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57th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts 2023

Arts and Entertainment

July 6, 2023

From: Central Pennsylvania Festival Of The Arts

Join us at the 57th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts

Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition
As part of the annual Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition’s jury process, artists from across the United States and several foreign countries will submit digital images of their work to be juried by January 20. In February, a panel reviews the images using the Zapplication remote jury process and the artists receiving the highest scores are accepted into the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition.

To encourage and support the visual arts on a regional basis, the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition sets aside booth spaces for artists whose primary residence is in the following Central Pennsylvania counties: Blair, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Union. Through the Central Pennsylvania Division of the Sidewalk Sale, many artists have been introduced to exhibiting at juried outdoor shows. All exhibitors in the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition are subject to the same rules, pay the same fees, and are eligible for the same awards.

The 2023 Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition hours are: Thursday, July 13 through Saturday, July 15, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, July 16, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Our jurors visit each exhibitor during the Festival as part of the jury process and subsequently award over $17,500 in prize money. These award winners are announced at the awards ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday during the Festival, at the Allen Street Stage. Here are this year’s jurors:
Metalsmith Holland Houdek earned degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and at Syracuse University. She is currently an assistant professor and art gallery director at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Holland is the recipient of numerous awards and was a finalist for the inaugural Burke Prize at MAD. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Arts and Design (MAD) in New York, the Fuller Craft Museum, and many other museums and galleries throughout the world.

Ceramic artist Adam Ledford is an alum of the Tyler School of Art. He’s been an artist-in-residence at the Archie Bray Foundation, the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in New Castle, Maine and Guldagergaard International Ceramic Center in Skælskør, Denmark and has exhibited nationally and internationally. He also teaches in many different communities, including working with at risk urban youth in the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice System and teaching at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to adults who are blind.

Lauren Nye just assumed the position of Associate Curator at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, TN.  In her freelance work, Nye collaborates with collectors, artists, and corporations to bring creative projects to life. She has curated exhibitions at both commercial and non-profit venues for over a decade and has assisted in sculptural installations nationally and internationally.

Robert Villamagna is a mixed media artist. He creates work in his West Virginia studio using repurposed lithographed metals, found objects, and vintage photographs. A retired faculty member at West Liberty University in Wheeling, WV, Villamagna has an extensive exhibition record. His artwork has been exhibited at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Warhol Museum, Mattress Factory, Butler Museum of American Art, and other venues. In 2016 he was named the West Virginia Artist of the Year.

Children & Youth Day Sidewalk Sale is sponsored by Penn State Federal Credit Union.
The event is a fun way for boys and girls to develop both their artistic and entrepreneurial potential.

Artists aged 8 through 18 who live in, or have relatives in the following counties – Blair, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Union – are eligible to participate.

Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale rules prohibit the sale of work made from kits, offensive and defensive weapons, the sale of services like face painting or hair braiding, and the use of trademarked characters or products, like the Nittany Lion and Minecraft, in artist’s work, and the sale of food. All work must be original. A complete listing of the rules can be found below and in the application. Please review the rules carefully as they may have changed since you last participated in the event.

Banner Exhibition and Competition
The banner Exhibition and Competition is one of the signature events of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. In fact, banners were a part of the very first Festival in 1967! During the Festival, banners hang over South Allen Street, bringing color and movement to the already joyous atmosphere. In the off season, we hang banners in public buildings like the State College Municipal Building and Schlow Centre Region Library. Banners can be made by individuals or groups. Making a banner is a great way to celebrate a milestone of a community organization.
The deadline to submit a banner will be Friday, June 23, 2023.

Street Painting
In Italy, they’re called madonnari, in Germany they go by strassenmaler, and in the United Kingdom they’re screevers. At the Festival, we call them street painters. Watch them reveal their artistry as they transform a non-descript State College street into an art exhibition in four days.
The Festival’s Street Painting exhibition will once again feature street painters of national and regional significance. In addition, local artists, Penn State, and local secondary school students will showcase their work. To apply to be one of our street painters please contact us.

Finally, our Little Art Alley provides artists of any age and ability with the opportunity to add to the festival! No pre-registration needed.  Step right up.  For a $5 fee, you get a beautiful box of pastels, a 14″x 14″ square to draw on and the opportunity to create a masterpiece!

Street painters will be on-site at Foster Avenue on either side of South Allen Street from Thursday, July 13 to Saturday, July 15 between the hours of 10:00 am and 7:00 pm, and Sunday, July 16, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, weather permitting.

We’ve been fortunate to have Holly Foy as the intrepid coordinator of our Street Painting exhibition since 2001. Creative, resourceful, and good-humored, she brings together an immensely talented group of street painters. Their work brings an extra element of joy to the festival.

The Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races Presented by Mount Nittany Health
The Arts Festival Races are the oldest races in Central Pennsylvania. First run in 1975 as a 10 mile race, race organizers added a 5K event in 2005.  After a hiatus, the 10-mile and 5k events will be returning to Central Pennsylvania this summer on a new site as the 45th Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races.

Registration, start, and finish of all races will be at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, PA.  The 5K course will follow roads behind the Military Museum. From the same start, the 10-mile will follow the 5K course and then head along Warner Boulevard toward Oak Hall and Linden Hall and complete the locally known “Linden Loop” before returning to the Military Museum grounds.

The Arts Festival Races will be held on Sunday, July 16 at 8:30 am and should wrap up before the Arts Festival booths open for the final day of the festival at 11 am back in downtown State College.

Participants may pick up race packets or register on Saturday July 15, 2023 from 10 am – 4 pm at the Arts Festival at the Nittany Valley Running Club booth in the Mount Nittany Health tent across from Schlow Centre Region Library. The registration fee is $25.  Participants may also register by mail or online through RunSignup.  Nittany Valley Running Club members will receive a $2 discount.

Race registration fees go up $5 on the day of the race.  Day-of race registration and packet pickup will occur from 7 – 8 am at the Boalsburg Fire Hall (within walking distance to the Military Museum).  This will close promptly at 8 am to allow time to prepare for the start of the race at 8:30 am.  Parking is available at the Fire Hall and vehicles will be allowed to remain there throughout the race.

Kids Races are also back!  These will be free. No shirt, no timing, just something fun for the kids. Sign up on the main race registration page.
Race registration proceeds benefit youth running activities in Centre County and the continuing operations of the Nittany Valley Running Club.
Additional sponsorship support is provided by RE/MAX Centre Realty – Cali, Barter, Hoover Team and Northwest Bank.  More sponsors are always welcome!

The races are named in memory of local running legend Sue Crowe. In addition to being a runner of note, Sue gave back to the running community through her work coaching young competitors. Sue and her family were fixtures at the Arts Festival races, and she was a repeat race winner at both 10K and 10-mile distances.
Register Here

Craft Beverage Expo presented by the Central Pennsylvania Tasting Trail
Centre County’s bountiful supply of fruits, grains, and spring water has made the area popular with vintners, brewers, cider makers and distillers. Today’s consumers don’t want to just buy a product, they want to see how and where it’s made. Local craft beverage producers founded the Central Pennsylvania Tasting Trail in 2015 to meet this need while promoting their products and encouraging agritourism.

Members of the Tasting Trail have been at the Festival since 2018 selling trail passports. This year we are delighted to welcome them back again to provide our audience with the chance to sample and purchase the beers, wines, ciders, and spirits made right here in Centre County!

The Tasting Trail will be operating a craft beverage expo, with light entertainment, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, July 13 and 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, July 14 & Saturday, July 15 in the Martin Luther King Plaza. After making a donation of $10, patrons over the age of 21, with proper ID, will be able to sample and purchase drinks by the glass to enjoy in the MLK Plaza. Patrons will also be able to purchase bottled beverages to go.

Please note that the Borough of State College prohibits open containers of alcohol in public areas of the Borough.

Entertainment
Thursday, July 13:  Travis McCoy, 3:00pm to 4:00pm; Mountain City Acoustic, 4:15pm to 5:15pm; The Extra Miles, 5:30pm to 6:30pm; Jim Colbert, 6:45pm to 7:45pm

Friday, July 14: Jim Colbert, 12:00pm to 12:45pm; Mary Madigan, 1:00pm to 1:45pm; Doug Irwin, 2:00pm to 2:45pm; Conner Gilbert, 3:00pm to 3:45pm; Eric Ian Farmer, 4:00pm to 5:45pm; OverheaD Duo, 6:00pm to 6:45pm; Acoustic Artifacts, 7:00pm to 7:45pm

Saturday, July 15: Eric McCrum, 12:00pm to 12:45pm; Pat McGinnis, 1:00pm to 1:45pm; Doug Irwin, 2:00pm to 2:45pm; Rue Moyer, 3:00pm to 3:45pm; Pat McGinnis, 4:00pm to 4:45pm; Ted & Molly, 5:00pm to 5:45pm; tba, 6:00pm to 6:45pm; Mary Madigan, 7:00pm to 7:45pm

BookFest
BookFestPA celebrates the story as art. Diehard fans of mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, comics, children’s fiction & poetry, and more will gather on Saturday, July 15. Meet authors and artists who work for large publishing houses, as well as independents who forge their own path.
Stop by the authors’ tents to meet returning favorites as well as authors visiting for the first time! Pick up books for children, young adults, and adults. Stay tuned for a full list of authors and events, including a used book sale, and a virtual visit with New York Times bestselling comic book author and novelist, Charles Soule.

BookFestPA will take place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on the grounds of Schlow Centre Region Library.

BookFestPA 2023 is sponsored by the Schlow Library Foundation, Setsucon, with thanks to artist Jason Lenox.

Festive Spirits Party
Celebrate the 57th Arts Festival at a fabulous cocktail reception on Friday, July 14, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the plaza at The Towers, 403 South Allen Street.

Bellefonte’s Big Spring Spirits, the event’s lead sponsor, will once again offer a selection of distinctive, locally-sourced craft cocktails.
Shy Bear Brewing will be back serving their beers. Anchor & Arrow, the acoustic collaboration of husband and wife Matt Dashem and Jenn Henry-Dashem, will serenade you with some danceable tunes. And of course, the team from Catering with Style will serve their signature butlered hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets are $125 each. It’s a party you won’t want to miss!

Reserve Your Festive Tickets Here

Entertainment Schedule:
July 12, 2023
10:00 am to 11:00 am - The Music Academy
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
For over fifty years The Music Academy has been the region's leading non-profit community music school. It welcomes students of all ages—from those who wish to pursue careers in music...

10:00 am to 12:00 pm - Baby Rave
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Gorinto Productions and 3 Dots Downtown's Baby Rave is a child and family-friendly dance party guaranteed to get your body moving! Bring your dancing shoes and get all generations on...

11:00 am to 12:00 pm - Dance Academy
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Students perform a variety of tap, jazz, and ballet routines for your enjoyment.

11:00 am to 12:00 pm - Performing Arts School of Central PA and Nittany Ballet
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, home to the renowned classical ballet school, performing company, and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra!  We are proud to continue to fill a need in central...

11:00 am to 3:15 pm - Alice in Wonderland Journey with Tempest Productions
Tempest Studios 140 Kelly Alley, State College
We begin our Wonderland Adventure in Tempest Studios where we’ll meet Alice and join her on her journey! We’ll chase the White Rabbit through downtown State College and stumble down...

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm - Rhythm and Music Workshop with Papa
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Gary Brubaker, aka Papa, has been making music in State College solo and with bands since 1973. His attention to children includes a session that guides them through the basics...

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm - Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
The Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop provides its students with a well-rounded dance education. Students have the opportunity to perform in a variety of venues and to develop skills in dance instruction...

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - The Dance Loft
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
The Dance Loft serves as a home away from home for youth and adults that share the love of dance. We strive to create a positive, yet challenging atmosphere while...

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - North by Southwest
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
A duo with an adventurous blend of Spanish and English tunes, North by Southwest defies musical borders. Stacy Andersen and John Ochoa’s performances weave together children's music, folk, mariachi and...

4:00 pm to 4:30 pm - Centre Daily Times Children & Youth Day Procession
Old Main Lawn 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Our popular procession features an array of small, medium and giant sized puppets, masks, drums, and banners suitable for a royal progress from Old Main Lawn, down Allen Street to...

4:30 pm to 5:30 pm - Centre Dance Studio
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Centre Dance is a diversified dance studio catering to each level, which are separated according to interest, age, and commitment. Founded in 1991, Centre Dance offers instruction to both the...

7:30 pm to 9:00 pm - Pat Farrell Community Sing Along
State College Presbyterian Church 132 West Beaver Avenue, State College
For many years State College residents came together for a weekly "community sing" each week during the summer, under the direction of Frank Gullo, the director of Penn State’s Glee...

July 13, 2023
11:00 am to 12:00 pm - Tussey Mountain Moonshiners
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Hailing from from Central Pennsylvania, Tussey Mountain Moonshiners honors the bluegrass traditions of the region, served up in their own special sauce. Their musical style ranges from a blend of...

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm - Louise Page
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Louise Page is an independent singer/songwriter originally from State College, PA,  based in Memphis, TN. She is a classically trained pianist with a degree in Creative Writing from Rhodes College....

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm - Juggling Workshop with Micheal Rosman
Old Main Lawn 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Michael started juggling and riding unicycles as a teen, which led to his graduation from both University Of Delaware, with a degree in Business/Finance and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum...

3:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Caledonia
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Caledonia is a musical group duo from Lemont, Pennsylvania founded by William Ryan (guitar/vocal) and Daniel Collins (fiddle, vocal). They formed during the covid pandemic when Ryan began recording some...

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm - The Dave Wilson All-Star Quartet
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
The Dave Wilson Quartet offers high caliber, compelling, contemporary jazz music with top notch, nationally and internationally known personnel known for their exciting improvisations, creative individualistic compositions, and unique...

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Richard Sleigh & Jerry Zolten
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Richard Sleigh and Jerry Zolten, aka The Jive Bombers, have been performing together on the regional scene for literally decades. Their combined vocal harmonies and guitars are highlighted by Sleigh’s...

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm - The JR Mangan Band
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
J.R. Mangan, guitarist/singer, has been part of the State College music scene since 1984 and has loved every minute of it. Most Saturday nights you can catch the band at...

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Michael Rosman
State Theatre 130 West College Avenue, State College
Michael started juggling and riding unicycles as a teen, which led to his graduation from both University of Delaware, with a degree in Business/Finance and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum...

6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Zeropoint Band
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
The 16-piece Zeropoint Big Band has been knocking the socks of Central PA music fans since 2009. Their post-modern-retro approach to big band jazz leaves few musical stones unturned. Their...

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Callanish
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Callanish, a Celtic band based in central Pennsylvania, plays Irish and Scottish music in the traditional style. Its repertoire includes lively jigs and reels, haunting airs, and rollicking songs from...

8:30 pm to 10:00 pm - Mink’s Miracle Medicine
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Formed in 2013 by songwriters Daniel Zezeski and Melissa Wright, Mink's Miracle Medicine was named after a craft-fair drawing of a snake-oil-sales-wagon. After a decade in existence, Mink’s has expanded...

9:00 pm to 10:30 pm - Pure Cane Sugar
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Pure Cane Sugar is a female fronted Americana band based out of State College, PA. Since 2007, Pure Cane Sugar's sultry voices, soulful harmonies, and powerful lyrics, have evoked exquisite...

9:00 pm to 10:30 pm - Joy Marie and The Gill Street Band
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
The Gill Street Band is a 9-piece classic funk/soul/r&b band with perhaps the hardest working 4-piece horn section east of the Mississippi, or, at least in the Borough of State...

July 14, 2023
11:30 am to 12:30 pm - RamaLama
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Doo-wop is a genre of music that was developed in urban Black communities in the 1940s, achieving mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. Built upon vocal harmony, doo-wop...

1:30 pm to 2:00 pm - Mark DeRose and the Dreadnoughts
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
The music of Mark DeRose & The Dreadnoughts calls upon DeRose's (S/SW) love for rootsy blue-eyed soul and classic rock of the late 60s and 70s. One review summarized the music as, “Thoughtful...

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm - The Extra Miles
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
The Extra Miles are an acoustic duo who have played together for over 7 years. They are 2 friends who find immense joy in making music together, and they love that...

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm - Altoona Brass Collective
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
The Altoona Brass Collective was formed in 2017 by musicians in the central Pennsylvania area sharing a love of brass instruments, quality music, and live performance. All of ABC’s repertoire...

4:30 pm to 6:00 pm - Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band call the formerly thriving railroad town of Altoona, in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, home. Chris Vipond’s poignant songwriting covers themes as diverse as individuality,...

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm - Triple A Blues Band
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Chicago, Swing, Delta, Jug-Band, Jazz and Soul are some of the many styles that The Triple A Blues Band brings to each performance. Named in honor of the many minor-league...

6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Kristi Jean and Her Ne’er-Do-Wells
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Texas native Kristi Jean brings her acclaimed country-infused twang to bear on a collection of feisty songs that reflect the moment in time when country and rhythm and blues begat...

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Scythian
State College Presbyterian Church 132 West Beaver Avenue, State College
Washington DC-based Scythian (sith-ee-yin) began over 12 years ago as a bunch of college buddies playing Celtic music in the streets and has grown to be a headliner on the...

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Eric Mintel Quartet
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Acclaimed jazz pianist and composer and bandleader, Eric Mintel is celebrating 30 years this year with his group the Eric Mintel Quartet. Eric was invited to perform twice at the...

7:30 pm to 8:30 pm - Ted McCloskey and the Hi-Fi’s
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Ted McCloskey has been telling compelling stories to local and national audiences for years. He is a singer/songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a producer and film composer. He has fourteen records to...

8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Happy Valley Improv
Blue Brick Theatre 209 W. Calder Way, State College
Happy Valley Improv is State College's premier longform improv company, bringing the art of improvisation to Centre County through performances, classes, workshops, and community outreach. Started by four improvisers in...

9:00 pm to 10:30 pm - Friar’s Point
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Friar’s Point Band, aka Friar’s Point, was formed in 2006 and quickly became one of The Northeast Region’s top Blues-Rock acts. Known for its musicianship and originality, Friar’s Point has...

9:30 pm to 11:00 pm - Cass and the Bailout Crew
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Formed in 2019, Williamsport-based roots rock band Cass and The Bailout Crew, has quickly developed a loyal fan base in Pennsylvania and New York. The band released its first full...

9:30 pm to 11:00 pm - Steel City Calypso
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Steel City Calypso is the Pittsburgh Region's Premier Steel Drum-Calypso-Reggae-Latin-Funk-TropRock Band!! They are the ultimate way to add that festive ambience to your show, party or event.  Formerly known as the Resonance Trio, SCC has been entertaining in the Pittsburgh region for nearly 20 years.

10:00 pm to 11:00 pm - Happy Valley Improv
Blue Brick Theatre 209 W. Calder Way, State College
Happy Valley Improv is State College's premier longform improv company, bringing the art of improvisation to Centre County through performances, classes, workshops, and community outreach. Started by four improvisers in...

July 15, 2023
11:30 am to 12:30 pm - Cat’s Eye
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Cat’s Eye is a newly formed group featuring Jay T. Vonada on trombone and Melanie Morrison on vocals. They play songs from the Great American Songbook and original compositions. The...

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm - State College Municipal Band
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
The band was formed in 1976 with a group of approximately 80 amateur and semi-professional band members to perform at the Arts Festival. Performing four free indoor concerts per year,...

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - The Sorters
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Calling Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier home, The Sorters have been playing together for over ten years. Their music combines roots of folk, indie rock, and blues, there’s something for everyone! The...

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Songwriters Showcase
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Central Pennsylvania is graced with a multitude of singer songwriters writing and performing original material in a variety of genres. The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is pleased to...

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm - My Hero Zero
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
My Hero Zero has honed its captivating blend of showmanship, talent, and pop-savvy to become one of the East Coasts most popular bands. The dual fronting abilities of Jason Olcese...

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm - Hops & Vines
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
An acoustic rock duo comprised of Jonathan McVerry, aka “Hops” (an experimental folk guitarist, PA beer lover and father of one) and Christie Clancy, aka “Vines” (Springsteen follower, wine zealot and the best...

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Matt Otis and the Sound
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Matt Otis and the Sound are a folk-rock group based out of Pennsylvania. The group blends passionate string arrangements with unique vocal harmonies and catchy hooks.  While touring both nationally...

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Tierradentro
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Folklore refers to a body of popular music created in Argentina outside the urban center of Buenos Aires. Based on indigenous dance rhythms like the zamba, cueca, chacarera, carnavalito and...

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm - The Centrefugues
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
While the name “The Centrefugues” might be new to the State College music scene, the individual members are not. Collectively, the members of the band have been playing music in...

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Low Water Bridge Band
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
There’s a sound the Shenandoah River makes as it rumbles over old stones in the shallows. It sings songs the way they used to be – plain and honest. No...

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Zydeco-A-Go-Go
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Originating from the heart of Philadelphia, PA, this all-star lineup boasts a colorful group of personnel with decades of experience. Their mission was spreading worldwide the gospel of soulful rocking...

7:30 pm to 8:30 pm - Jack Grace Band
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
Jack’s form of experimental country art rock has been compared to everything from Frank Zappa to early Johnny Cash. The man Jerry Lee Lewis once likened to “that Cash kid,...

7:30 pm to 9:00 pm  - The 8 Ohms Band
State Theatre 130 West College Avenue, State College
The 8 Ohms Band is a powerhouse lineup of players from all over the DC metro area. Bringing heaping doses of Horn Heavy Funk! Drawing from diverse musical backgrounds, The...

8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Happy Valley Improv
Blue Brick Theatre 209 W. Calder Way, State College
Happy Valley Improv is State College's premier longform improv company, bringing the art of improvisation to Centre County through performances, classes, workshops, and community outreach. Started by four improvisers in...

8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Alice Howe & Freebo
State College Presbyterian Church 132 West Beaver Avenue, State College
Alice Howe & Freebo present a unique study in contrasts, bringing together a rising voice in Americana music and a venerable rock, folk, and blues icon. Each a compelling performer...

9:30 pm to 11:00 pm - OK Otter
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
The OK Otter Trio formed in State College in 2021 and features Mike Doyle on guitar, Joe Tombasco on piano, and Rob Bonsell on drums. The band performs a mix...

9:30 pm to 11:00 pm - Minas
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
Minas’ longevity speaks for itself. With over four decades performing in a variety of formats, their professionalism and versatility, from the duo to ensemble, to orchestra and big band, has...

9:30 pm to 11:00 pm - The Ruta Beggars
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Appealing to traditional and progressive acoustic music fans alike, The Ruta Beggars combine bluegrass and early swing to create a timeless act filled with intricate vocal harmonies, fiery instrumentals, and...

10:00 pm to 11:00 pm - Happy Valley Improv
Blue Brick Theatre 209 W. Calder Way, State College
Happy Valley Improv is State College's premier longform improv company, bringing the art of improvisation to Centre County through performances, classes, workshops, and community outreach. Started by four improvisers in...

July 16, 2023
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm - Chris Bell Band
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Solo artist and bandleader, Chris Bell is a highly compelling singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and teacher with roots planted in the fertile soil of American roots music! Without compromising authenticity...

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Bellefonte Community Band
Sidney Friedman Park 241 South Fraser Street, State College
The Bellefonte Community Band is very excited to return to the Arts Festival this year. The 50-member ensemble has entertained the Centre Region with classical pieces, marches, and arrangements of...

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Skoal Brothers
Allen Street Stage 123 S Allen St, State College
The Skoal Brothers is a high energy, Blues-inspired rock ‘n’ roll band, playing classic songs from artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead. Currently featuring the...

3:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Velveeta
Festival Shell Stage 100 W. College Avenue, State College
Velveeta the cheese food is a staple in the dairy case at fine supermarkets across the country. Developed in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company...

Date: July 12 - 15, 2023

Location: Various Venues in State College, PA 16801

Click Here For More Information...