On Tuesday afternoon, Epsilon Delta Mu (EDM) hosted its fourth dog parade to celebrate Halloween with the Kenyon community. Despite the chilly weather, over a dozen costumed dogs meandered down Middle Path, stopping to gather treats and pets from an adoring audience. The event, which began 10 minutes after the Middle Path “Trick-or Treat,” featured dogs from students, faculty and Gambier residents. 

In addition to providing fun and festivities to the Kenyon community, the event served as a fundraiser for the Dogs of Knox Fund, a non-profit that provides medical and behavioral support for dogs in the Knox County Animal Shelter. To raise money, members of EDM sold colorfully wrapped bags of dog treats and candy in the atrium of Peirce Dining Hall in the days leading up to the event.

As dogs ambled down Middle Path, they showed off a range of costumes, including everything from pumpkins and superheroes to dragons and Harry Potter’s Quidditch uniform. After the parade, Vice President for Student Affairs Celestino Limas awarded superlatives — including “Best Bark,” “Best Wag” and “Looks Most Like Owner” — to several proud canines. Goose, a golden retriever who belongs to Hannah Sussman ’25, won “Best Smile” this year in a Winnie-the-Pooh costume. One attendee, Bella Tuch ’25, expressed her enthusiasm for Goose’s win because of the dog’s presence in the North Campus Apartments (NCAs) loop. “I am an avid supporter of Goose, who lives in the [NCAs], because I always get to pet Goose when I walk by,” she said.

Other dogs also had their chance to shine: A dog named Pistachio won the coveted “Best Name” prize, while other dogs snagged titles such as “Best Dressed” and “Best Strut.” Regardless of which pups ultimately secured the wins, the parade was a source of joy for several Kenyon students, many of whom miss their canine companions from home. “I loved the dog parade because it lifted my spirits and I got to see a German shepherd, just like my pup back home, which meant a lot to me!” one attendee, Zan Lapp ’27, wrote in a message to the Collegian.

Although the weather was in the low 40s, scores of students flocked to Middle Path to experience the parade. Megan Dellenbaugh ’26 emphasized that the event’s novelty came from both the entertainment and sense of community that it provided.“It lifted my spirits so much to see the dogs all dressed up and the smiles on everyone’s faces when they walked down Middle Path,” she wrote in a message to the Collegian. 

Along with the dog parade, several administrative offices offered trick-or-treating along the sidelines, including the Office of Student Engagement, Office of Campus Events and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. As they watched dogs trot by, students had the opportunity to fill treat bags with a variety of candy from each table. “It was fun getting candy after a long day of studying,” Kyle Boozer ’25, another attendee of the parade, said in an interview with the Collegian. 

Ultimately, all those involved emphasized their enjoyment of the event, from the opportunity to view colorful costumes to their ability to cheer on their favorite campus canines. Looking forward to future parades, some attendees wished for an even greater degree of interaction with the pups. “I think next time they should also include trick-or-treating for dogs, with dog treats. That’d be cute,” Tuch said. 

Editor-in-chief Audrey Baker ’25 and staff writer Daisy Newbury ’27 contributed to reporting. Hannah Sussman ’25 is the managing editor of the Collegian.