The 9th annual Great PUPkin Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park returns this Saturday, and the advice judge and ClintonHillBlog-er Robin Lester has for dog owners can be extrapolated for anyone looking to dress up this year.

“The competition is fierce,” she warns. So if you’re looking to win, “avoid cliches and overly popular store-bought costumes. A bee-dog is adorable, but it’s been done over and over again. It’s likely that 50-100 dogs will show, so a winning costume must be memorable… and a well-constructed, quirky homemade costume can score high” – like the Dorothy outfit Lester made for her pup Mallow last year. Details here; more Halloween tips and happenings below.

Costumes: Williamsburg’s Buffalo Exchange might have the doctor/ sergeant/ glam/ punk/ goth/ hippie costume you need (718-384-6901; buffaloexchange.com). Havin’ a Party in Canarsie rents and sells costumes; some you can easily reproduce on your own, like Velma from Scooby Doo. Check out the site for more ideas (havinaparty.com). And for the kids, (or if you just need a cape or weapon) try Park Slope’s Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.: superherosupplies.com. NY Mag offers more ideas here.

Costumed Concerts: Nouveau garage rockers Detroit Cobras headline the Psycho Beach Blowout Halloween Show at Southpaw this Saturday (Spsounds.com). The same night, psych-pop band Ladybug Transistor plays Union Hall (unionhallny.com).

Facepainting 101: At the Etsy Horror Workshop, learn how to make it look as though you’ve severed your finger, suffered a third degree burn, or walked away from a head-on collision. $147 for the two-day class, Sat. and Sun. 1-4pm. etsy.com

For The Kiddies: A Child Grows in Brooklyn has compiled the definitive BK Halloween guide for children — achildgrowsinbrooklyn.com — though it’s also worth mentioning that the parade in Carroll Park is on this year. Time Out also lists good trick or treating sites here.

Night Owls: DJs at the Lose Your Shit dance party on the Bed-Stuy/CH border will be spinning everything from aftrobeat to golden hip-hop to house in a big loft with an outdoor roof deck and film loops of classic horror flicks. Saturday at 2turns13, 172 Classon Ave. near Myrtle. Doors 10pm, $10.

Pumpkin Carving: Show off your skills at Brooklyn Kitchen’s carving contest this Saturday at 2pm. thebrooklynkitchen.com

Site Specific: Every year in Clinton Hill the folks at 313 Clinton Ave. (near Lafayette) build amazing sets for a Halloween- themed performance on their front lawn (This year it’s “Hollywood Attacks”). Come Halloween, kids and parents can watch the show every half hour from 5-9pm, which will be spread across the lawns of 313, 315 and 321 Clinton, but to avoid the crowds, see a preview on Saturday when 321 Clinton puts the finishing touches on their yard.