DALLAS, Pa. — The community is invited to attend Arts at Hayfield’s 38th Annual Summer Arts Festival, which will be held at Penn State Wilkes-Barre in Dallas on Sunday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., rain or shine. The event will feature more than 120 artisans, performers, crafters and food vendors.

Highlights of this year’s festival include:

• Live performances of folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, chamber music, magic, juggling and costumed storytelling, which begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day.
• Food vendors behind the Hayfield House will serve festival favorites.
• A craft tent will feature face painting, activities for children and a variety of special projects for all ages. There will also be photo opportunities with costumed princesses and heroes.
• Tom Wildoner, a retired Environmental Specialist for the U.S. Army, will give a talk, "From Novice to Nebula: An Introduction to Astrophotography” inside Barry Auditorium in the campus’ Nesbitt Academic Commons from 1 to 2 p.m. Following his talk, Violet Mager, associate professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Friedman Observatory at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, will host an open house at the Friedman Observatory from 2 to 3 p.m., entitled "A Solar Crescendo: Viewing the Sun at Peak Activity." 
• Penn State Master Gardeners will be available throughout the day to answer gardening questions.  
• Three 45-minute tours of the historic Hayfield House will take place at 11 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. This is an opportunity to learn about the home's history and the life and times of John and Bertha Conyngham. John’s interest in farming gave rise to Hayfield Farms in 1910.

The Summer Arts Festival also coincides with the opening of a new art exhibit, “Lost in Paradise,” featuring works by Philadelphia-based painter and multimedia artist Seth Ellison. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be located in the campus’ Friedman Art Gallery inside Nesbitt Academic Commons. The gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ellison’s exhibit runs through Friday, Oct. 25.

Ellison is a Philadelphia-based painter and multimedia artist. He was born in Beckley, West Virginia, in 1984, and lived mainly in the southern United States before moving to attend graduate school. His formative years were spent compulsively drawing in preparation for a future career as a Walt Disney animator, a period in his life that deeply impacted the paintings he creates today.   

The requested entry fee for the Summer Arts Festival is $2. Admission is free for students under 18 and college students with identification. Donations support an annual achievement award for arts-oriented Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, public musical performances, and community arts programs offered by other groups in the area. Donations also contribute to ongoing restoration projects at the Hayfield House and support other art enrichment programs on the campus of Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

For more information about the 38th Annual Summer Arts Festival and a complete list of programs and activities, visit the Arts at Hayfield website or contact the festival chair at 570-675-9232 or jrw4@psu.edu.