We are pleased to welcome Sheetz as the Presenting Sponsor of Children & Youth Day at the Arts Festival for 2024!
Children and Youth Day at the Arts Festival is Wednesday, July 10, 2024. We have lots of great things for kids and families from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Each year, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts opens on Wednesday with Children & Youth Day, called “Kids Day” by many. The day is devoted to young artists, young performers, and the young at heart. On Children and Youth Day, the day before the “grown up” regular Sidewalk Sale & Exhibition opens, young artists sell their wares at the Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, open to those ages 8 to 18. The Children & Youth Sidewalk Sale is proudly sponsored by Penn State Federal Credit Union.
Young visitors can explore their own artistic talents through free creative activities in Sidney Friedman Park and on the Old Main lawn starting at 10:00 a.m.
Finally, everyone in the family can choose their favorite giant puppet and march in the Children & Youth Day Grand Procession of giant (and not so giant) papier-mache puppets from Old Main Lawn to Sidney Friedman Park, accompanied by drummers and a pep band from State College Area High School. The procession steps off at 4:00 p.m.
The day is a great way to see how talented and creative young people can be. Of course, it’s also a great day to bring your little ones to the Festival to let them blow off some steam in the dumping buckets water sculpture too!
Have fun on Children & Youth Day with our first-ever activity passport… and maybe win a Delgrosso’s Amusement Park prize pack!
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. pick up your passport at Sidney Friedman Park (or bring the one on page 69 of Town&Gown’s Official 2024 Arts Festival Program Guide) and enjoy activities at each “destination”.
State College, PA starting point – Sidney Friedman Park
Africa – MLK Plaza
Caribbean/Latin America/South America – Old Main Lawn at the WPSU tent
Europe – State College Borough Building’s Mayor Welch Plaza
Asia – South Allen Street and Nittany Avenue
After completing each activity, you’ll receive a Stuckey Mitsubishi sticker to put on the passport. Return your completed passport to Stuckey Mitsubishi at 150 Shiloh Road, State College to be entered for the July 29 drawing for a Delgrosso’s Amusement Park prize pack. Bon voyage!
At the Allen Street Stage:
Help turn this year’s Arts Festival Poster into a MURAL! This will be a paint-by-number activity, so don’t be intimidated. The completed mural will be hung on one of our sponsor towers during the remaining days of the Arts Festival.
From noon – 1 p.m. watch an amazing speed painting demonstration by Cody Sabol, a highly acclaimed speed painter based in Pittsburgh. Cody will be creating 3 large works of art at this year’s Festival and each piece will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts!
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale takes place on South Allen Street from Highland Alley to Fairmount Avenue.
The Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority along with Jabebo Studio will be near Schlow Centre Region Library to share information on the importance of recycling to our environment.
Visit Mount Nittany Health on the Mayor Welch Plaza in front of the State College Borough building for some fun activities.
Public safety personnel will be on hand from the Alpha Fire Company and the State College Area Police Department. Have you ever wanted a closer look at a fire truck or a police car? Now’s your chance. Children and Youth Day is a great time to take photo with a firefighter or police officer.
The Art of Science on Old Main Lawn is a tradition that you won’t want to miss! Each booth features a hands-on activity that relates the beauty of science and engineering to our everyday world through the lens of artistic expression, light, color, and more. All ages are invited to bring their curiosity and explore with Penn State students and faculty researchers who are excited to share their enthusiasm and encourage your own creative thinking and engagement. Sponsored by the Center for Nanoscale Science – a Materials Research Science & Engineering Center program funded by the National Science Foundation.
Kids of all ages are invited to bring their curiosity and enthusiasm and join Penn State scientists and engineers who are excited to provide hands-on activities that relate to our everyday world, such as unexpected colorful butterflies, mysterious phase-changing goop, groovy reflective bookmarks, pencil stencil circuits, and more. Did you ever wonder what else liquid nitrogen is used for besides making ice cream? Student and faculty researchers who study physics, interdisciplinary materials, chemistry, and electrical and chemical engineering, as well as high school students from the Upward Bound Program, are excited to share their creativity and passion for science with you!
Unleash your creativity with the staff from the Center for Arts and Crafts at Penn State!
Penn State Athletics’ favorite colors are blue and white. Use your own favorite colors in sports-related crafts with Penn State Athletics.
Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center teaches about our local wild fauna.
The Penn State All Sports Museum showcases the rich history of sports at Penn State.
Penn State’s Center for Language Science, Penn State Psychology (Hungry Brain Study), Penn State Kinesiology, and WPSU-TV all bring fun creative activities for all ages.
Plus, be sure to stop by the new Palmer Museum of Art‘s booth!
From 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. be sure to stop and watch Cirque Phoenix in front of the Festival Shell.
Experience an up-close and personal performance with Dmitry Myers, professional circus artist, dancer and gymnast. Dmitry creates riveting performances with dynamic feats of athleticism and profound artistic expression. His shows incorporate many forms of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Hip Hop. His training and experience in the Circus Arts are also incorporated in his shows and can include Aerial pieces.
Help Penn State Health and Murals Talk Foundation paint a mural banner for the kids at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey!
Let your creativity flow with the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania and the Jana Marie Foundation.
You’ll be more than just a pretty face when you have your face painted at Children & Youth Day by members of the State College Area Education Association.
Make recreation a destination at Arts Fest with Centre Region Parks and Recreation! Challenge your family and friends to a gauntlet of games and get to know your local parks.
Begin your passport journey in Sidney Friedman Park, where you can enjoy a multitude of cultural performances throughout the day!
Packard Highland Dancers & Nittany Highlanders (Destination Europe)
10:00 a.m.; Park
Join the Packard Highland Dancers & the Nittany Highlanders bagpipers as they represent Scottish culture through dance and music. The Packard Highland Dancers and Nittany Highlanders will be performing culturally significant music and dances such as the Highland Fling, Sword Dance, and several others.
Joyful Vibrations: A Fun-Filled Family Kirtan Experience
11:00 a.m.; Park
Join us for an unforgettable interactive Kirtan session that will bring the entire family together in a joyful celebration of music, movement, and togetherness! Immerse yourselves in this lively and uplifting ancient practice of devotional call-and-response chanting, perfect for all ages.
Our family-friendly Kirtan experience will have children, youth, and parents alike clapping, singing, and dancing to upbeat rhythms and soul-stirring mantras. This vibrant, engaging, and inclusive event is all about creating connection, fostering self-expression, and embracing the present moment.
Here’s what you can expect from our Kirtan session:
Come and discover the magic of Kirtan at Arts Fest Children and Youth Day! Prepare for laughter, music, and a whole lot of fun as you and your loved ones open your hearts, let go of inhibitions, and immerse yourselves in the joyful vibrations of this enchanting musical experience.
Penn State Asian Classical Music Club
11:45 a.m.; Park
Xiangyi Liu, Chen Xia, and Yin Yang will be showcasing their talents on traditional Chinese instruments. They will play the Pipa, Guzheng, and Erhu respectively. The performance will consist of solo performances and an ensemble performance of these traditional Chinese instruments.
Dance4Joy (Destination Caribbean, Latin/South America)
12:30 p.m.; Park
Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to move your body to some Latin beats! You will experience a variety of Latin dance styles and have an opportunity to learn basic steps to participate!
Roots of Life: Celebrating Community through West African Dance and Rhythms (Destination Africa)
1:30 p.m.; Park
Bio: Roots of Life is an arts-education program that offers elementary, middle and high school students the opportunity to learn and engage in West African dance, drumming, and community building through these and other diverse arts. Students also broaden horizons and form lasting bonds across grade levels and schools. Roots of Life is co-directed by Penn State Professor of Theatre/Dance, Kikora Franklin, Learning Enrichment teacher, Debra Daggs, and Director of Music, Jeffrey Martin. The group is supported by the State College Area School’s Office of Equity, Inclusivity and Belonging.
Black Cat Belly Dance (Destination Africa)
2:20 p.m.; Park
Shannon is a professional Egyptian-style dancer based in State College, PA and the Artistic Director of Black Cat Belly Dance, central Pennsylvania’s only dance school devoted to Egyptian dance. Since 2006 she has been the region’s only instructor of Egyptian Raqs Sharqi (belly dance) as well as Raqs Baladi and the folkloric dances of Egypt and the Middle East, including Saidi, Fellahi, Khaleegy, Melaya Leff, Ghawazee, Nubian, Shaabi, Simsimayya and more.
