Central PA 4th Fest returns to the State College area on Friday, bringing the community together with a full slate of activities and events to celebrate Independence Day.
Organized Fourth of July celebrations in State College started in 1927 when the Alpha Fire Company hosted a neighborhood carnival, and over the years festivities have evolved and expanded into an elaborate community event.
“The next evolution in our community was a group that did what they called ‘The Great American Fourth of July,’ and they did that event up at the stadium and put out the fireworks,” Celesta Powell, Central PA 4th Fest executive director, said. “… This was the ‘80s into the ‘90s, and then in the early 2000s, another group evolved, and that’s the Central PA 4th Fest. 4th Fest knew that people were coming up, tailgating during the Great American Fourth of July, hanging out all day, so they decided to make an entire festival out of it.”
A jam-packed itinerary of events for all ages is promised at this year’s festival, which will conclude with one of Pennsylvania’s most anticipated fireworks displays.
To kick off the day, the 21st annual Firecracker 4K Fun Run will start at 9 a.m. at the gates of Medlar Field on Porter Road. Registration will close right before the race, at 8:55 a.m.
With the $20 registration fee, participants will receive a 2025 Firecracker 4K race T-shirt, with awards given out to the top runners of each age group. All proceeds from the race go to supporting all 4th Fest activities.
Last year more than 700 community members ran and walked around Penn State’s campus. This year’s race is expected to host over 1,000 participants.
Following the race, at 11 a.m., the parade will step off, traveling along College Avenue from Burrowes Road to Shortlidge Road with a salute to military veterans, first responders, local leaders and community groups.
The second annual 4th Fest car show, featuring vintage cruisers, muscle cars and American classics, will begin at noon in the Jordan East Lot near Beaver Stadium and will run until 5 p.m.
Entertainment will include live music throughout the festival, along with local food trucks and vendors offering everything from carnival food to barbecue favorites. Families can explore various activity zones, games and interactive displays as the day goes on.
Performers will also be showcasing their talents throughout the day, including BMX racers from Dialed Action Sports, shows from the PA Professional Lumberjack Organization and “Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act,” to name a few.
At 4 p.m., Medlar Field will open for the community all-stars baseball game, followed by the Great American Baby Races and, later, VIP viewing of the fireworks show. Tickets for Medlar Field are $20.
Parking starts at $10 and festival grass seating tickets are $10 a person. Both can be purchased in advance or day of.
As a thank you to the community, the event organizers will be giving away 1,000 free hot dogs, while supplies last..
“Our event is a community event, which means we the people, by the people, for the people, kind of deal that if there’s only 10 people showing up and paying for it, that’s not a community event anymore,” Powell said. “I feel like this is the one of the years you’re going to see the Central PA 4th Fest look like what people have anticipated it will. But I do believe, and I am excited about it, that I think in 2026 [the nation’s 250th anniversary] you will see a different Fourth of July celebration in our community.”
Around sundown, at approximately 9:45 p.m., the community can enjoy a 32-minute fireworks display queued to patriotic music. Named as one of the top fireworks shows in the U.S., this year’s performance promises to be one the best the festival has seen thus far.
Powell estimates that roughly $275,000 went into this year’s event between permitting, the venue charge, security, safety and fireworks. She and her team are expecting between 15,000 to 20,000 people in attendance at the event throughout the day.
“I think that it allows our community to be as vibrant as it is that we offer events like this,” Powell said. “I think that events like Sips and Sounds or Arts Fest or the Fourth of July, or People’s Choice, they’re necessities of having safe communities. And so the investment that the [Happy Valley] Adventure Bureau has in those is incredibly important…For decades, we have said the Central PA 4th Fest is only and can only be what the community supports.”
