A shopping mall is where one would expect to find shopping bags, but at The Promenade mall on Saturday, some of those sacks were just a little bit different.

Instead of being marked with the names of stores like Macy's and Sears, these totes featured places like Arizona State University, Concordia College and DeVry University. And there were plenty of those sacks going around.

In the first-ever event of its kind ---- dubbed the Temecula Valley College and Vocational Invitational ---- college and vocational school recruiters set up their tables at The Promenade to speak to students and parents. Normally these events are called college fairs and held in cramped high school gymnasiums.

"Until about three or four years ago we held these events at the schools but because of budget cuts, we had to stop," said Melanie Norton, communications coordinator for the Temecula Valley School District. "Now, with the help of the city of Temecula, we're bringing them back to the students at a place in the community that everyone's familiar with."

Ninety-eight colleges, universities and vocational institutes were represented at tables lined throughout the mall's second floor. They attracted prospective students, parents and even those who may already have a degree and are thinking about trying something different.

"The setting is a bit different but the basic gist of the program is still the same," said recruiter Danny Renneisen, a representative from Mesa State College in Gunnison, Colo. "This is the first time I've ever done it in a place like this, and the traffic here is a lot better than I thought it would be."

Schools from across the country, including several Ivy League institutions, were represented. Most people said they thought the diversity in institutions was good but some were disappointed that the bigger schools in California, such as UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, and all but the nursing school at UCLA, chose not to attend.

David Masters, whose daughter Ashannia is a senior and son Joseph is a sophomore at Elsinore High School, said it was nice to have the institutions congregate in such a public place.

"I think this is great," said Masters, who was asking questions about curriculum, locations and the college costs. "In fact, it's probably better to have at a place like the mall because there's more space."

For some schools, like the Design Institute of San Diego, the mall offered a little more exposure to the type of students they might attract. The four-year school offers degrees specifically in interior design.

"Most of our students are working on their second degrees and don't come directly out of high school," said Paula Parrish, director of admissions at the Design Institute. "So people who come to the mall might be a little more interested in what we offer."

The same is true for the Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, where students range in age from their early 20s to mid-60s. Their curriculum includes all courses directly related to the business of golf.

"We have fathers and sons stop by our table and then move on," joked Jamie Aussec, director of marketing and operations at the golf college.

"Then a few minutes later the dads will come back and want to learn a lot more for themselves."

Students like Emily Rymer, a senior at Chaparral High School, had a chance to search for more private universities and colleges. She signed a card wanting to learn more about Portland State University in Oregon but said Chapman University in Orange has already caught her attention.

"My top choice will be someplace that has an excellent film school," Rymer said. "But I also want to study more traditional subjects like literature and history."

The unanswered question was just how much the invitational did to help business at the mall. From the turnout Saturday, it certainly couldn't hurt. But while these hundreds of students and parents shopped for college, did they also take the time to shop for merchandise?

"Are you kidding?" Laverne Schoonover of Temecula said with a laugh. "I've got to save up to spend my kids to college!"