Dressed in their spookiest costumes with smiles ear to ear, community members joined Shepherd University students and faculty for the 25th annual Shep-or-Treat Children’s Carnival on Oct. 29 to celebrate Halloween.
More than the average trick-or-treat event, Shep-or-Treat featured crafts, interactive games, face painting, live musical performances by the Shepherd Community Big Band and Sinfonia ensembles, and of course, candy.
Hosted by the Program Board, Residence Life, Student Activities and Leadership and Student Government Association, the event reflected “a true campus collaboration of all the groups [doing] something positive for community kids,” said Rachael Meads, director of student activities and leadership at Shepherd University and lead organizer of the event.
Nearly 30 clubs and organizations, including co-curricular groups, leadership teams, fraternities and sororities, offered an evening of fun to hundreds of attendees.
Shepherd mascot Rambo was also in attendance, spreading ram spirit to all with fist bumps and enthusiasm.
Children beamed with joy, collecting their candy and participating in the activities. Costumes included Glinda from Wicked, the all-too-famous inflatable dinosaur and several princesses. Some were a family affair, with Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Cat in the Hat, plus Woody and Bo Beep from the Toy Story series.
Liz Krinock, coordinator of marketing and communications strategy at Shepherd University, attended with her two children, astonished by the number of people in attendance.
“It’s truly wild and fun, and it’s fun to see everyone expressing themselves in their costumes,” Krinock said.
McKenzie Hardy, a senior accounting student representing Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, said she, too, enjoyed seeing all the costumes on display.
A staple event for the community, Shep-or-Treat began in 2000 under the direction of Residence Life. “[Residence Life] wanted to do something fun with their hall councils, and they had begun trick-or-treating and haunted houses and activities in the residence hall lobbies,” Meads said.
As the event expanded, the need to centralize all the activities became clear, especially with the previous campus layout when residence halls were located on East and West Campuses.
Shep-or-Treat moved to the lower tier of the Wellness Center parking lot, offering a unified experience in a trusted location with ample parking, Meads shared. However, due to the forecast of rain and cooler temperatures, the 2025 event shifted indoors to the Wellness Center’s arena.
With its continued growth, Shep-or-Treat has become “a tradition and a symbol of collaboration between the town and the campus, [showcasing] that we really do have a great community,” Meads explained.
Reflecting that tradition are parents and guardians who once attended Shep-or-Treat themselves, now attending with their own children to share that same excitement and experience — “a second generation,” in Meads’ words.
Shep-or-Treat is a hallmark event for Meads, as she enjoys seeing collaboration in action and creativity flourish with the costumes.
When asked why this event is important to the community, Hardy said, “Because it gets everybody together in one place.”
“When you have everybody there for a common purpose of helping kids have fun, it’s great,” Meads said, echoing Hardy’s sentiments.
“Rachael’s favorite thing in the world is community,” she added. “So, watching community be built and watching people celebrate it, that means a lot.”
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