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THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS IS JULY 8 – 12, 2026

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is one of Pennsylvania’s most anticipated summer traditions. Held each July in Downtown State College and on the Penn State University Park campus, the Arts Festival offers a lively mix of art, music, performances, and creative activities.

Our Arts Festival is among the top-ranked juried art fairs in the country, the highlight of the State College summer, one of the biggest non-football alumni weekends for Penn Staters, the summer’s economic anchor for downtown State College businesses, and the place to be for art lovers near and far the week after Independence Day.

For many of the 125,000+ alumni and visitors each year, the Arts Festival is an enduring tradition, experienced with friends and family, and not to be missed.

Please explore this site to learn more about the many facets of the Arts Festival. Note that the full site will be updated as of June 1, 2026. Until then, segments will be updated as they are ready. Otherwise the information will show 2025’s information.

2026 Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition

Our Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition is the perfect place for shopping while you support independent artist-entrepreneurs across the country. Whether you’re looking for a work of art, piece of jewelry, housewares, or all of the above, our artists have something for you. You’ll find some of the country’s most talented artists in a wide variety of media from ceramics to wood. Are you trying to find one an artist you bought something from–but whose name you’re forgotten? Reach out to us, we’re usually able to identify the work and connect you to the artist.

The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition is open from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, July 9 through Saturday, July 11, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.

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That’s Entertainment!

We present a wide variety of performances on both outdoor and indoor stages. Is there anything better than spending a sultry July evening in Sidney Friedman Park or on Old Main Lawn listening to some great music? Or do you prefer the high energy of the Allen Street Stage? Or is beating the heat in the air-conditioned comfort of The State Theatre more your style? From bluegrass to rock to jazz to gospel, there will be a show you’ll like at this summer’s Festival.

Performances start at 11:30 a.m. and continue through 11:00 p.m. Thursday, July 9, through Saturday, July 11. Our final show starts on Sunday, July 12 at 2:30 p.m.

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Images 2026

Images 2026 is our juried gallery exhibition—a great venue for both emerging and established artists. The show is open to Pennsylvania artists aged 16 and up working in the following 2D categories: drawing, painting, mixed media, photography, hand-pulled prints, watercolor, fiber, paper, and digital art. Digital images of original work produced since January 1, 2022 may be submitted. The exhibition will hang in Schlow Centre Region Library for the month of July.

Image: 2025 Best of Show winner November Frost, Lapland, Sweden 1, created in ink and dye on scratchboard by Philip Huber of Lock Haven, PA

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Philip Huber, November Frost, Lapland, Sweden 1

Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale

The Children and Youth Sidewalk sale is a great way to open the Festival. It’s a chance for kids to develop both their artistic and entrepreneurial potential by giving them the opportunity to sell original work that they have made. Artists aged 8 through 18 who live in, or have relatives in the following counties – Blair, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Union – are eligible to participate. A full listing of rules is found in the application.

The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is Wednesday, July 8 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The deadline to submit a Children & Youth Sidewalk Sale application will be Friday, May 29, 2026.

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2026 Banner Competition

The Banner Exhibition and Competition is one of the signature events of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. In fact, banners were a part of the very first Festival in 1967! During the Festival, banners hang over South Allen Street, bringing color and movement to the already joyous atmosphere. In the off season, we hang banners in public buildings like the State College Municipal Building and Schlow Centre Region Library. Banners can be made by individuals or groups. Making a banner is a great way to celebrate a milestone of a community organization.

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