Arts and Entertainment

Penn State Transportation Services announces parking, traffic and transit impacts during the annual arts event

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 60th annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts returns to the streets of downtown State College and Penn State’s University Park campus from Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12.

Founded in 1967 by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the festival attracts approximately 125,000 visitors each summer.

The 2026 festival kicks off on Wednesday, July 8, with Children and Youth Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the annual Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale featuring young artists. The day of children and youth activities, dance, music and theater will culminate at 3 p.m. with the annual Grand Procession of papier-mâché puppets, a march from Old Main Lawn to Sidney Friedman Park accompanied by drummers and a pep band from State College Area High School.

On Thursday, July 9, the Annual Juried Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition takes center stage, featuring more than 300 independent artist-entrepreneurs from across the country. The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition hours are: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, through Saturday, July 11; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.

Live performances begin on Wednesday, July 8, and will continue throughout the weekend, finishing out the festival at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.

For more information and to see the full schedule of festival performances and activities, visit the Arts Festival website.

Parking, traffic and transit impacts during the Arts Festival

Penn State Transportation Services has released information on parking, traffic and transit impacts at University Park related to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Road closures and parking adjustments

Beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, and continuing through 5 p.m. Sunday, July 12, Burrowes Road will be closed from College Avenue to Curtin Road, and Pollock Road will be closed from Burrowes Road to Old Main.

Due to these road closures, access to the following faculty/staff parking areas will be impacted beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday:

• Access to all sections of Brown A parking, as well as the Hammond Building loading dock, will be available from College Avenue only, with vehicles traveling north on Burrowes Road, then entering the lot between Reber and Deike buildings (across from Steam Drive).

• Access to Old Main will be available only by traveling west on Pollock Road from Shortlidge Road or Bigler Road. The gates on Pollock Road just east of Old Main will be raised, and auxiliary officers will be posted restricting traffic to authorized vehicles only.

• Access to all Red K parking areas will only be available via Steam Drive by heading north on Burrowes Road from College Avenue.

• Access to Red H (Noll Lab) parking will be available only by traveling south on Burrowes Road from Curtin Road. Auxiliary officers will be on site to restrict access to authorized vehicles only.

Arts Fest visitor parking

Arts Fest visitor parking will be available at the HUB, Nittany and West decks from Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12. See below for daily parking rates:

Wednesday, July 8:

• $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour for additional hours

Thursday, July 9, through Saturday, July 11:

• Less than two hours - $2
• Less than three hours - $3
• Three to 10 hours: $10
• More than 10 hours: $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour for additional hours

Sunday, July 12:

• $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour for additional hours

These areas will remain available to Penn State faculty, staff and student permit holders at no charge on weekdays after 4 p.m. and all day on Saturday and Sunday.

Arts Fest Shuttle

Transportation Services will offer complementary blue bus shuttle service between the West Deck, festival area and the Palmer Art Museum. See below for the shuttle service schedule:

• Thursday, July 9: 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
• Friday, July 10: 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
• Saturday, July 11: 9 a.m.-11 p.m.

Transit changes during the Arts Festival

All CATA stops on Burrowes Street in downtown State College and Burrowes Road on campus will be closed from Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12. Visit catabus.com for more information regarding Arts Fest schedule adjustments.

The Campus Shuttle via College Avenue stops at Reber Building, Hosler Building and West Halls will be closed Thursday, July 9, and Friday, July 10.

The Campus Shuttle via Beaver Avenue stops at Rec Hall, West Halls, Westgate Building, Hosler Building and Reber Building also will be closed Thursday, July 9, and Friday, July 10.

Download the Penn State Go app for real-time CATA and Campus Shuttle information.

For more information

• Parking questions: parking@psu.edu
• CATA information: catabus.com
• Campus Shuttle and Arts Fest shuttle questions: shuttles@psu.edu
• Arts Festival information: arts-festival.com