SMU students congregate around a cartoonist during Barefoot on the Boulevard Saturday afternoon. (REBECCA HANNA/The Daily Campus)

Many students enjoyed their Saturday afternoon listening to music, buying environmentally safe items and eating free food.

Commemorating Earth Day, Students for a Better Society, in conjunction with SMU Sustainability, hosted Barefoot on the Boulevard. The third annual Music Festival enticed local vendors, musicians and promotional items.

“Students come for the free food and the live music, but while they’re at the event, they learn more about what environmental sustainability is and what all it encompasses,” sophomore student coordinator Jessie Hart said.

The event coincided with the beginning of Earth Week this past Saturday.

Students walking along the Boulevard diverted from their traditional routines to listen to music performed by local bands such as Nuggatron, Acey’s Ghost, Southern Soles and Your Favorite Band. People sat in the grass median nodding along rhythmically and joining in on the occasional recognizable song.

“It was a relaxing event that played good music and allowed for local company advertisement,” freshman Gareth Riley-Ayers said.

Booths lined the northern quad of the boulevard in front of Memorial Heath Center to promote environmental initiatives.

Representatives from the Texas Campaign for the Environment, SMU Sustainability and Coca-Cola’s Reimagine Recycling Showcase were on site.

“We’re really excited about the Coca-Cola education vehicle. It’s the newest addition to our event,” sophomore volunteer Erin Hedrick said.

Coca-Cola’s Recycling Education Vehicle provided interactive learning tools for students to learn about aluminum recycling and plastic decomposition. The stationary trailer had touch screen quiz games, T-shirt giveaways and live streamline recycling.

“The Reimagine Recycling Showcase was an awesome addition to the event because it allowed people to place a bottle inside the feeder and watch as it was sorted and recycled,” Hart said.

Frozen yogurt from Pinkberry, sandwiches from Jason’s Deli and burritos from Chipotle were additional freebies passed out by local vendors. Promotional booths by NOS Energy, Vitamin Water and Honest Tea provided refreshments for the crowd.

“There was free stuff everywhere. Everyone was equally eager to give and receive,” freshman Billy Hightower said.

The free caricature booth attracted the most attention.

Henna tattoos, face painting, sunglasses, reusable totes and tie-dye shirts were also popular among attendees. Some of the more vocational booths prompted students to be active about protecting the environment.

“It was interesting to see a different perspective of our campus,” Hightower said. “It was cool to see us taking interest in the environment.”

Sustainability at SMU had recycling jeopardy for students, including categories like water, plastic and recycling.

Residence Life and Student Housing Community Directors encouraged passers by to sign a recycling pledge and purchase recycled T-shirts.

“Barefoot has now become a more widely-known event,” Hart said. “I can’t wait for future years when every SMU student knows what the event is and what it’s all about.”