Summers—who, in a departure from last year, did not make an appearance yesterday—has made clear his intention to host a family-friendly event. And Springfest was rated G, despite the occasional four-letter word from student bands.

Parents with small children found sanctuary in “Kiddy Land,” a smaller set of inflatable toys located in the adjacent Lowell House courtyard.

Sporting face paint and temporary tattoos, small children hobnobbed with such costumed characters as Scooby-Doo, Elmo and Winnie the Pooh.

Across the Quad, in the Kirkland House courtyard, an Earth Day exhibit urging conservation drew large crowds.

Festivities culminated with a charity event benefitting Habitat for Humanity International.

Throughout the afternoon, attendees were asked to put money in one of three containers—one for council President Rohit Chopra ’04, one for Lecturer on the Study of Religion Brian Palmer ’86, and one for Associate Professor of Linguistics Bert Vaux. Whoever earned the most money would be hit in the face with pies by the other two.

Palmer brought in the most money, and after a few last words, Chopra and Vaux sandwiched his face between two cream pies.

“I think it was great to have prefrosh at Springfest,” council Campus Life Committee Chair Michael R. Blickstead ’05 said. “It showed them that they could actually have fun at Harvard.”

“I’m just really happy with the way everything turned out,” Chopra said afterward.

“The food was better. I think people loved the student bands. A lot of people said it really felt like a real college,” Chopra said.

—Staff writer William B. Higgins can be reached at whiggins@fas.harvard.edu.