UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts — the largest annual town-gown event between Penn State and the neighboring town of State College — will begin on July 10 and conclude July 14.

While nothing can surpass Penn State football when it comes to bringing visitors to the area, the arts festival has more than its share of enthusiasts — approximately 125,000 visitors attend the five-day event each year, more fans than fill Beaver Stadium on a home football Saturday.

The collaborative event, which celebrates its 53rd anniversary this year, has built its reputation and massive following by bringing some of the nation’s best artists to the area for the nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, but the festival is so much more than a showcase for these accomplished artists’ talents.

In addition to catering to art lovers, the festival has something for music lovers, children, research enthusiasts and even adrenaline junkies.

“Because we offer a mix of different things — the Sidewalk Sale, music — both  outdoors and indoors — of all sorts of different genres, the festival has a wide appeal,” said Bryant. “And even if visitors don’t like art or music, there’s the opportunity to come downtown to see friends, grab a bite to eat, and even do a 5 or 10K run if that’s your thing.”

How about the music?

The festival brings together a wide array of local and nationwide musical talent. The performances cover just about every genre imaginable — country, blues, classic rock, jazz, folk, pop, classical, hip hop and more. Visitors can research the various vocal and instrumental offerings to find the music that corresponds with their individual preferences, or festival-goers may want to expand their taste to include some tunes outside of their normal comfort zone.

"We rarely have touring musicians two years in a row so there’s lots of musical variety, too, Bryant said. "We try hard to book performers our audience will enjoy." 

While most of the musical entertainment is free, some require the purchase of a $10 festival button for admission to indoor venues.

What’s in it for the kids?

July 10, Children and Youth Day, is set aside to celebrate the younger generation.

During the day’s Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, artists ages 8 through 18 set up booths and sell their wares in the same way as the professionals, perhaps sparking some of them to pursue the arts as a career. In addition to the young artists, exhibitors and organizations set up interactive activities that cater to the event’s youthful participants, including experiments, animal displays and booths for artistic expressions.

While Children and Youth Day, which includes a procession on Old Main lawn and a mix of young dancers and entertainment on the various stages, may be the highlight of the festival as far as the kids are concerned, it’s far from the only draw for the younger crowd.

Other highlights for young and old include:

The mister tunnel and the dumping buckets on Allen Street, both festival staples, are always crowd-pleasers. The mister tunnel gives festival-goers an opportunity to cool off from what are often some of the hottest days of the year. The dumping buckets drop ample amounts of cold H2O onto the heads of the daring, and sometimes cringing, children below.

Sand sculptor Greg Glenn, the winner of 12 different World Sand Sculpture Championships, will be sure to amaze visitors young and old. Glenn will hone his craft using 25 tons of sand to make striking creations in Sidney Friedman Park in downtown State College.

Science lover?

If you like to experiment with science, Penn State’s Art of Discovery Booth is a stop you won’t want to miss.

Tucked away off the beaten path next to the Willard Building, the booth offers a rotation of Penn State researchers and students showcasing discoveries with thought-provoking demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Some of this year’s sessions include: “Making Rainbows from Water,” “Prehistoric Paints,” “The Science of Light” and many more.

A complete list of the discovery booth’s sessions is available online.

Adrenaline junky?

If a faster pace is more your speed, the Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races may be what you need to get your blood racing. 

The event includes 5K and 10K races. Registration, start and finishes for all races will be behind the Snider Agricultural Arena on the corner of Park Avenue and Fox Hollow Road on Penn State’s University Park campus.

Town-gown

Beyond all there is to see and do during the arts festival, the beauty of the area can’t be overlooked as a draw for visitors.

“There aren’t too many downtowns that are as vibrant as State College or college campuses as beautiful as Penn State, and we hear a lot about both of those things,” said Bryant. “We’re delighted to be the reason people come back to enjoy both our town and campus.”

To learn more about the festival, check out the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts website.