Monday, Dec. 31
First Night State College Ice Sculptors in Action
10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
S. Allen St.
For the 17th year, First Night Ice Sculptors will carver more than 10 tons of ice for this year’s New Year’s celebration.
Giant Ice Sculptures
10 a.m. to midnight
S. Allen St. and Sidney Friedman Park
Resolution Exhibits
Noon to Midnight
S. Allen St., State College Municipal Building and Sidney Friedman Park
Children’s Arts and Crafts Workshops
New Year’s Badges
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
243 S. Allen St., Community Room, State College Municipal Building
Sponsored by Kid to Kid, Hal and Natalie Hallock will help children design stylish New Year’s badges to wear through the First Night events.
Music Makes with Jill Lillie and Jan Becker
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
132 W. Beaver Ave., Social Hall, State College Presbyterian Church
Children can create their own tambourine or hand drum to help ring in the New Year.
Tote Bag Extravaganza with Kim Hunziker
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
132 W. Beaver Ave., Social Hall, State College Presbyterian Church
Performer Workshops
Pepper Lotus Tribal Belly Dance
1:30 p.m.
Library, Faith United Church of Christ
Shannon Bishop, the leader of Pepper Lotus Tribal, will introduce residents to Improvisational Style Belly Dancing. No experience in Middle Eastern Dance is necessary.
Performances
One Block Ice Sculpture Exhibit
10 a.m. to midnight
Downtown and Sidney Friedman Park
The One-Block Ice Sculpture Exhibit runs through noon on January 1st. Sponsored by State College area businesses, more than 75one-block ice sculptures are displayed for the public’s enjoyment.
The Puppet Factory presents The Widow and the Fishes
1 p.m., 3 p.m. & 5 p.m.
Harkins Hall, Grace Lutheran Church
Puppet master Carolyn Koerber returns to First Night State College with a tale from the lands of tall bamboo, rice paddies, and volcanic peaks, The Widow and the Fishes.
Heritage Brass
2 p.m.
Faith United Church of Christ
Heritage Brass extensive music library includes music for dancing, complete church services, marches, pop tunes, jazz, swing & show tunes, Dixieland, complete weddings, and Christmas tunes.
Nittany Knights
2 p.m.
State College Presbyterian Church
The Nittany Knights will perform barbershop music, a close, unaccompanied four-part harmony form of singing.
Middle-earth Studios presents Meistersingers of Nuremburg
2 p.m., 4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Westminster Hall, State College Presbyterian Church
This year’s show, Meistersingers of Nuremburg, is a tale inspired by Wagner’s opera of the same name. A whole kingdom prepares for a singing contest, in which the winner will win the hand of one of the king’s sons or daughters in marriage.
Archie Blue
3 p.m.
University Baptist & Brethren Church
Local jazz institution Arthur Goldstein and his group regularly play in the region. Arthur Goldstein’s original music for Archie Blue was the soundtrack for the award-winning film Magic in the Afternoon.
Toot-in-Common
3:30 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
The group’s repertoire consists of popular and classical favorites arranged for flute choir and works written especially for flute choir. Instrumentation includes one piccolo, six to eight C flutes, two alto flutes, one bass flute, and one cello.
Below Centre
4 p.m.
Faith United Church of Christ
With their bass instruments, the members of Below Centre will create a melodic presence for First Night State College.
Callanish
4 p.m.
State College Presbyterian Church
For the 11th year, this traditional band brings music from Ireland and Scotland to the mountains of central Pennsylvania.
Deacons of Dixieland
4:30 p.m.
Grace Lutheran Church
The Deacons of Dixieland is a six piece traditional jazz band from Central Pennsylvania plays a broad range of Dixieland style jazz music, including classic Dixieland selections, blues, and country music in a Dixieland style.
Folk Justice Band
4:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
The Folk Justice Band formed in 2004 and based in Lewisburg, PA, specializes in tight harmonies and fresh arrangements of folk and classic rock gems, with originals, too.
Robert Strong, sponsored by Ferguson Township
4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.
Penn State Downtown Theatre
Strong has trained at Tannen’s Magic School in New York and Towson University in Maryland and with touring stand-up comedians, Cirque du Soleil choreographers, Ringling Brothers circus clowns, Broadway directors, and world-class jugglers.
Pepper Lotus Tribal Belly Dance Troupe
5 p.m.
University Baptist & Brethren Church
The troupe performs Improvisational Tribal Style belly dance, a modern American take on traditional belly dance.
Ice Skating, sponsored by Geisinger
5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on each hour
Penn State Ice Pavilion
Ice skating, accompanied by the sounds of Larry Moore Productions, is one of the most popular First Night events. Ice will be resurfaced at 45 minutes past the hour. Ice skates may be rented for $1.75.
Chris Ruggiero
5 p.m., 8:30 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.
State College Municipal Building
Ruggiero performs worldwide with his blend of comedy, juggling and magic in The One Man Variety Show.
Easterly Chamber Players
5:30 p.m.
Faith United Church of Christ
The trio consists of Diane Gold Toulson on flute, Smith Toulson on clarinet and Anne Sullivan on the harp.
Live Mannequins
6 p.m.
Appalachian Outdoors
The State College High School Thespians will perform as live mannequins in the windows of Appalachian Outdoors.
Erin Condo and the Hoofties
6 p.m.
State College Presbyterian Church
Condo songs draw from soul, swing, bluegrass, country, and good old rock and roll influences. She plays in central Pennsylvania, with long-time collaborator Bill Wilgus, bassist John Kennedy and drummer Kevin Lowe.
Giant Puppet Display
6 p.m.
208 W. Foster Ave., Canterbury Hall, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Giant papier-mâché dragons, lions, fish, carousel animals and many others will be on display before they are worn or carried in the First Night Procession.
Nittany Wind Quintet
6:30 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
The Nittany Wind Quintet will perform original woodwind quintet music from the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries and transcriptions of jazz, ragtime, gospel and popular music.
Grand Procession
6:30 p.m.
Begins at 208 W. Foster Ave.
The Grand Procession will feature giant papier-mâché creatures and local drummers. Spectators are also encouraged to join the procession.
State College Area High School Jazz Band, sponsored by Connections Clothing
6:30 p.m.
Grace Lutheran Church
The State College Area High School Jazz Band is among the finest in the United States and has an international reputation for excellence. The band has received 30 consecutive years of superior ratings in festivals and competitions.
Carriage Rides
7 p.m.
Mayor Welch Plaza
For just $5, three carriages drawn by Percheron draft horses will take those celebrating through downtown State College. Rides are on a first come, first served basis. Due to high demand, not all of those wishing to ride may be accommodated.
Dennie Huber
7:30 p.m.
Downsborough Room, Schlow Centre Region Library
Magician and balloon animal-ologist Dennie Huber is a veteran entertainer, performing at fairs, festivals, and events throughout Central Pennsylvania.
Nittany Highland Pipe Band
7:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
The Nittany Highland Pipe Band is one of the only pipe & drum bands in Central Pennsylvania. The band draws players from the State College, Lock Haven, Williamsport, Lewistown, and Altoona areas and performs in parades, festivals, and benefits.
Ron Ray, Organ Grinder
8 p.m.
Fairmount School Auditorium
The 9th Annual ROCKFEST will feature eight wild high school bands with a jungle themed show.
Pure Cane Sugar with JMac and Junior
8 p.m.
State College Presbyterian Church
Pure Cane Sugar joins with hometown favorites Jason McIntyre and Jason ‘Junior’ Tutwiler to perform.
Tarnished 6
8 p.m.
Faith United Methodist Church
The Tarnished 6 Traditional Dixieland Jazz Band was formed in 1967 and has performed throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
Tussey Mountain Moonshiners
8 p.m.
University Baptist & Brethren Church
Winners of the 2010 DelFest Bluegrass Band Competition, the Tussey Mountain Moonshiners hail from State College, PA, honoring the bluegrass traditions of the region.
Contra Dancing with Karl Senseman, Terry Bachman and Smash the Windows
8 p.m., 9:45 p.m.
Harkins Hall, Grace Lutheran Church
Music featured includes Sligo-style Irish and New England jigs, as well as Bluegrass and Old Timey tunes, with selections of waltzes and couples dances.
Deb Callahan Band
8:30 p.m.
Grace Lutheran Church
Philadelphia’s blues and soul drenched vocalist and songwriter, Deb Callahan has been a fixture on the mid-Atlantic music scene for some time. Since 2005, Deb Callahan and her band have become part of the national blues scene with performances at festivals on both coasts, including California’s Monterey Bay Blues Festival and The Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival in Annapolis.
Naomi Seidman and Jonathan Dexter
8:30 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Naomi Seidman is an assistant professor of flute at Penn State and flutist with The Pennsylvania Quintet and the Rhapsoidos Trio. Cellist Jonathan Dexter studied at the Oberlin Conservatory, the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, and the University of Texas.
Catherine Dupuis Trio
9:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
From Cole Porter to Sting, Dupuis possesses an eclectic taste in musical material. Her recordings have been played worldwide and she’s appeared to critical acclaim at many popular New York City jazz spots. She sings regularly with the Russ Kassoff Big Band, an ensemble featuring the best musicians from Gotham’s Broadway pits and jazz scene.
Phil Spangler & Joel Blunk
10 p.m.
State College Presbyterian Church
Phil and Joel perform original songs that help us understand that our everyday hopes, fears, joys, and sorrows are anything but pedestrian.
Summit Hill Bluegrass
10 p.m.
Faith United Church of Christ
Strasburg, Pennsylvania’s Summit Hill Bluegrass is comprised of four members, Roger Eberlin on bass fiddle, mandolin and lead vocals, Ron McVey on fiddle, Elvin Burkhart on the banjo and Tim Kilby on guitar. Their show will be a special bluegrass gospel performance.
Deirdre Flint
10:15 p.m.
Grace Lutheran Church
Deirdre Flint is a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter. She writes songs about the trials of being an introvert, the Failed Metric Coup of 1975, horrendous bridesmaids dresses, and all the warped and wonderful experiences of adolescence. Flint’s music has been heard on the radio, as well as many TV shows.
Hirsch Jazz Quartet
10:15 p.m.
University Baptist &Brethren Church
Saxophonist Rick Hirsch, drummer Kevin Lowe, bassist Jeff Beck, and guitarist Mac Himes, known for their jazz-i-fied interpretations of the Beatles, Thelonious Monk, Nirvana, and their own compositional work, will return to First Night.
Jay Vonada Trio
10:15 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
The Jay Vonada Trio has played jazz standards and original compositions at regional festivals and celebrations for several years.
Worship Services
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
5 p.m.
Faith United Church of Christ
7 p.m.
All those events listed in italics require a First Night button for admission.
— Compiled by Sami Hulings
