Penn State construction will impact Arts Fest for second year. Here’s what to know
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- Sackett Building renovation has slightly changed Arts Fest layout.
- Pollock Road is double-lined to keep the same number of booths.
- July 8–12 is the festival run with a 60th anniversary Festive Spirits Party on July 10.
For the second straight year, construction on Penn State’s campus will slightly change the setup for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, though a major renovation project on the route will pause during the festival days.
The university’s construction at the Sackett Building forced the festival to change their setup last year since it closed access to areas on campus where the festival traditionally sets up, near the Pattee Mall and Old Main lawn. The area around the building is still blocked off and is expected to remain that way for at least a couple more years.
The new layout still allows for the same number of booths by double-lining Pollock Road, festival Executive Director Pamela Etters said. She added that the shift ended up creating a more energetic atmosphere on campus.
“The changes also prompted us to consider ways to ensure the space is activated and inviting, so we added two small entertainment spaces at either end of Pollock,” Etters said.
One challenge last year was adjusting to Penn State Berkey Creamery’s new location on Pollock Road, which made the space more cramped, Etters said. A second year with the same layout should make operations more familiar, she said.
“We felt the flow of the festival went well last year and we were not inclined to make any significant changes this year,” she said.
The $89.9 million Sackett project has in recent weeks included fencing in front of the Allen Street Gates located at the intersection of College Avenue and Allen Street. Etters said the project will take a pause and remove the fence for the festival.
“We have a fantastic relationship with Whiting Turner, the construction company, and they are not only repositioning the fencing and halting construction during the festival, they are also allowing us to place some banners along the fence to further enhance the visitor experience,” she said.
The removal of the fencing facing College Avenue will allow both sidewalks on the adjacent mall to reopen, but the grass area in the mall will remain fenced in order to protect the utility work taking place, a spokesperson from the Penn State Office of Physical Plant said in an email. Plantings will also be installed ahead of the festival.
“We’re looking forward to safely hosting Arts Fest visitors while continuing the necessary work to improve campus infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.
A map of the new festival layout shows other booths on campus situated along Burrowes Road, from the Hosler Building to Steam Drive, the west sidewalks of the Old Main mall, from the Obelisk to Pollock Road, and both sides of Pollock Road from the Old Main mall to Burrowes Road.
In downtown State College, booths will be located on Allen Street between Highland Alley and Fairmount Avenue, on Fairmount Avenue between Allen Street and Fraser Street, and on Fraser Street between Fairmount Avenue and Foster Avenue.
A map of the full festival layout can be found on Arts Fest’s website.
Arts Fest will be celebrating its 60th anniversary with a Festive Spirits Party on July 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. on The Towers’ plaza at 403 S. Allen St. It will feature local music group Honey Pie, who will be performing throughout the event, where attendees are encouraged to dress up in 1960s fashion to make it memorable. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased through the festival’s website.
The festival runs from July 8-12, starting with Children and Youth Day on July 8.
