Fall Fest drew students to the Quad Saturday to enjoy music, games, free food and prizes at the Program Board’s annual outdoor party.

PB members said the mix of good weather, live music and new programming ideas pulled students to the event.

The live music on the Quad provided the day’s main attraction. PB Concerts Chair P.J. Rosenberg said he hoped to represent local bands, and increase attendance throughout the day by hosting four smaller bands instead of one headliner.

Sophomore Kim McCaughey, who attended Fall Fest, said she enjoyed the “variety of bands instead of just one main group.”

Rosenberg said PB wanted to showcase bands all students could enjoy. The musical roster included bands Percy Hill and Moon Boot Lover, as well as local bands Dead Girls and Other Stories, and Ebo, which played earlier in the afternoon.

Some other popular Fall Fest attractions included a rock climbing wall, a bungee-cord football game and a psychic. PB members said a giant slide, dunk tank, barbecue cookout and warm weather also helped retain the crowd until the evening.

Members of PB met during the summer and earlier this academic year to finalize details and to publicize the event.

Posters and fliers were distributed around campus before the school year began. Brian Nathanson, PB executive chair, said he believes all efforts to make this year’s Fall Fest a success were worthwhile.

“Turnout seemed to be comparable to, if not better than, last year’s,” he said. “There was a steady stream of people all day” as opposed to the “peaks and lulls” of last year’s event, he said.

Nathanson said PB changed the format of the event from previous years, hosting several kinds of diversified programming instead of one big event.

Throughout the day, PB handed out free T-shirts, candy, snowcones and other novelties.

Attendance was highest around 3 p.m., after many Greek-letter rush activities ended. Shreema Sanghvi, PB parties chair, and Rosenberg said rush programming did not interfere with the event.

PB members said they felt Fall Fest went smoothly this year – they encountered no problems with the GW administration or with D.C. authorities in their efforts to close part of H Street and gain city permits for the event.

PB Executive Vice Chair Mei-i Zien said she felt the “great bands and the great weather” made this year’s event popular.

Freshman Sharon Price, who came to hear Percy Hill, said “it was nice to see people outside enjoying the music together.”