What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events taking place at the University this weekend and next week:
Performances
Illenium — 7 p.m., Oct. 3, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Denver-based artist Nick Miller continues his "Ascend" tour at Penn State.
Sean "Sticks" Larkin Live! — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 3, Pullo Center, Penn State York. Larkin, co-host/analyst in the A&E TV show "Live PD" and host of "PD Cam" will participate in a part moderated conversation and part audience Q&A.
Kulkarni Cultural Series: Gina Chavez — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 4, Student Enrichment Center, Penn State Harrisburg. Multiethnic Latin pop songstress Gina Chavez will perform at a "Fiesta for All" party. Free.
"The Book of Mormon" — Oct. 8-13, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Tony Award-winning musical from the creators of "South Park" comes to Penn State for seven performances.
"She Kills Monsters" — Oct. 8-17, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage presents a comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games.
"Heathers: The Musical" — Oct. 10-12, Schwab Auditorium, University Park campus. The Penn State Thespian Society presents the musical based on the original 1988 film, which starred Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty.
Events
Homecoming — Sept. 28-Oct. 5, various locations at University Park campus. Homecoming festivities include the SPA/Homecoming concert, street fair, talent show, carnival, parade and football game. See individual events for details.
Pumpkin Festival — Oct. 6, 11-12, The Arboretum at Penn State, University Park campus. The arboretum hosts its annual event including a pumpkin-carving contest and lighted jack-o-lantern display. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: "Dining Through the Pages: Eat Between the Lines" — Oct. 9, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
President's Open House — 2-4 p.m., Oct. 11, Old Main, University Park campus. Visitors can tour the president's office suite and learn more about the Land-Grant Frescoes that adorn the walls of Old Main. Free.
Lectures
Research Unplugged: Erica Smithwick — 12:30 p.m., Oct. 3, Schlow Centre Region Library, State College. Erica Smithwick, professor of geography, will present "Firescapes of the Mid-Atlantic: A Promethean Promise" and discuss the socio-ecological barriers and opportunities for incorporating fire, sustainably, into landscape management, with implications for understanding fire-prone ecosystems globally. Free.
Huddle with the Faculty: Kirk French — 9 a.m., Oct. 5, Nittany Lion Inn, University Park campus. Kirk French, associate teaching professor in anthropology and director and executive producer of "Land and Water Revisited," will present "The Land and Water Revisited Project." Free.
"Tree of Life: One Year Later" — 7 p.m., Oct. 7, Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Three Pittsburgh journalists will discuss the media coverage and aftermath of the October 2018 synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh. Free.
"Making Your Mark in Media Through Creative Storytelling" — 6:15 p.m., Oct. 7, 10 Sparks Building, University Park campus. Joe Little, director of storytelling at KNSD-TV in San Diego and an award-winning multimedia journalist will discuss visual storytelling. Free.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: Vicki Glembocki — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 10, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Award-winning magazine writer, essayist, memoirist and Penn State alumna Vicki Glembocki will offer a reading of some of her works. Free.
Research Unplugged: Harland Patch — 12:30 p.m., Oct. 10, Schlow Centre Region Library, State College. Harland Patch, assistant research professor of entomology, will present "Garden Landscapes for Pollinators" and talk about the future Pollinators' Garden at The Arboretum at Penn State. Free.
Exhibits
Three Artist Exhibition — Through Oct. 10, Freyberger Gallery, Penn State Berks. Three Berks area artists — Erika Stearly, Mike Miller and Delores Kershner — will be featured. Free.
"We Never Left: Artists of the Southeastern Indian Tribes" — Through Nov. 3, HUB Gallery, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The exhibition focuses on Native American artists who are descendants of the indigenous peoples who survived and continue to thrive in some portion of their Southeastern homelands despite most of their populations being relocated in the 19th century. Free.
"A Meditation on this Age of Struggle and Strife" — Through Nov. 10, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. A solo exhibit of drawings and sculptures by Art Rudy Shepherd, associate professor of art, that reflects on news from 2017 to current day. Free.
"Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman" — Through Dec. 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Nearly 80 objects, including sculptures, paintings, works on paper, and archival material highlight this reassessment of Harlem Renaissance artist Augusta Savage. Free.
"Bauhaus Transfers: Albers/Rauschenberg" — Through Dec. 15, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The museum celebrates the centenary of the Bauhaus, the influential school founded in Weimer, Germany, that unifies fine arts, design and architecture in its curriculum. Free.
"The Web of Life: John Biggers and the Power of Pedagogy" — Through Dec. 15, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibit spotlights the work of artist John Biggers in relation to two important mentors, artist Charles White and famed art educator Viktor Lowenfeld. Free.
"Fantasy and Reality: The World According to Félix Buhot" — Through Dec. 15, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The museum spotlights one of the most original French printmakers of the 19th century. Free.
"Folded Section" — Through Jan. 10, 2020, Woskob Family Gallery, 146 S. Allen St., State College. The gallery is displaying an ambitious new wall drawing that explores the local landscape. Free.