Bill Pickle’s Tap Room on Allen Street is one of the many options for late-night food and drinks during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
Abby Drey
adrey@centredaily.com
Late-night crowds can find food until 3 a.m. at taco stands, halal carts and pizzerias.
Bar-goers frequent Champs, Brothers and Cafe 210 for drinks, dancing and specials.
The Basement offers nightclub vibes with DJ sets and novelty shots through 2 a.m.
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Centre County festival weekend 2025
Festival weekend has arrived in Centre County, with visitors and locals alike flocking to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, People’s Choice Festival, Philipsburg Heritage Days and more. Find full coverage below, and enjoy the events!
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Penn State students and alumni will flock to downtown State College this weekend for the 59th annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. The festivities will continue well into the evening, and attendees have plenty of options for late-night food and drinks downtown.
Expect plenty of lines, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. You can skip the line via the LineLeap app, which will cost between $10-60 dollars depending on the day, time and bar.
Here are some of the top options for late-night food and drinks downtown, including some new choices from last year’s festival, and when they’ll be open during festival weekend.
Late-night food spots
Yallah Taco has a stand and restaurant that are open late during the weekend. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
What to know: Yallah Taco has two locations downtown: a fast-casual restaurant on College Avenue and a stand in McAllister Alley. As the self-proclaimed best Mexican food in State College, Yallah specializes in burritos, tacos and quesadillas. If you’re looking for a hearty meal, the Monster Burritos are sure to fill you up.
Where: 137 E. Beaver Ave. (cart), 145 S. Allen St. (restaurant)
Hours: Halal cart: Thurs-Sat: 11 a.m.-3 a.m.; Closed on Sunday. Sher Hot Chicken: Thurs, Fri: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sat: 11 a.m.-3 a.m.; Closed on Sunday
What to know: The famous Sher Halal cart on Beaver Avenue has been a favorite in State College, serving simple but tasty platters like lamb over rice. Sher Hot Chicken recently opened as a fast-casual restaurant on South Allen Street with an expanded menu that includes fried chicken and burgers.
What to know: Allen Street Pizza’s quick service and prime location has helped it become a staple downtown. You can order pizza by the slice or get a whole pie, including unique flavors like mac and cheese and Buffalo chicken.
What to know: The fast-casual chain does one thing and does it well: chicken tenders. With sides like french fries, cole slaw and Texas toast, Cane’s provides a quick and filling meal.
What to know: If you find yourself hungry at 4 a.m., El Jefe’s is there for you. The late-night Mexican spot lets you build your own rice bowls and burritos, and it even serves breakfast for the next morning.
What to know: The popular sports bar made its way to State College this March, and it’ll make for a good spot for lunch, dinner and even a late-night snack. Of course, the chicken wings are a great appetizer for the table to share, and there’s also cocktails and drinks on-tap.
Full menu: www.buffalowildwings.com/menu/
Take your pick of bar options
There’s no shortage of places to grab a drink in downtown State College, but here’s some of the most popular places to go.
What to know: A restaurant during the day, Champs puts the tables away and adopts a club-like atmosphere at night. The dance floor is upstairs, while there’s pool tables, arcade games and a little more space to breathe downstairs. Champs is best known for its $1 vodka sodas and $2 Dirty Sprites on Thursdays, and it also has a good selection of drinks on tap.
What to know: Brothers is one of the newest and most spacious bars downtown. It serves pub food throughout the day, including a late-night appetizers menu. It has plenty of drinks on tap and happy hour deals every day, encouraging you to try new shots and cocktails throughout the weekend.
What to know: One of the top sit-down bars downtown, Cafe offers pub food and drinks in both its indoor and outdoor seating areas. Cafe is best known for its variety of 16-ounce tea pitchers, which are only $5 on Thursdays. It also has happy hour from 9-11 p.m. that includes half-off drafts and $3 shots.
What to know: Doggie’s Pub is especially popular in the summer thanks to its large patio area, cornhole and pizza. Inside, you can enjoy live music throughout the weekend. Doggie’s has specials each day, including $6 24-ounce Bacardi, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan drinks.
What to know: Pickle’s is a small but charming bar with a range of cocktails and shots, as well as classic pub food. It has some unique drinks you couldn’t get anywhere else — pickle-tinis, smokey margaritas and pickle back shots — so it could be a fun place to get out of your drinking comfort zone.
What to know: The lone night club downtown, many people go to the Basement as their final stop of the night. There will be DJs and music throughout the weekend, and you can’t miss the shot wheel at the bar, which could give you anywhere from a Sour Patch Kids shot to a Spongebob Squarepants shot.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 5:40 AM.
Sam Woloson is a news intern for the Centre Daily Times. He graduated from Penn State in May 2025, where he spent time as a football reporter and the managing editor of The Daily Collegian.
Festival weekend has arrived in Centre County, with visitors and locals alike flocking to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, People’s Choice Festival, Philipsburg Heritage Days and more. Find full coverage below, and enjoy the events!
