What’s new in 2022? Here are some firsts as Arts Fest returns to downtown State College
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Summer fests return
Here’s what you need to know for the first in-person Arts Fest and People’s Choice Festival in two years.
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The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has been around long enough that it could start taking advantage of benefits geared toward older adults, but don’t let that fool you.
More than a handful of new features are set to be a part of the 56th annual Arts Fest, scheduled to begin Wednesday through Sunday in downtown State College and on Penn State’s flagship campus.
Here’s some of what you can look forward to:
Wristbands are the new buttons
Festivalgoers wearing the $15 wristband get access to general admission to select performances. Children 12 and younger are free with an adult who has a wristband.
The wristbands, which replace buttons used in previous years, are available at more than a dozen locations, including:
- Appalachian Outdoors, 123 S. Allen St., State College
- Art a la Carte, 107 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte
- Blue Brick Theatre, 209 W. Calder Way, State College
- State College Borough Finance Officer, 243 S. Allen St.
- Gallery Shop, 824 Pike St., Lemont
- Lions Pride, 112 E. College Ave., State College
- Otto’s Pub and Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton St., State College
- Penn State Federal Credit Union, 1937 N. Atherton St., State College and 123 Amberleigh Lane, Bellefonte
- Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College
- State College Framing Co. and Gallery, 160 Rolling Ridge Drive
- The Corner Room, 100 W. College Ave., State College
- The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College
- UPS Store, 19 Colonnade Way, State College
- The Original Waffle Shop, 1610 W. College Ave. and 1229 N. Atherton St., State College
- Webster’s Bookstore Cafe, 133 E. Beaver Ave., State College
Craft beverage expo
Beer, wine and cider are coming to the festival for the first time.
Arts Fest and the Central PA Tasting Trail are working in tandem to set up a short-term gated area that intends to sell alcohol, both for consumption only within that area and to take home in the form of bottles, cans and growlers. No public drinking is permitted outside of the gated area, which will be located within the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza on South Fraser Street.
Alcohol is set to be sold from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
All 14 of the Tasting Trail’s members intend to participate. The nonprofit’s members include: Axemann Brewery, Barrel 21 Distillery, Big Spring Spirits, Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks, Good Intent Cidery, Happy Valley Vineyard & Winery, J.L. Farm & Cidery 814 Cider Works, Keewaydin Cider Mill, Mt. Nittany Vineyard & Winery, Otto’s Pub And Brewery, Pisano Winery, Robin Hood Brewing Co., Seven Mountains Wine Cellars and University Wine Company.
Other options include Bees Knees Coffee at the Memorial Field parking lot and Moody Culture Kombucha at the intersection of South Allen Street and West Nittany Avenue.
Water bottles are available for $1 at any of the festival’s four information booths.
A new flavor from Penn State’s Berkey Creamery
Two State College institutions teamed up to create the Creamery’s newest flavor, Festival Fudge. It’s vanilla ice cream with a raspberry swirl and chunks of chocolate fudge.
The new flavor is available for purchase by the cone, dish or half gallon throughout July at the Creamery, as well as the Creamery’s Arts Fest booth at the on-campus mall at this summer’s festival.
A new parking system
Visitors can park at Penn State’s West Parking Deck along White Course Drive. Parking is $1 per hour for the first two hours and $10 for between two and 10 hours. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
A free bus service is scheduled to serve as a shuttle from the parking garage to the intersection of East College Avenue and South Allen Street. The service is scheduled to be available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The festival is an about 10-minute walk from the parking garage.
A one-stop-shop with food trucks
Six food trucks are scheduled to sell their grub from the Memorial Field parking lot. Four are based in Centre County, while the remaining two are from New Jersey and Virginia.
- Bees Knees Coffee
- Bonnie Blue’s Smokeys and Sweets
- Brazilian Munchies
- Everything about Crepes (New Jersey)
- Funnel Cake Kings
Hellenic Kouzina Mobile Kitchen (Virginia)
A ticketed a cappella show
The Kinsey Sicks, a self-described “dragapella beautyshop quartet,” is scheduled to perform a ticketed show 8:30-10 p.m. Thursday at The State Theatre. A ticket costs $29.
A performance at Penn State’s Music Recital Hall
A performance is scheduled for the Penn State School of Music Recital Hall for the first time.
The Raleigh Ringers, a handbell choir based in North Carolina’s second-most populous city, is scheduled to perform 8-10 p.m. Saturday. The group is led by Penn State alumnus David M. Harris and has performed in 39 states, Canada, the United Kingdom and France.
You’ll have to wait another year for the sand sculpture
The nearly annual sand sculpture in Sidney Friedman Park, one of the most popular attractions at Arts Fest, won’t be part of the 2022 festival.
Greg Glenn, the man who turns about 25 tons of sand into art, “can’t be in two places at once,” Arts Fest Executive Director Rick Bryant said with a laugh. But it’s expected to be a short-term absence.
The expectation, Bryant said, is for Glenn to return in 2023.
This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 10:57 AM.
