More than 150 Columbia students joined thousands of performers and artists for Chicago’s Arts in the Dark parade on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, as the annual Halloween celebration returned to Columbus Drive near Columbia’s campus.
“Are you ready for the best parade, not in the city, but in the world?” said Mark Kelly, former Columbia administrator and co-founder of the event, as he kicked off the annual parade.
Hosted by the nonprofit organization LUMA8, Arts in the Dark is an annual Halloween parade focused on recognizing Chicago’s many creative communities.
Organizers expected around 100,000 people to line Columbus Drive to cheer on over 100 creative organizations, ranging from high school marching bands to circus performers. The parade has been held on State Street in the South Loop for the past decade.
More than 150 Columbia students were among the 4,000 performers.
Stellan Malmstrom was one of those performers. Malmstrom said that Columbia being a part of the parade showed how interlaced the school is with the artistic community in Chicago.
“I think our school being in the parade for so long speaks to how ingrained Columbia is with Chicago creatives,” said Malmstrom, a first-year acting for stage and screen major.
Columbia has been a key part of the parade since it first began in 2014, with the Renegades Dance Team performing alongside multiple Big Chicago classes who worked on pieces of art to be featured in the parade.
Columbia’s showcase was headed by artists from the Big Chicago classes. This year their theme was prairie. Some students adorned large handmade masks, while others wore painted bug wing capes as they carried large handmade dandelions.
The Renegades Dance Team followed immediately after in the procession, decked out in red and black from their pom-poms to their shoes. The Renegades gave a broken doll inspired performance including complicated turns and lifts while engaging the crowd.
Alexander Huarcas, a first-year music major, participated in the parade alongside the Big Chicago class “Carnival Art: Chicago Stories.”
His outfit featured a mask that was split in two: one side was medieval with wings and the other had a ram’s head and three horns coming outside of it, representing dualism.
“Being part of an event that I wouldn’t have known about was kind of like playing in a symphony when you don’t know what the music is, and you end up doing pretty good at it too,” Huarcas said. “It came to me as a surprise, but it was really pleasant.”
Aubree Romaine, a first-year musical theatre major, joined as part of her “Celebrations of Urban Cultures” Big Chicago class. Although she was excited to walk, Romaine wasn’t prepared for the amount of people in the crowd.
“Once we started walking, it was very whimsical,” Romaine said. “There were so many people. I didn’t expect that much. I was really shocked.”
While the parade has taken place on State Street heading south from Lake to Van Buren for the last decade, this year it returned to Columbus Drive starting at Balbo and ending at Monroe. This change was made to accommodate their growing audience.
While junior music major Marcel Hondras ended up missing the parade, he made it to Columbia’s after-party at the Student Center. The party was packed with students and parade walkers dressed in costume listening to EDM remixes played by the DJ club.
“The energy is nice and everything,” Hondras said. “Anytime Columbia students get the chance to dress up, I think they do an amazing job of showing out.”
Jupiter Rodriguez attended the after-party despite not knowing anyone who goes to Columbia.
“I like that there’s a lot of activities to do,” said Rodriguez, who lives in Archer Heights. “I like that it’s family-friendly too for the kids and stuff, getting creative with them.”
The after-party featured a multitude of activities for all guests including painting, video game demos and a photo station.
Henna Butt, an assistant professor of the School of Communication and Culture, helped manage one of those events. Butt sat behind a table covered in magazines, paper, tape and stamps as she helped guests make Halloween zines.
“Sometimes when it comes to things like this, it can be a bit overwhelming,” Butt said, referencing the after-party. “This is a nice space to just sit down and do something with your hands.”
The parade and the after-party gave Butt a way to experience Halloween in a way she hasn’t before as someone from the United Kingdom.
“Back in the UK, which is where I’m from, people do not do Halloween as much as they do it here, so I am really enjoying the experience of American Halloween.”
As a first-year student, Romaine said that the whole celebration helped her immerse herself in the city’s culture.
“It’s like an important bonding experience with the city,” Romaine said. “You get to see crowds of people coming together for the same thing, and you get to experience Chicago’s culture. And honestly, I love it.”
Additional reporting by Katie Peters and Zadyn Higgins
Copy edited by Mia Smith
