Fun Beyond the Festival

Sure, the Festival is the best thing ever. But State College and Central Pennsylvania have even more to offer!  After checking out the Festival, make time to visit the People’s Choice Festival at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall, or Heritage Days in Philipsburg. There are also exhibitions at the new Palmer Museum of Art, the HUB-Robeson Center, and the Penn State Libraries to see.

By all means, make plans to come back at another time of year to enjoy outdoor recreation, heritage and sporting events, wineries or distilleries, or just to see friends and family.  The Festival is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fun in central Pennsylvania. 

 

People’s Choice Festival

The People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts was founded in 1993 by two energetic local artists, George and Nancy Marion who realized that there were more talented local artists than could be accommodated by the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. In 2022 the festival moved to a new location: Centre Hall’s Grange Park. While the location changed, the festival organizers are committed to continuing to build upon the rich tradition of central Pennsylvania’s only festival devoted exclusively to  Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople. In addition to artists, the festival features live entertainment, educational activities for children, and many food options.

Philipsburg Heritage Days

Philipsburg Heritage Days was founded in 1998 by former Philipsburg Bicentennial Committee members. The organizers’ aim was to create an annual event that would showcase the rich historic assets of the Philipsburg community. Each year, the committee selects a theme that highlights a specific historical event or recognizes one of the area’s civic groups. Many class reunions, family reunions, homecomings, and weddings are planned around the Heritage Days celebration. 

Other Arts Options 

Downtown Public Art Walk

Saturday, July 12, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Starts at 3 Dots Downtown

Learn about murals, sculptures, and more on a guided tour of permanent public art in downtown State College led by JQ Quinn of the Downtown State College Improvement District.

Click here to download a Downtown State College Art Walk brochure. 

Hosted by Downtown State College Improvement District

 

 

Other Art Options

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Corner of West Foster Avenue and Fraser Street
Stained Glass Windows Tour, Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12; 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Facing Memorial Field, this church building, in the English Norman style was consecrated in 1928. St. Andrew’s is well known for its stained glass windows designed, produced, and installed by the famous Willet Studios of Philadelphia.

Visit the church’s website to learn more. 

133 N Allegheny St, Bellefonte

July 4 – August 31 : Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 12-4:30

From Your Backyard to the Cosmos: The Beauty and Science of Astrophotography

In this exhibition, astronomer Christopher Palma will share astronomical images from cameras and telescopes in backyards and local dark sky sites to those taken by the most powerful telescopes operated by NASA and research observatories around the world. 

This exhibition is in partnership with The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State University.

 

Art Showcase at the Fox Graduate School

Saturday, July 12

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Find inspiration and cool off at the Fox Graduate School Art Showcase in the Kern Graduate Building (next to the Lion Shrine) for a vibrant exhibition featuring artwork by graduate students and alumni. Artists will be available to answer questions about their work. Enjoy light refreshments and air-conditioned comfort as you explore the creative scholarship and talent of Penn State’s graduate community.

Woskob Family Gallery
146 S. Allen St.

July 11 – 12:30-5PM

July 12 – 1-5PM

Michelle Hinojosa: Summer Pop-up

New work in fabric, stop motion animation and oil painting

Fifth Annual Juneteenth Art and Crafts Exhibition

Juneteenth: Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Future: Standing on the Shoulders of our Ancestors

Visit the gallery’s website to learn more. 

Palmer Museum of Art

Greider Family Gallery, Level 2

Parallel Play: Photographs from the Nancy Arnold Collection

April 26 to August 24
This exhibition features a selection of photographs from the collection of Penn State alumna Nancy Arnold (’71), who has graciously identified the Palmer as the future home for her much-loved, carefully curated works. The photographs included in Parallel Play invite us to see the commonplace in new ways and to venture into pictorial worlds characterized by visual wit and uncanny humor… We hope you’ll play along.

 

Palmer Museum of Art

Barbara and Lee Maimon Teaching Gallery, Level 2

Novel Objects: Connecting Art and Language

May 3 to August 21

Looking at art can feel a lot like reading a good book. Words on a page conjure vivid images in our minds, while works of art reveal compelling stories and narratives upon close observation. This exhibition drawn from the permanent collection brings together a selection of objects in various media to promote visual literacy and explore connections between text and image.

 

Palmer Museum of Art

Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Galleries, Level 1

Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper

June 7 to July 27

Washi Transformed focuses on washi as a medium for contemporary art in Japan and spotlights the works of nine very different contemporary Japanese artists who are exploring the artistic potential of this traditional material. The artists all push the boundaries of Japanese washi art in terms of texture, dimension, and scale, creating works that challenge our assumptions about the nature of the material. Their abstract paper sculptures, lyrical folding screens, and highly textured wall pieces all demonstrate the resilience and versatility of washi as a medium in the realm of international contemporary art. 

 

Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper was organized by Meher McArthur and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.

 

PALMER PROGRAMS

 

Paper Workshop: It’s a Wrap! 

Saturday, July 12

2 to 4 p.m.

Join instructor Brandi Breslin to transform ordinary paper into unique, handcrafted gift wrap using a variety of techniques, including painting, printing, and stenciling. Create personalized designs and participate in a group painting process to take home a variety of paper designs. All supplies will be provided and shared among workshop participants. This workshop is for adults and teens 13+ (teens must be accompanied by a participating adult). Visit our Workshops page for more information or register below.

 

Yoga and Mindfulness at the Palmer 

Thursday, July 10, 5–6 p.m. 

Free, drop-in 

Join us Thursday evening for yoga, mindful movement, and meditation at the museum. All bodies are welcome, and no experience is necessary. Borrow a yoga mat or bring your own! This program is presented through a partnership with Penn State Health Promotion & Wellness.

 

Drop-in Tour: The Art of the Elements

Sunday, July 13, 2 p.m.

Free, drop-in 

Discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. Tours last about one hour and include close-looking through discussion and experiential learning opportunities. Guided tours start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby. 

 

Kish Bank – The Expect More Store
114 S. Allen Street
Art Alliance Members Show
May 1 through July 28th

The Art Alliance Members Show is an annual celebration of visual arts.  

https://artallianceofcentralpa.org/collections/members-show-2025-may

Kendra Morris

HUB-Robeson Center – HUB Gallery
Camille Hoffman
Through October 30, 2025
Camille Hoffman is a painter who critically reimagines the romantic American landscape through layered and immersive site-specific installation. Her practice re-threads misplaced histories, materials, and ancestral geographies, including that of the Philippines and the Americas, by resculpting mass-produced vinyl landscapes through handwork — collage, sewing, and painterly gesture. Through this tactile transformation, she builds sacred in-between spaces that evoke the sensory experience of moving between multiple places and identities at once. Informed by historical research, community-oriented conversations, and dreams, these spaces intend to be activated by the land they live on, the architecture that houses them, and the people who visit.

Art With A Heart at Fraser Street Commons
Art with a Heart is coming back!
 
115 S Fraser Street, State College, PA  16801
 
Wednesday, July 9: 10am – 5pm
Thursday, July 10: 10am – 8pm
Friday, July 11: 10am – 8pm
Saturday, July 12: 10am – 8pm
Sunday, July 13: 10am – 5pm
 
Art available for purchase will support the non-profit of your choice from six local options: Bridge of Hope, Centre Volunteers of Medicine, Jana Marie Foundation, Out of the Cold: Centre County, Rothrock Trail Alliance and Taproot Kitchen.
 
Enjoy some of our favorite entertainers while you shop:
*Eric Ian Farmer performing Thursday July 10 at 7pm
*Jonathan Weibel performing stand up on Friday July 11 at 7pm
 
Preview Howie Shultz’s photography at https://www.adventureinlight.com/index

Extend Your Visit and Explore!

In addition to Arts Festival, there are lots of other great things to see and do in State College, the region, and the Commonwealth. Here are a few links in case you’d like to extend your visit and explore more of Pennsylvania.

From fine dining in downtown State College, to arts and sporting events on Penn State’s University Park campus, to hiking or hunting in the wilds of our mountains, Central Pennsylvania has something for everyone.

Come to Pennsylvania!

Embark upon your own personal happiness adventure. Follow where joy leads you.

Whoever you are, no matter what you love to do, know that happiness is Pennsylvania’s keystone. It always has been. It lives in our historic treasures. Our dynamic urban spaces. Our greater-than-great outdoors.

Mix it up. Make it yours. Visit soon and build your own personal adventure from every corner of our warm and welcoming state.

You’ll be so happy you did.

Check out VisitPA.com to learn more. 

 

Visit the Festival Store!

Get a Festival poster and buy t-shirts and other merchandise at the corner of College and Allen – or visit our online store.