Central PA 4th Fest will look different this year. See the full schedule
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Festivities run from 7:30 a.m. through 9:45 p.m.
- Organizers made this year’s celebration smaller and centralized at Medlar Field.
- Schedule has a 9 a.m. Firecracker 4K, 11 a.m. parade, a break until 4 p.m. and more.
The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and with it comes the annual Central PA 4th Fest celebration, which will look different this year due to budget and volunteer constraints.
The event kicks off at 7:30 a.m. and ends with the fireworks display, but the celebration will be a bit smaller than previous years, and the majority of the festivities are going to be centralized around Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, event executive director Celesta Powell told the Centre Daily Times in April. Live music, BMX demonstrations and other events that have taken place in the past on Curtin Road are not on this year’s schedule.
While the celebration will start with the usual Firecracker 4K race and parade in the morning, instead of immediately resuming festivities after the parade’s end, there will be a break from then to 4 p.m., when Medlar Field opens.
“The whole day has changed based on what people are attending, donating to, or volunteering for,” Powell said in April. “That’s where we put our money and our time.”
Curtin Road will remain open throughout the day, and the more contained experience at Medlar Field will focus on free children’s activities, nonprofit pop-ups, community activities, concessions and more at the ballpark, along with some events that are new to 4th Fest.
Below is the full schedule, as provided by Powell:
- 7:30 a.m. — In-person registration for the Firecracker 4K race opens at Medlar Field
- 9 a.m. — The Firecracker 4K race begins
- 9 a.m. — The Jordan East, Porter North and Stadium West parking lots open
- 11 a.m. — The Independence Day Parade, hosted by Freedom Rising USA, steps off on College Avenue
- 4 p.m. — Medlar Field opens for festivities
- 4-7:30 p.m. — The “1776 Family Kids Zone” open in the State College Spikes’ kid’s area
- 5 p.m. — A community baseball game
- 7 p.m. — The United States’ 250th birthday cake cutting begins
- 7 p.m. — Cirque Adventure, an acrobatic group, begins their first show
- 7:30 p.m. —The Great American Baby Race begins
- 8:15 p.m. — Cirque Adventure’s second show begins
- 9 p.m. — A local honor guard holds a flag ceremony
- 9:45 p.m. — Fireworks begin
Tickets to watch fireworks at Medlar Field start at $9.26, and are sold separately from tickets to park at the venue. For more information, visit www.centralpa4thfest.org.
