It’s almost time to take part in Arts Fest adventure

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts comes to town every summer, bringing with it a host of craftsmen, performers and lovers of all things artistic. The event spans four days, Thursday-July 16, with a full lineup of activities appealing to all demographics. Arts Fest Children and Youth Day kicks things off on Wednesday.

But no matter which part of the festival you catch, you’re sure to be treated to an exceptional, authentic experience.

“The overall goal of the festival,” said Executive Director Rick Bryant, “is to bring an enriching and diverse arts experience to the community, and each year about 125,000 people take part in the adventure.”

According to Bryant, festival attendees are a bit of a mixed bag, but certain activities will be more heavily attended by some.

“Our audience is just a bit more female than male, just a bit, and different parts of it appeal to different demographics,” he said. “For example, we help to produce a run that appeals to the physically fit, while our Children and Youth Day is popular with kids under age 18 and their families.”

One unique aspect of the festival is the high expectations set for each of the artists and performers.

“Since we aim to bring audience and artist together, the artists in the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition are not representatives selling the work of others; they’re the folks that conceived of and made the items they’re selling,” Bryant said.

Not just any artist or performer can attend. Performers go through an electronic audition process and are handpicked by festival staff according to their audience appeal, affordability and any technical requirements.

“If they need fireworks or Cirque du Soleil-like effects, they’re out of luck,” Bryant said.

Artists go through a similar process, submitting four images of their work and one image of their booth with their work displayed. A panel of five experts begin looking at submissions in February, and evaluate whether the artist would be a good fit for the show. Applications for artists and performers begin arriving as early as November.

“We typically have about 900 applicants and accept 300, and this year was no different,” Bryant said. “The panel of jurors comes back to the show in July and looks at each booth again, this time to award prizes. Our top prize, the Arete Best of Show Award, is over $2,500.”

With so many attendees and so many applicants, a lot of planning goes on behind the scenes. The festival has a full-time staff of three, who are also responsible for producing First Night State College every Dec. 31. Beyond what may seem like the more glamorous parts of the job, Bryant said he and his team do a little bit of it all.

“In addition to hiring performers and finding artists, we also deal with mundane things like parking and toilet paper and making sure that each artist has a lanyard with his or her name, hometown and artists’ media on it,” he said.

For first-timers planning to attend, or seasoned festivalgoers looking for insider tips, Bryant offered a few:

▪ Skip the hectic parking in downtown State College, unless you arrive before the local garages fill up in the morning, and park at Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center, where you can take the free CATA shuttle downtown.

▪ Shop at the Sidewalk Sale & Exhibition, to discover more than 300 juried artists offering everything from jewelry and leather goods, to baskets and ceramics.

▪ Head to one of three outdoor stages for a musical performance.

▪ Buy a festival button for $10 and catch an evening show at The State Theatre, Schwab Auditorium or State College Presbyterian Church.

▪ Don’t miss the Downtown State College Italian Street Painting Festival on Hiester Street.

▪ If the weather’s too hot, cool off at the dumping buckets water sculpture.

This story was originally published July 10, 2017 at 11:04 AM with the headline "It’s almost time to take part in Arts Fest adventure."