BOSTON--From Haagen-Daz handouts to free compact discs, Boston-area students were treated to an array of promotional gimmicks at the annual College Fest held this weekend at the Hynes Convention Center.

With live music pulsating in the background, more than 150 companies show cased their wares for an estimated 20,000 students attending the "Way More Weekend," sponsored by The Boston Globe and radio station WBCN.

A five-dollar ticket entitled participants to free food, t-shirts, posters, sweepstakes entries and hundreds of complimentary coupons and product samples.

Representatives from several political action groups, including Amnesty International, were also present to solicit student interest.

Models displayed fashions, including Guess and Girbaud, on the convention floor stage, and raffles awarded winners everything from vacation cruises to pairs of Reebok shoes.

Geraldo I. Salazar '95 said he went to the College Fest to escape a Sunday of studying. "I wanted to put off my work," he admitted, a large bag of freebies in hand.

Sean Cohan '96 lauded the array of beverages he sampled. He said his next stop was the Tower Records booth, where those persistent enough to weave through the large crowd could take home free cassettes and CDs.

Students from all over the Boston area attended the event. Wellesley College juniors Josephine Law and Betty Ng ate ice cream as they sought a brief respite from the crowded center of the convention floor.

Some of the booths sported promotions less tangible than Swatch watches or Pantene hair products. At the Amnesty International table, students could sign several petitions in efforts to free political prisoners.

Many activists, like Al Fitzpayne, a representative of the national student political action group Lead or Leave, approached passers by to explain the goals of their organizations.

"We're trying to give students a voice in national policy," Fitzpayne explained to a group gathered around his booth.

Despite its name, College Fest was not limited to college students. Bethany Patten and Charlene Bergeron, 12th-graders at Acton-Boxboro Regional High School, accumulated full bags.

"We got so much free stuff," Patten said. "I like the t-shirts the best, and the music."