Passport to San Marcos Event to Welcome Texas State Students Downtown with Free Food, Prizes

The City of San Marcos will host an afternoon of festivities welcoming Texas State University students downtown at the interactive event “Passport to San Marcos” from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, on the square in downtown San Marcos.

“Our goal is to familiarize Texas State University students with all there is to offer in our downtown district,” said Samantha Armbruster, Main Street Program Manager. “By hosting this event, we hope to both welcome students to the city of San Marcos, as well as encourage them to shop with our local businesses.”

The block-party style event will feature a live DJ, inflatable games and interactive entertainment to give students a chance to relax before the semester begins. Free samples from downtown eateries also will be provided, giving students a “Taste of Downtown” in a food court on the square.

The event will also have an interactive scavenger hunt where participants will “check-in” to downtown businesses by scanning a QR code with their smartphones. Each scan enters the player into a drawing to win prizes like a Yeti cooler, Surface tablet and gift certificates to downtown businesses, totaling $2,000. The scavenger hunt will run through midnight on Sunday, Aug. 23, giving students an extended opportunity to discover downtown establishments and support local businesses.

City department representatives will be welcoming students and informing them of rules and ordinances to help make their stay in San Marcos more enjoyable. Civic organizations also will be present, informing students of ways to get involved in the community.

Event updates can be found through the official event hash tag #PassportSMTX. Scavenger hunt winners will be announced Monday, Aug. 24. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information about the event, visit www.passportSMTX.com, call 512.393.8430 or email mainstreet@sanmarcostx.gov.