Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
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Attendance Grows for 2026 Arts Fest, People’s Choice
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Festival week in Centre County brought another boost to the local tourism industry with increased visitations for two major events. Marking its 60th year, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College was once again the biggest draw with 163,700 visits from July 8-12, an 8% increase over 2025, according to data collected…
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Arts Festival Announces Awards for 2026 Banner Competition
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The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the recipients of $675 in awards for the 2026 Arts Festival Banner Competition and Exhibition. A festival tradition, the banner competition showcases the creativity of local and regional artists while adding color and energy to the streets of downtown State College. Suspended above the festival grounds, the…
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‘A Labor of Love.’ Arts Fest Celebrates 60 Years of Creativity and Community
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The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts celebrated its 60th anniversary with new attractions, returning traditions and hundreds of artists filling downtown State College and Penn State’s campus, continuing a summer tradition that has become one of the region’s signature events. Held July 8-12, this year’s festival featured more than 300 juried artists from across…
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Arts Festival Announces Awards for ‘Images 2026’ Fine Art Exhibition
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The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the recipients of $1,800 in awards for its annual juried exhibition of fine art, “Images 2026.” Award winners were selected by this year’s juror, Amanda H. Hellman, director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. Hellman also curated the exhibition, selecting 46 works from 361…
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‘A Great Deal of Foot Traffic.’ Downtown State College Businesses Gear Up for Arts Festival Crowds, Economic Boost
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As the 60th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts gets underway, downtown State College businesses are ready for one of their busiest weeks of the year. Stores and restaurants are stocking extra inventory, scheduling additional staff, extending hours and finding new ways to draw thousands of visitors through their doors during the five-day festival. For…
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BookFest PA Returns to Schlow Library with Largest Lineup of Authors Yet During Festival Week
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As thousands of visitors head to downtown State College for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts this weekend and to enjoy festival week, Schlow Centre Region Library will once again serve as both a refuge from the crowds and heat, as well as a destination of its own. The library’s annual BookFest PA returns…
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Young Entrepreneurs Kick Off 60th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts with Children & Youth Day
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The 60th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts began Wednesday with a celebration dedicated to its youngest artists, performers and visitors, as hundreds of families gathered in downtown State College. Held a day before the festival’s nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens, the event featured the Children’s & Youth Sidewalk Sale, where 175 artists…
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AstroFest Offers Stargazing and Astronomy Activities During Arts Festival
in Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Community, Education, Latest Penn State News, Local News—
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The Penn State Eberly College of Science’s popular AstroFest returns for four nights of free astronomy activities and stargazing this week during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. The college’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics will welcome visitors to Davey Laboratory on Pollock Road from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. each night from Wednesday, July…
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State Theatre Show Among 6 Happy Valley Improv Performances During Arts Festival
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Happy Valley Improv will perform at The State Theatre for the first time in more than six years and first time ever on the main stage as one of its six shows this week during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. The longform improv company will take the stage in the theater’s Friedman Auditorium…
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What to Know About Parking and Transit During Arts Fest
in Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Community, Latest Penn State News, Local News, State College—
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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…