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Arts Festival Highlights

Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale : The sidewalk sale features art work made by local children age 8 to 18.
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale runs July 8, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition: The main draw of the Arts Festival, the Sidewalk Sale has been ranked as one of the top outdoor fine art and craft shows in the country. The Sale attracts artists from around the world and features more than 300 exhibitors offering such items as baskets, jewelry, paintings, photography, and more.
The Sidewalk Sale runs July 9-11, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; July 12, 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Italian Street Painting Festival: Professional artists create paintings on Heister Street between College and Beaver Avenues.
Painting: July 9-12 (weather permitting)

Sand Sculptures: Renowned California-based artist Brad Goll creates 25-ton sand sculptures in the Central Parklet. Goll has won twelve world titles with the Sandscapes Team and holds the individual world-championship title for a record nine years.
July 9 - 12

SUE CROWE MEMORIAL ARTS FESTIVAL RACES: Three different races occur on Sunday July 12. A 10k, a 5k and a Kid's Fun Run. Proceeds benefit youth running activities in Centre County, The Sue Crowe Memorial Fund, and the continuing operations of the Nittany Valley Running Club (NVRC). The 10k and 5k will be run at 8:30 am Sunday morning at Medlar field at Lubrano Park. The Kid's Fun Run will be held at 11:00 am , also at Medlar Field. Full information and registration forms can be found at the NVRC Arts Festival Race Site.
July 12

Below are a few highlights for each day of the Festival. You can see a full list of events along with a map of where they will occur on our Events List Page.

July 8 (Children & Youth Day)

• National Marionette Theatre presents Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
  11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.; Schwab Auditorium
  The National Marionette Theatre will be presenting Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, a tale from the One Thousand and One Nights, an ancient collection of Middle Eastern folk tales and other stories.
  * Button required
   
• Children & Youth Day Grand Processional
  4:00 p.m.; Old Main Lawn
  An array of small, medium and giant sized puppets, masks, drums, and banners suitable for 400 “marchers”..
  

July 9

• Two Man Gentleman Band
  3:30 p.m.; Allen Street Stage
  It’s all about the kazoo.
   
• Galumpha
  8:00 p.m.; Schwab Auditorium
  Part acrobatics, part comedy show, part modern dance and totally amazing, anyone who has seen a Galumpha show knows how difficult the experience is to put into words. From moment to moment you never know what to expect as the three-man group tells stories, delivers jokes and defies gravity."
  * Button required
   
• Fat Girl Slim
  9:30 p.m.; Festival Shell
  If you are looking for the band that “covers it ALL with exceptional musicianship and tight vocal harmonies,” Fat Girl Slim is that band!
  

July 10

• Essence of Joy
  7:00 p.m.; State College College Presbyterian Church
  
Since its first performance at the Festival a few years ago, Essence of Joy’s appearance has come to be a highlight of the Festival for both music lovers and casual listeners.
* Button required
 
• Kelly Birtch
  5:30 p.m.; Allen Street
  Kelly Birtch is a guitarist and a composer with amazing diversity and range across many musical genres. Her distinctly powerful steel string sound transitions seamlessly between Spanish guitar music and rock.
   
• Cartoon
  9:30 p.m.; Schwab
  The group was founded in 1980 in State College and played throughout Pennsylvania in the ‘80s. A performance by Cartoon is as much a part of the festival as an ice cream cone from the Creamery or Chicken on a Stick.
  * Button required

July 11

• Universe of Dreams, presented by Ensemble Galilei. Narration by National Public Radio’s Neal Conan
  11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.; Schwab Auditorium
  This out of this world multi-media performance combines the talents of well known Celtic group Ensemble Galilei with those of Neal Conan, the host of National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation.
  * Button required
   
• Velveeta
  10:00 p.m.; Festival Shell
  Velveeta is a quintessentially American consumer product. Velveeta, the musical phenomenon, has been a staple of the central Pennsylvania nightclub scene since a legendary performance in State College in the summer of 1995.
  

July 12

• Earthtones
  3:30 p.m.; Festival Shell
  Close out the Festival with this legendary State College mainstay band.