The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts returns Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12, marking the busiest days of the summer in downtown State College and Penn State’s University Park campus.
The 60th year of the festival kicked off with Children and Youth Day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Festivities continue on Thursday with the start of the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition (10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday) along with a wide variety of food, entertainment and activities.
Booths and stages lining the streets and more than 100,000 attendees mean a number of parking and transit changes.
Here’s a look at what you need to know.
WHERE TO PARK
On Campus
The festival encourages visitors to use Penn State’s West Parking Deck on White Course Drive and use free bus service to get to and from the event. Parking Thursday through Saturday is $2 for less than two hours, $3 for under three hours and $10 for between three and 10 hours. More than 10 hours is $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour for additional hours.
On Wednesday and Sunday, parking in the West Deck is $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour after that.
The free bus service will be available from the West Parking Deck to the center of the festival at the corner of College Avenue and Allen Street, with an additional stop at the Palmer Museum of Art, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The HUB and Nittany Decks will also be available at the same rates.
Another option on campus is the Jordan East parking lot near the Bryce Jordan Center, which will offer parking by kiosk and will be $1 per hour.
In State College
In downtown State College, parking is available in the Beaver Avenue (200 W. Beaver Ave.), Fraser Street (135 S. Fraser St.) and Pugh Street (126 S. Pugh St.) parking garages, which are open 24 hours. Event rates of $3 per hour, or a $50 per day maximum, are in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Sunday.
The McAllister Parking Deck (132 McAllister Street), 100 W. Beaver Ave. surface lot and street meters offer limited additional options.
Borough parking staff will not enforce “No Parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.” and one- and two-hour restrictions until 6 a.m. on Sunday. Some street parking that is normally available has been designated for Arts Festival exhibitor parking, with temporary signs posted. Exhibitor parking areas during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be strictly enforced, and vehicles will be subject to ticketing and towing.
ARTS FESTIVAL – PEOPLE’S CHOICE SHUTTLE
New this year, a shuttle loop will run between the Arts Festival in State College and the People’s Choice Festival, which returns to the Pennsylvania Military Museum grounds in Boalsburg after four years at the Grange Fairgrounds.
The Arts Festival shuttle stop will be on the corner of East Beaver Avenue and South Pugh Street, while the People’s Choice stop will be on the south side of the festival grounds off Boalsburg Pike. A third shuttle stop will be at the Jordan East parking lot near the Bryce Jordan Center.
ROAD CLOSURES
Streets along the festival route are closed to vehicle traffic.
In State College they include:
- 100 to 400 blocks of South Allen Street
- 100 block of West Fairmount Avenue
- 300 to 400 block of South Fraser Street
On campus:
- North Burrowes Road from West College Avenue to Curtin Road
- Pollock Road from North Burrowes Road to Old Main
TRANSIT CHANGES
All CATA stops on Burrowes Street in downtown State College and Burrowes Road on campus will be closed from Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12.
The Campus Shuttle via College Avenue stops at Reber Building, Hosler Building and West Halls will be closed Thursday, July 9, and Friday, July 10.
The Campus Shuttle via Beaver Avenue stops at Rec Hall, West Halls, Westgate Building, Hosler Building and Reber Building also will be closed Thursday, July 9, and Friday, July 10.
