Under the baobab: Art festivals headline event-packed summer in Happy Valley
Congrats to my Southside Chicago “homie,” His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who was awarded the 2026 Liberty Medal by the National Constitution Center. Established in 1988, the Liberty Medal recognizes and celebrates “individuals of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.” Other recipients have included Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush; Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy; world leaders Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Also congratulations to Penn State student Destiny Jean-Paul, who was honored with the Frances Foster Award, established in 2009 in memory of the late actress. The scholarship’s purpose is “to honor and recognize outstanding achievement by undergraduate students who excel scholastically and artistically and whose ethnic and/or cultural background enhance the diversity of the School of Theatre.”
The 60th anniversary of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is being celebrated this weekend in downtown State College and on the Penn State campus. The festival, which attracts over 125,000 visitors each year, offers a lively mix of art, music, performances and creative activities. It is among the top-ranked juried art fairs in the country and one of the biggest non-football alumni weekends for Penn Staters.
Simultaneously, the People’s Choice Festival of Arts & Crafts has returned to its original home in Boalsburg. The 32nd annual festival will be at the Pennsylvania Military Museum through Sunday. Co-directors Cindy Rockey and John Madison announced the festival will headline musical artists like Miss Melanie and Groove Society, Jay T. Vonda Quartet, Coal Aly Band, the Deacons of Dixieland and others. There will be a special kids “Red, White, and Blue Day” on Saturday to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
Philipsburg Heritage Days is also taking place through Saturday, and Way Fruit Farm will hold its Art in the Orchard through Saturday in Port Matilda.
In other local events, Tussey Mountain continues its WingFest concerts on Thursday evenings through the summer. The Corner Room held a block party for its 100th anniversary on July 3. The Big Boy, the largest steam locomotive in the country, is visiting Altoona this week. And the best Fourth of July fireworks display in central Pennsylvania was held for a packed Medlar Field.
The Bellefonte Art Museum Sunday open house featured several exhibits. “In Awe of Birds” installation was inspired by author Dr. Dacher Keltner’s book “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and how it can Transform your Life.” “Reflections” by Marica Tacconi brings together a series of abstract paintings that explore reflection as both image and state of mind. While suggestions of mirrored surfaces, shifting light and fragmented forms appear throughout the works, the exhibition is less focused on representation than on moments of contemplation and pause. It closes on July 26.
When East End Social’s World Cup watch party for Team USA versus Belgium was canceled because of potential weather issues, Prof. Manuel Llinas, co-director of PSU’s Huck Center, shared his own equipment to broadcast the match. About 100 folks showed up to watch our team get trounced. But at least the rain held off until the end. Thanks, Manny!
Speaking of which, Manny’s (the bar, not the Prof.) held a benefit fundraiser for the Venezuelan earthquake victims. Sponsored by Latin Vibe, Orquesta Mi Amor with Ady Martinez and Eric Ian Farmer were the featured music performance. Latin Vibe hosted another fundraiser at Boal City Brewing with the artists, joined by Laura Boswell.
And by a 7-0 vote, the State College Borough Council approved an ordinance that formally prohibits municipal employees from participating in or providing borough resources for civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. The action was met with applause from the well-attended meeting. You are not alone.
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.