume was difficult, but once he was in it, he craved attention.

“He's loving this,” Rick Correia said.

Same Matthes, 7, of Tilton, won the ages 5-8 category dressed as a Club Penguin Puffle from a popular game.

The winners of the ages 9-12 category were two 11-year-olds, Nathaniel Wilson of Tilton, who dressed as fried egg, and Megan Hanrahan of Northfield, who came as two strips of bacon.

About 1,000 people came to the outlet stores from Friday night's Halloween contest and celebration, said Eric Proulx, general manager of the Tanger Outlet Center.

Most of the stores offered candy for trick-or-treaters, and the winners of the contest won bags of small prizes and coupons from store owners, Proulx said.