Poor air quality forces businesses, events to close in Centre County. What to know
Venues and entertainment offerings across Centre County have announced closures or postponements Thursday due to poor air quality.
Wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada and Minnesota led the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to issue a statewide Code Red Air Quality Alert for Thursday, with a more serious Code Purple alert already issued Friday for central Pennsylvania. Under the Code Red advisory, all residents are asked to consider limiting outdoor activities, but sensitive groups — including children, the elderly and those with respiratory illnesses — should move activity indoors.
Air quality index scores in State College ran as high as 380 Thursday afternoon, according to data available on airnow.gov. Scores above 300 fall into the most serious “hazardous” level of concern, suggesting anyone outdoors is more likely to be affected by poor air quality.
See the list below for key closures and postponements, and check back for updates.
Entertainment
- Tussey Mountain has postponed Thursday’s WingFest concerts and competition. Anyone who already purchased tickets can request a refund or use them when July 16’s WingFest lineup is rescheduled. Details are expected once a new date is finalized.
- The State College Spikes canceled their 6:35 p.m. game against the Williamsport Crosscutters “out of an abundance of caution” for player and fan safety. Anyone with tickets to Thursday’s game can exchange them for tickets of equal or lesser value to any other home game this summer, pending availability.
Restaurants and breweries
- Axemann Brewery and its food vendors are closed due to “the increasingly bad air quality,” the venue wrote online. Its speed puzzling competition was postponed and rescheduled for July 23.
- Alloy Kitchen is closed for the day. The restaurant, which recently ended its partnership with Titan Hollow, will resume operations on Friday. Its menu is available for takeout and delivery orders from 5-9 p.m. daily.
About the Air Quality Index
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measures air quality levels, or the Air Quality Index (AQI), from 0 to 500 in six color-coded categories, from moderate green (0-50) to hazardous maroon (301+). On average, the State College area typically sits under a 30.
Centre County and much of Pennsylvania was under a Code Red alert Thursday, and central Pennsylvania will be under a Code Purple alert Friday — although State College levels still reached as high as maroon, or hazardous, Thursday afternoon.
Here’s a closer look at the color-coded system, according to AirNow.gov:
- Green (Good) — 0 to 50 — Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
- Yellow (Moderate) — 51 to 100 — Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
- Orange (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) — 101 to 150 — Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
- Red (Unhealthy) — 151 to 200 — Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
- Purple (Very Unhealthy) — 201 to 300 — Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
- Maroon (Hazardous) — 301 and higher — Health warning of emergency conditions: Everyone is more likely to be affected.
This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM.