Yeah, it does get very extreme! Don't do it every year, like you said it is very expensive, but it is great fun! Hopefully I'll bump into you somewhere!
It's very, very likely my brother will be in some kind of wacky cosplay as some character I've never heard of, so just look for someone dressed like "Hippy Guy" or "The Amazing Chef", and I'll probably be somewhere near him.
Never trust a hug. It's just a way to hide your face.