Planning for the last weekend of August in central Pennsylvania? We’re here to help. StateCollege.com highlights many of the State College area’s scheduled activities every Friday in Weekend Plans.
For even more suggestions, check out our calendar of events, weekly newsletter, yard-sale classifieds and open-house listings. Or visit our weather page for the latest forecasts.
Friday, Aug. 26
Paul Rudd stars in ‘Our Idiot Brother,’ a comedy about an idealist who busts into the lives of his sisters. It’s playing at the College 9 Theatre.
At the UEC 12 Theater, movies showing this weekend include ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,’ a horror film about a young girl who discovers creatures in her new home.
In downtown State College, the State Theatre on Friday is showing ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ in the Friday Favorites series.
More complete movie listings throughout the weekend are available on StateCollege.com.
Community Events
In Centre Hall, the Grange Fair will continue Friday, throughout the weekend and well into next week. Visitors will find a variety of live entertainment, livestock shows, carnival attractions, local politicking, food vendors and much more.
Live Performances
A free performance of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Sidney Friedman Park — formerly Central Parklet — in State College borough. Additional performances are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. These events are presented by Centre Region Parks and Recreation and the Nittany Valley Shakespeare Festival.
A free outdoor concert and harvest feast are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Harvest Fields in Boalsburg. The event is to feature Caleb Hawley.
The Penn State School of Theatre will present the opening night of ‘Radio Golf,’ an August Wilson play set in Pittsburgh. It features, in part, the character Harmond Wilks, a real-estate developer who intends to use his newest and biggest project as a platform for a campaign to become Pittsburgh’s first African-American mayor. He stands in contrast to another character, Sterling Johnson, a construction worker who gets by through the back door in life. The production, to continue through early September, is scheduled for an 8 p.m. performance Friday at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center in State College.
In Boalsburg, State College Community Theatre will present ‘Charlotte’s Web’ at 7 p.m. at the Boal Barn Playhouse. The theater group will present the production twice more on Saturday.
Food
The State College Downtown Farmers Market continues on Locust Lane (across from the HUB lawn) between College Avenue and Beaver Avenue. The market is held Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Most of the fruits and vegetables sold are seasonal. Some of the vendors sell baked goods, canned goods and crafts all season long. All vendors produce or grow what they sell.
Other area farmers markets are included in the StateCollege.com community calendar.
Sports
The State College Spikes will play the Williamsport Crosscutters at 7:05 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Penn State women’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams will play Friday evening, as well. Details are available via this page.
Bars and Clubs
The Autoport in State College will have happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. Raise the Bar will provide entertainment starting at 8 p.m.
At Bar Bleu in State College, happy hour will run from 9 to 11 p.m. Lowjack will play starting at 10:30 p.m.
In Toftrees, the Down Under Steakhouse will host the David Zenter starting at 8 p.m. and happy hour from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. And at the Gingerbread Man in State College, DJ Boner will entertain starting at 10 p.m.; happy hour will run from 10 p.m. to midnight.
For more complete bar specials and entertainment listings, visit StateCollege.com’s Bar Tour page.
Saturday, Aug. 27
Community Events
Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania, in downtown State College, will present ‘Crawling Critters and Ecology’ at 11 a.m. A number of other science-oriented attractions are scheduled there, too.
A symposium on the events known as the ‘C2D1 Haunting’ is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, in Paterno Library on the Penn State University Park campus.
A free Calder Way block party — featuring several live bands — is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. between Locust Lane and Heister Street in State College.
A public workshop sponsored by the State College Borough Redevelopment Authority will encourage and spotlight several approaches in economic development. It’s scheduled to start at 8 a.m. in the State College Municipal Building.
Sports
The State College Spikes will play the Williamsport Crosscutters at 7:05 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Penn State men’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams are scheduled to play. Details are available via this page.
Sunday, Aug. 28
Live Music
South Hills School of Business and Technology will host the Zeropoint Big Band in the next concert of the school’s Music Picnic series.The picnic is scheduled to start at 5 p.m., with music to follow at 6 p.m. The gathering will be held on the school grounds on Waupelani Drive in State College.
The popular band Dispatch is scheduled for a 7 p.m. concert at the Bryce Jordan Center, on the Penn State University Park campus.
Community Event
Bike for Life, a charitable gathering led by Jamie Bestwick’s Bestwick Foundation, is scheduled at Tussey Mountain. It’s set to start in the morning. (See the StateCollege.com community-calendar entry about the event.)
Sports
The State College Spikes will play the Williamsport Crosscutters at 6:05 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
