A student spins on a ride as she enjoys one of the many activities set up for Springfest, funded by the office of University President Lawrence H. Summers, yesterday afternoon.

Lured outside by inflatable castles, cotton candy, plastic tattoos and face paint, several thousand students put away their books yesterday afternoon to attend the 11th annual Springfest.

Under sunny skies, students munched on burgers provided by Harvard University Dining Services. They listened to the music of student bands—Chester French, Natural Progression, the Blanks and Call The Cops—which played from noon until 4 p.m. A crowd of enthusiastic supporters grooved to the medley of rock and indie tunes, while others chatted with friends or investigated the other attractions.

The Environmental Action Committee (EAC) organized a series of displays in honor of Earth Day, instructing students on energy conservation. Fun Ventures—an event management company from Stoneham, Mass.—provided the inflatable rides and art activities. Thirteen student groups, from the Harvard Outing Club to Magic Society to Chinese Yo-Yo Club, set up additional booths around the Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) Quad, where the festivities took place.

The event fell during pre-frosh weekend, which brought about 1,100 prospective students to the zone of excitement.

“It’s good that pre-frosh have the opportunity to attend the event. This will give them a realistic perspective on the typical Harvard weekend,” joked Undergraduate Council representative Jack P. McCambridge ’06, who coordinated this year’s Springfest.

McCambridge said the council had anticipated all 6,500 undergraduates would attend Springfest, in addition to 4,000 faculty, staff and their families.

The official count of Springfest-goers came to 13,500, he said.

“The College is the main focus obviously,” McCambridge said.

This year, the office of University President Lawrence H. Summers provided all of the funding for Springfest.

FAIR FULL OF AIR

Inflatable rides have become an essential ingredient of Springfest. Bouncy Boxing, in which opponents on an inflated stage box each other with oversized mitts, drew scores of students. Other favorites included Human Foosball, Pedestal Joust, Whirly Bird, Rocky Mountain and an inflated climbing wall.

Wayne P. Litton, the owner of Fun Ventures, said this was the third consecutive year his company had provided the rides and games essential to Springfest.

“The venue has been exactly the same for the past three years, nothing’s changed,” Litton said.

“And the attitudes are sky-high. The quad becomes a beautiful fantasyland for a day. The event is free, keep that in mind,” he said—not accounting for the University’s nearly $40,000 annual tuition.

Litton said that anyone over the age of 16 could participate on any of the rides.