Encompassed in thick blankets of mist, Pacifica's famous hillsides and shoreline areas are only secondary to its unmatched displays of fog. But, while some cities may lament in their wet solitude, this coastal city celebrates its saturation.

Last weekend, with 190 arts and craft booths, three stages of live entertainment and an array of food and drinks, the 22nd annual Fog Fest gave over 2,000 festival goers a chance to embrace the fog, celebrate the coastal climate, and raise funds for local community groups.

In addition to providing a free event open to the public, the Fog Fest gave an opportunity for community members, local teachers, and SF State student volunteers to promote healthy, family play.

SF State liberal studies major, Casey Pillar,19, volunteered at the festival for the first time this year.

"I am looking forward to gaining valuable knowledge and experience that I know will help me in the future," said Pillar before the event. "I'm also excited about just getting out and having tons of fun!"

Student volunteers, like Pillar, were able to work at The Fun Fest, a subdivision of the festival specifically aimed towards kids, featuring temporary tattoos, face painting, giant-bubble games, fog-eating contests and other games with an "everybody wins" philosophy.

The Fun Fest was created by Dr. Bill Michaelis, a retired SF State Professor of Recreation and Leisure studies.

The festival also boasted the Stars and Stripes Amusement Area, an amusement park area with air-filled dragons, caterpillars, slides, jousting arenas, train rides, carnival-type basketball and ping-ping ball toss games for prizes that are for kids 3 to 13 years old.

SF State Child and Adolescent Development major, Michelle Castle, 21, volunteered this year because it sounded like a good opportunity to test her teaching skills.

"[I want to see] if I can handle a large number of children with another volunteer,” said Castle.

Aside from working with kids, sophomore Michelle Myers, 18, volunteered because she wanted an opportunity to socialize with her fellow classmates.

“I am so looking forward to getting to laugh and play with them,” said Myers. “We don't get to do that nearly enough in class."

Myers, Castle, Pillar and over 40 other student volunteers went through 12 hours of training designed to prepare them for leading activities, including painting cars, painting faces and facilitating play-time with cardboard boxes, earth balls, water balloons, and “everything you can imagine," said Associate Professor of the SF State Recreation and Leisure Department, Erik Rosegard.

Rosegard, who brought his 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter to the festival, said he enjoys seeing students applying their communication, leadership techniques in a real world setting, and “actually having more fun than the children at the event.

"This is such a powerful experience for students," Rosegard said.

Arnold Bautista brought his three year old son, Andrew, to the festival and was impressed with the efforts from the volunteers.

“Anything active besides sitting down—especially in a group setting—is great,” said Bautista. “I'm always trying to find outdoor things like this to do with my son.”