How will the weather impact Arts Fest this week? See the State College forecast
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Arts Fest expects typical mid-July weather with heat, humidity and storms.
- Thunderstorms may develop daily; Sunday carries highest storm potential.
- Festivalgoers should monitor forecasts and seek shelter during storms.
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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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The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, one of busiest times during summer in State College, is here. Many Penn State students and alumni return for the weekend and locals venture downtown to check out one of the top-ranked juried art fairs in the country.
Since the vast majority of Arts Fest — and other festivals around the county, like People’s Choice — take place outdoors, the weather forecast is an important factor to take into account before heading out.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said the weather expected for Arts Fest, which kicked off on Wednesday with Kids Day and will run through Sunday, is what can typically be expected for mid-July.
The humidity is expected to rise a bit Thursday with a high temperature near 85. Pydynowski said it will likely be dry in the morning but there’s a possibility of a storm in the afternoon.
“I think it’s pretty hit or miss but certainly can’t guarantee that it’s going to be dry (Thursday) afternoon. There’s enough warmth and humidity around, it seems like some activity is going to try and pop up,” he said.
Friday may turn out to be similar to Thursday, Pydynowski said, with more widespread shower activity in the afternoon.
The humidity is expected to be higher and more noticeable, too.
“If you’re out and about Friday afternoon at one of the festivals, it’ll feel more muggy relative to what (Thursday) will be,” he said. Temperatures will be in the mid-80s again.
Saturday will be a little warmer and pretty muggy, as well. The morning will be dry but anyone outside should keep an eye out for some storms or downpours popping up in the afternoon.
Sunday could be the most active day in terms of thunderstorms, Pydynowski said.
As with any outdoor activity in heat, people at the festivals should take breaks in the shade or indoors and stay hydrated.
With a thunderstorm in the forecast everyday, Pydynowski said it’s also important to know where the nearest shelter or structure is if a storm starts while they’re outside.
“I don’t necessarily expect any kind of widespread severe weather, per se, but obviously, if people are caught outdoors, one of the major threats, of course, is lightning. So people are going to be out at these festivals as they’re walking around, it’s going to be a good idea for them to just sort of be aware of where the nearest shelter is,” he said. “Like, can they get back to their car quickly? Or is there a building around that they could get into quickly?
“Thunderstorms can pop up quickly and if there’s thunder and lightning in the vicinity, you don’t want to be out in the open like that. You want to try to get in doors as quickly as you can.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 5:10 AM.
