Happy Friday, Happy Valley!
Fall festival season is in full swing, and there are plenty to check out around the area this weekend.
Plus, you’ll find theater, concerts, benefit events, sports, educational opportunities and much more.
We’ve compiled some of the weekend’s highlights below.
This isn’t all that’s happening, either. There is plenty more around the area for you to enjoy and you can find it all on our calendar page. Explore the weekend’s events and add your own if it isn’t listed. Or see our Bar Tour and Movies pages for more options this weekend or anytime.
FRIDAY
Library Book Sale
Stock up on books for the fall and winter at the Centre County Library, 200 N. Allegheny St. in Bellefonte, where a book sale will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Arboretum Pumpkin Festival
The Arboretum at Penn State hosts its annual Pumpkin Festival on Friday and Saturday. From 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday check out the lighted display of jack-o-lanterns entered in the festival contest. On Saturday, enjoy family activities from 4 p.m. until dusk, music from 5 to 8 p.m. and another opportunity to see the jack o’ lantern display. Food vendors will be on hand. Bring a flashlight for evening activities.
Women’s Hockey at Pegula
The Penn State women’s hockey team is back home at Pegula Ice Arena to take on defending national champion Clarkson. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. and the teams face off again at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
State High Homecoming Game
The State College Little Lions (5-1) take on Central Dauphin East (5-1) at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field in State High’s Homecoming game.
Drag Bingo
Centre LGBTQA Support Network and Front and Centre present Lucky Friday the 13th Drag Bingo from 7 to 9 p.m. at Webster’s Bookstore and Cafe, 133 E. Beaver Ave., with bingo prizes and prizes for best costume
Haunted Corn Maze
Harner Farm and Delta Zeta sorority are collaborating for ‘The Awakening,’ a haunted corn maze at the farm, 2191 W. Whitehall Rd. from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (no entry to the maze after 9 p.m.). Bring a flashlight, and children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Hotdogs, cider, cocoa and a zombie kissing booth will be available. Tickets are $7.
Penn State Women’s Volleyball
Ranked No. 2 in the nation, the Nittany Lion women’s volleyball team returns to Rec Hall to take on No. 10 Michigan State at 7 p.m.
The Drowsy Chaperone
Penn State Thespians present their production of the musical comedy ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ at Schwab Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. [More info and tickets]
Cabinet Plays the State Theatre
Americana band Cabinet brings its blend of bluegrass, roots, country and folk to the State Theatre for an 8 p.m. show.
SATURDAY
Ferguson Township Elementary Yard Sale
Ferguson Township Elementary School, 215 W. Pine Grove Rd., Pine Grove Mills, will host a yard sale from 8 a.m. to noon, with proceeds benefiting the schools environmental club and the school’s project to plant hundreds of trees in the spring. Old clothing, toys, household items, etc. can be dropped off on Friday between 3 and 7 p.m.
Wheatfield Nursey Harvest Days
Join Wheatfield Nursery, 1948 General Potter Highway, for a day of family fun beginning at 9 a.m., with a pumpkin decorating competition featuring area elementary students’ work, hayrides, face painting and decoration workshops. Paint your pumpkin or send it sailing into the fields with a pumpkin launcher.
Way Fruit Farm Fall Festival
Way Fruit Farm, 2355 Halfmoon Valley Road, hosts its annual fall festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring wagon rides to pick your pumpkin from the patch, apple slingshot, petting zoo and a dozen crafters. Food is provided by the Lions Club with baked goods also for sale. The festival will be held again on Oct. 21.
ReStore’s 10th Anniversary Fundraising Celebration
Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 1155 Zion Road in Bellefonte, will celebrate 10 years with freebies, fun, discounts and home improvement from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The day will include a photo booth, prize and discount wheels, giveaways, refreshments, kids crafts, a free DIY PVC pipe wreath class and more.
Buddy Walk and Festival
The 9th Annual Centre Region Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk will be held at Mount Nittany Middle School on with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the Walk starting at 10:a.m. The walk will be followed by lunch and more fun until 1 p.m., including an appearance by Superheroes of Penn State, a photo booth, music, games, arts and crafts, silent auction, raffle, and more. About 400 people are expected to attend the event, which is one of more than 250 Buddy Walks that take place across the country in October, Down Syndrome Awareness Month. [Registration and info]
Downtown Fall Festival
The 18th annual downtown State College Fall Festival (including Kids Day) will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 200 block of South Allen Street. Free pumpkins for the kids , bounce house, Tumble Bus, pony rides, dessert contest, live music and fun and games for the whole family are all part of the day.
Car Show Benefiting Toys for Tots
WHVL’s car show benefiting Centre County Toys for Tots will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nittany Mall parking lot near McDonald’s. In addition to stock and modified cars, trucks and bikes from all eras, the day will feature a Chinese auction, 50/50 drawing, live music and food. All attendees are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy.
Wasson Farm Fest
Wasson Farm Market, 2545 Shingletown Road, hosts a fall fest from 10:30 a.m. to 4 Saturday and Sunday. Hayrides to the pumpkin patch are $6, including the pumpkin. The day also featured corn maze, animals and games. Homemade apple butter, baked goods and soups will be for sale.
Palmer Museum of Art Community Day
Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art will celebrate Community Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live music, hands-on activities, gallery tours and refreshments.
Rhoneymeade Pig Roast Fundraiser
Rhoneymeade Arboretum and Sculpture Garden, 177 Rimmey Road in Centre Hall will hold its second annual Pig Roast Fundraiser from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.. Vegetarian options will be available from the Nomad Kitchen food truck. The afternoon will include live music, woodworking demonstrations, face painting, pumpkin decorating, freshly pressed cider and tours of the Rhoneymeade grounds.
Witches Rallye 2017
A benefit for The Food Bank of the State College Area, the annual Witches Rallye, presented by Central Pennsylvania Region Sports Car Club of America, will be held starting at 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Rahal Honda, 2796 W. College Ave. The event is a combination of a gimmick road rally, family-friendly scavenger hunt, party and charity fundraiser. There are prizes, awards, and free dinner for all at the super-secret ending location. Check here for full details.
St. Joe’s Homecoming
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy will mark homecoming with a 5 p.m. kickoff at State College’s Memorial Fieldagainst Columbia Montour Vo-Tech.
Choral Collage
Honoring Parents and Families Weekend, five Penn State choirs will combine to present a fast-paced concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center Worship Hall. Mixed, men’s, women’s, and gospel choirs will present an array of compositions from the sixteenth century to the present day. The concert will conclude with the audience joining over 300 singers to perform the Penn State Alma Mater.
Ramblin’ Dan Stevens
Born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, Rambin’ Dan Stevens has logged more than 100,000 miles as a traveling bluesman. He’ll play at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Well-Being in Lemont as the next artist in the Acoustic Brew series. Tickets are $16.
Penn State Women’s Volleyball
The second-ranked Nittany Lion women’s volleyball team is back in Rec Hall to take on Michigan at 7 p.m.
SUNDAY
THON 5k
One of the largest 5k races in central Pennsylvania, the THON 5k gets started with runner registration outside of the Bryce Jordan Center at 8 a.m. The day includes a Four Diamonds family speaker, pep rally, kids race, competitive race and performance by My Hero Zero.
Homebrew Sunday
The Barn at Lemont, 201 Elmwood Street, welcomes community members to learn about and try their hand at brewing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This week they’ll be brewing a nut brown ale, perfect for chilly fall evenings.
Lecture Series: Consumed Nostalgia
The Centre County Historical Society’s speaker series will feature Gary Cross, Distinguished Professor of Modern History at Penn State, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Centre Furnace Mansion. Cross will discuss ‘Consumed Nostalgia: Memory in the Age of Fast Capitalism.’
The Vietnam War: An Introduction
From 2 to 4 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, former Vietnam Huey pilot Al Turgeon and American military historian Carol Reardon discuss the reason for U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia and why we “got out.”
Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra
The Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra will present The Prodigies, with orchestral music by three of the world’s most musical prodigies. The concert, featuring celebrated Ukrainian violin soloist Solomiya Ivakhiv, begins at 3 p.m. at The State Theatre.
Wine Tasting
An educational wine tasting and silent auction will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Centre Hall Grange, 217 Pennsylvania Avenue, to benefit the Center for Alternatives in Community Justice.
An Evening with Shovels and Rope
Shovels and Rope, the award-winning South Carolina duo of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, bring their blend of folk, rock and country to The State Theatre for an 8 p.m. show.
