Day 89: The Trilogy of Central PA Festivals: Arts Fest, People's Choice & Lemont Fest

Mid-July brings 3 simultaneous art festivals to the Central Pennsylvania region.

Central PA Arts Festival: Open until Sunday, July 17. Overwhelming amount of information we could share on this festival, but instead, here's the official Central PA Arts Festival website. 

Expert Tip #1: Forgo the $6 lemonade (what a rip-off) from the food vending tents and head up to the Youth Service Bureau stand (@ 143 West Fairmount Avenue) for free lemonade, water and sweet treats. There is a donation jar to support a good cause and it will be open all festival long! I had 3 lemonades throughout the day today @ $1 donation each and saved $15 while helping a worthy cause.

Expert Tip #2: Also related to hydration. If you are on the campus side of the Arts Fest, avoid Willard Building to purchase a beverage from the vending machines (specifically, Pepsi of Altoona)...unless you enjoy watching your drinks fall to the bottom of the vending machine, instead of dispensed! 3 waters & 2 Pepsi's later, I started to look around to make sure I wasn't on a hidden camera show. 


People's Choice Festival

Once known as the small alternative to Art's Fest, the People's Choice Fest has become a giant of its own. Visit their official website for a schedule of events.

Lemont Festival: The newest and smallest of the festivals, the 2nd Annual Lemont Fest begins Friday, July 15 and runs through Sunday, July 17. The purpose is to offer local residents an alternative to the larger festivals. All vendors are local family-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. 25+ vendors, local food and beverages, speeder train rides, music and free parking! Visit the official Lemont Fest website for more information. 

Day 87: Visit the Christmas Market at the Lemont Granary

Looking for something to do tonight or tomorrow? Enjoy the Christmas Market, located at the Lemont Granary @ 131 Mount Nittany Road. The market is open this evening, 5 - 8 pm and tomorrow, 10 am - 4 pm.

The market features crafts, jewelry, clothing, books, pottery, wreaths, gifts, local products, arts and crafts and children's activities in the railroad building in a German-style "Weihnachtsmarkt", with music, food and beverages, and good spirits.

Visit www.lemontvillage.org or call 814 238-1288 for more information.

Day 85: Vote Today!

 

Go vote today, it is Tuesday, November 5, Election Day. Whether you live in the State College Borough or one of the surrounding townships, there is a mayoral race, council seats, a district judge, and school board seats up for election. The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Not sure where to vote, check here to find your polling place. If you'd like to see a sample ballot prior to heading to the polls, check out this resource.

Day 84: Modern Square and Round Dancing Class

Looking to start your week off on the right foot? The left foot? Consider attending a Modern Square and Round Dancing Class. All ages are welcome and no experience is necessary. Show up solo or with a partner. A great way to Improve your health through exercise and have fun! 

TIME

• Mondays, 7:00-9:00 p.m. 

PLACE

• Radio Park Elementary School, 800 W Cherry Lane (end of Martin St),State College, PA. 

COST

• 1st lesson is FREE, then $2.50 per person per evening. Register and Pay at the dance.

MORE INFORMATION

• Contact Carter or Ruby Ackerman (814) 238-8949
• Centre Square's Dance Club Website 

ABOUT CENTRE SQUARE'S DANCE CLUB 

Carter and Ruby help create Centre Squares in 1960. When the caller left in 1962, Carter kept the club from folding by adding Caller's School to his Ph.D. studies in Electrical Engineering and even added voice lessons to his busy schedule.

in 1963 he completed Caller's School and became the official Centre Squares caller/cuer. Now fifty years later, Carter is still going strong!

Carter and Ruby have taught square dancing to over 3,000 students in addition to Round Dancing and Ball Room Dancing to several more thousand. They still teach classes year round on Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday with club dances on Wednesday.

Now they are evening teaching day time classes at their home. They have always been active in supporting square dancing and round dancing at the regional, state and national levels and still chair the round dancing programs at conventions. 

Day 83: Win 6 Tickets to the Penn State Men's Basketball Game Today

If you're looking for something to do this afternoon in the State College area, head over to the Bryce Jordan Center to watch the Penn State Nittany Lion Basketball team take on the Northwood SeaHawks at 2pm. Tickets are $5 for general admission and free for Penn State students with a student id. 

WIN 6 TICKETS NOW! 
As a special promotion and thank you for following our blog, we are giving away 6 general admission tickets for the game this afternoon and the Bryce Jordan Center. To win, simply be the first person to post a comment on this blog entry on Facebook. You'll receive a message via Facebook with details on where to pick up your tickets! The winner will be announced shortly afterward. 

SEASON PREVIEW

The Nittany Lions welcome four freshmen - Payton Banks, Geno Thorpe, Julian Moore and Graham Woodward - to the roster for 2013-14. Additionally, transfers Allen Roberts and John Johnson (eligible following the fall semester) will add depth to the rotation. Jordan Dickerson, a 7-foot center, will practice with the Nittany Lions in 2013-14 while he sits out to satisfy the NCAA transfer rules. 

Penn State will face at least seven teams who won 17 or more games and finished in the top 130 of the NCAA RPI rankings last season. The Lions will face five of those teams among eight non-conference home contests. Three of the Lions’ non-conference opponents played in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, including Sweet 16 participant La Salle, which comes to the Bryce Jordan Center Nov. 19. Four teams on the 2013-14 non-conference slate finished last season in the top 100 of the RPI and three of those won 20 or more games, including Bucknell (28-6), Pittsburgh (24-9) and La Salle (24-10).

TICKET INFORMATION
Nittany Lion basketball single-game tickets or group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY, visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets range from $5-$24 with special group ticket rates for groups of 15 fans or more. Six-game mini plans also are currently available and feature games against: Marshall (Dec. 7), Michigan State (Dec. 31), Indiana (Jan. 11), Iowa (Feb. 15), Ohio State (Feb. 27) and Wisconsin (March 2).  More information is available on GoPSUsports.com/tickets.

Day 82: Check Out A Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse Sunday Morning!

Set your alarms early on Sunday morning to observe a rare hybrid solar eclipse at 6:30 AM. 

In New York City, you should except to see the moon covering more than half the sun. It will start as an annular eclipse, with the awesome "ring of fire" around the sun, before morphing into a total solar eclipse, in which the sun is totally blocked for a brief period. Check out the Slooh Space Camera preview below: 

The Slooh Space Camera will livestream the eclipse online as seen from Kenya, where the sun and moon will form a total solar eclipse. Remember to wear eye protection when viewing this eclipse. If it's too cloudy on Sunday morning, you can watch the Slooh Space Camera live from 6:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. ET Sunday. There is also an App in the iTunes store to live-stream the eclipse.

Day 81: Things to Do in State College this Weekend...

If you're looking for something to do in the State College area this weekend, look no further. From Penn State Football to singer/song writer Judith Hill to taking in the peak autumn foliage, there is plenty to do this weekend! 

• College Football: Penn State plays Illinois
• Saturday, 12-4 PM @ Beaver Stadium
• A Google search will find available tickets, or watch the game on ESPN.

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• Singer / Songwriter Judith Hill performance
• Friday, 8 PM @ The State Theatre
• Well known from her recent appearance on "The Voice"
• Tickets are still available ($29) on the State Theatre website. 

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• Take in the Autumn colors
• Foliage is at its peak this weekend, so consider checking out a local hiking trail, park, or forest to soak in the fall colors. Check out some of our previous blogs on where to get outdoors, these are all prime spots...
• Go for a hike up Mt. Nittany
• Visit Black Moshannon State Park
• Visit the Mt. Nittany Winery
• Visit Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
• Visit Penn's Cave
• Go for a hike at Shingletown Gap
• Go for a bike ride in the Centre Region
• Hike up Indian Steps to the Mid-State Trail

 

Day 80: Check Out the Penn State Homecoming Festivities

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, consider checking out the Penn State Homecoming Festivities taking place in Downtown State College and on the Penn State Campus. Here are a few of the homecoming events you might be interested in:

• Student Alumni Ice Cream Social
• Friday, 1-4 PM @ the Hintz Alumni Center  
• Enjoy music by the Alumni Blue Band, appearances by the Penn State cheerleaders and mingling with other Penn Staters and students--while savoring Creamery ice cream. Stop by and pick up your class year button!

• 2013 Penn State Homecoming Parade

  

• Friday, starts @ 6 PM through Penn State Campus & Downtown State College
 

• Penn State / Michigan Football Game
•  Saturday, starts @ 5 PM at Beaver Stadium

For more information on the festivities, visit these websites:

• Penn State Homecoming Website
• Penn State Ice Cream Social 
• Penn State / Michigan Football Game

Watch the Game Day Preview Video with Coach Bill O'Brien...

 

 

 

Day 79: Try Out for the Musical Annie

Have you ever considered tapping into your artistic self as an actor or actress? 
 
Fuse Productions is holding auditions for Annie, this Sunday from 2 - 6pm @ the State Theatre. No experience is required. For more details on the auditions, how to prepare and further details, visit the citystatearts website.

Coming later this week...
 ...places to see the Fall foilage
...the rag-n-bone vintage sale @ Websters Cafe

Day 78: Stroll through the State College Farmer's Market this Afternoon

Stroll through the State College Farmer's Market this afternoon to pick some assorted breads, dairy products, flowers, fruits, meats, pastas, plants, syrups, teas, vegetables and more. 

Located on Locust Lane, between College and Beaver Avenue in Downtown State College, the market is open today - Friday - from 11:30 til 5:30pm. The mid-season (July 19 - October 18) Farmer's Market vendors include: 

• Beiler Family Farm (meats, dairy, produce)
• Elk Creek Fish Hatchery (fresh fish)
• Larksmirth Manor (plants, trees, shrubs, flowers)
• Demeter's Garden (fruit, honey)
• Patchwork Farm (plants, flowers, organic produce)
• Deb's Flower Farm (plants, flowers)
• Spring Bank Acres (cheese, yogurt)
• Harner Farm (fruits, vegetables)
• Fawn Fields Farm (produce)
• Moser's Garden Produce (vegetables, fruits, herbs)
• Mothersbaugh Farm (produce, sunflowers, glads)
• Soap Sprite (soaps, body care product, tie dyes)
• The Piper's Peck (salsas, hot pepper jellies, jams, jellies)
• Fasta & Ravioli Co. (fresh pasta)
• Mountainside Bakery (Amish baked goods)
• Samuel Swarey Produce (produce, flowers, meats)
• Tait Farm Foods (organic produce, jams, shrubs)
• Wendy Vonada (cookies, pesto)
• Way Fruit Farm (fruits)
• Wood Fired Bake Shoppe & Produce (Amish baked goods)
• Gemelli Bakers (baked goods)
• Woodside Acres (potato chips, canned goods, produce)

 

For more information, visit the State College Farmer's Market website. If you can't make it to the market this afternoon, there's also a Farmer's Market on Tuesdays.

For more information on the State College Tuesday Farmer's market, visit their website. Parking validation is available at both State College Farmer's Markets!

Day 77: Check Out the Contemporary Play Reading Series @ The State Theatre on Sunday Nights

Check out the Contemporary Play Readings on Sunday nights @ The State Theatre. For $10 a ticket, this series is sure to be at the top of the list to wrap up the weekend for Penn State students and State College residents. 

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Schedule of Contemporary Play Readings 

@ The State Theatre
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• When: Sunday, September 29, 2013 @ 7:30 PM
• Title: 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog
  
•  Starring: Helen Manfull 

Synopsis: After suffering a major loss while he was on a cross-country bike trip, 21 year-old Leo seeks solace from his feisty 91 year-old grandmother Vera in her West Village apartment. Over the course of a single month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other. 4000 Miles looks at how two outsiders find their way in today's world. 

Purchase Tickets | More Information

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• When: Sunday, October 20, 2013 @ 7:30 PM 
• Title: Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris*
  
• Special Note: Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize*

Synopsis: Clybourne Park explodes in two outrageous acts set fifty years apart.  Act one takes place in 1959, as nervous community leaders anxiously try to stop the sale of a home to a black family. Act two is set in the same house in the present day, as the now predominantly African-American neighborhood battles to hold its ground in the face of gentrification.

 Purchase Tickets | More Information

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• When: Sunday, November 17, 2013 @ 7:30 PM 
• Title: Seminar by Teresa Rebeck
  

Synopsis: Set in present day New York City, Seminar follows four young writers: Kate, Martin, Douglas, and Izzy, and their professor, Leonard. Each student has paid Leonard $5,000 for a ten-week-long writing seminar to be held in Kate's Upper West Side apartment. As tensions arise and romance falls between students, they clash over their writing, their relations, and their futures.

Tickets (coming soon!) | More Information

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• When: Sunday, January 26, 2013 @ 7:30 PM 
• Title: Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam
  

Synopsis: Three teenage misfits in Salem, Oregon discover they are linked by a sex scandal that's rocked their town. When one of them sets out to expose the truth, secrets become currency, the stakes get higher, and the trio's connection grows deeper in this searching, fiercely funny dark comedy with music.

Tickets (coming soon!) | More Information

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• When: Sunday, February 16, 2013 @ 7:30 PM 
• Title: Fat Pig by Neil LaBute
  

Synopsis: Cow. Slob. Pig. How many insults can you hear before you have to stand up and defend the woman you love? Tom faces just that question when he falls for Helen, a bright, funny, sexy woman who happens to be plus-sized- and then some. Neil LaBute's sharply drawn play not only critiques our slavish adherence to Hollywood ideals of beauty but also boldly questions our own ability to change what we dislike about ourselves. 

Tickets (coming soon!) | More Information

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• When: Sunday, April 27, 2013 @ 7:30 PM 
• Title: The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project 

Synopsis: In October 1998 a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay. Moises Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. This play is the result of those interviews. 

Tickets (coming soon!) | More Information 

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Special Note: All plays in this series contain mature subject matter and adult language. Parents are strongly cautioned to consider bringing students under the age of 13. 

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Check back with 365 Things to Do in State College for ideas on taking in the fall colors in the coming weeks!

Day 76: Have a Beer with Billy Bragg at the State Theatre

Trying to fill in some free nights in your calendar over the next month, look no further than the State Theatre in Downtown State College. 

If you're interested in beer and Billy Bragg's music, the State Theatre has teamed up with Elk Creek Cafe for the perfect night.


Billy Bragg's ecliptic blend of folk and punk, along with scratch beers brewed exclusively for the concert by the Elk Creek Cafe are sure to be a hit! The show is Wednesday, October 2 @ 8pm. Tickets are still available on the State Theatre website or at the box office, located at 130 West College Avenue in Downtown State College. Check out Bragg's music in the video below:

Stay tuned next week for more '365 Things to Do in State College'

Day 75: Check out Central PA Mixed Martial Arts!

Day 75: Check out Central PA Mixed Martial Arts!

Trying to find an activity that the entire family can participate in for the upcoming school year? Look no farther than Central PA Mixed Martial Arts (CPAMMA). 

Everyone is welcomed & encouraged to come in & try out a free class! Central PA Mixed Martial Arts offers:

• Mighty Mites class for 3-5 year olds! (Children learn focus, respect & have FUN while doing Martial Arts moves & games!)

• Youth Martial Arts class for 5-12 year olds! (Fun, Friends & Fitness!)

• Women's Kickboxing 

• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

• Muay Thai/Western Boxing

• Reality Based Mixed Martial Arts

• Wrestling

The Central PA Mixed Martial Arts also offers quarterly Women's Assault Prevention Seminars which are free to the public.

Contact the Martial Arts Academy at info@cpamma.com to get more information or schedule a free trial lesson. Check out their facebook page or website for more information.

Day 74: Head Out to the Ballpark Tonight

Day 74: Head Out to the Ballpark Tonight

Looking to relax at the baseball field and enjoy a night out? Head out to Medlar Field to watch the State College Spikes take on the Vermont Lake Monsters tonight. If you stick around after the game, enjoy a post-game fireworks display!

Sgt. Bob Timney will be performing on the concourse before the game and if you bring the kids, there's a pre-game catch in the outfield for all fans between 5-5:30pm. Baseballs are provided, but bring your own mitt. All kids 12 and under can also run the bases after the game!

The Spikes will be paying a special tribute to all branches of the military with discounted pricing and special tributes throughout the game! For information on Military Appreciation Night discounts please contact the Spikes at 814-272-1711 and mention the night!

For more information, including tickets, driving directions, and more, visit the State College Spikes website.

Day 73: Check out The Crucible at the State Theatre tonight or this week

Day 73: Check out The Crucible at the State Theatre Tonight!

Maybe a live performance will cheer up this rainy day? Consider heading to the State Theatre for the 8pm (dates/times available below) showing of The Crucible.

Written by Arthur Miller, the story focuses upon a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft.  The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lie — and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others.  This exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem is both a gripping historical play and a timely parable of our contemporary society.

If you can't make it tonight, there are other performances later this week:

Friday, July 19, 2013 | 8p

Saturday, July 20, 2013 | 2p, 8p

Friday, July 26, 2013 | 8p

Saturday, July 27, 2013 | 2p, 8p

 

PRICING: : $20, $16 Seniors 62 and over, $16 Students with ID, $16 Children 17 and under (Plus $2 ticketing fee per ticket)

For more information or to purchase your tickets online, visit The State Theatre website.

Day 70: Check out Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas musical presented by The State College Community Theatre

Day 70: Check out Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas musical presented by The State College Community Theatre

If you're looking for something last minute to do tonight or planning for the weekend, consider checking out the Nuncrackers, a Christmas musical presented by The State College Community Theatre. 

The Nunsense Christmas Musical is the first “TV Special” taped by the sisters in their convent basement studio for Cable Access. It stars the nuns you love, Father Virgil and some of Mt. Saint Helen’s most talented students.  It features all new songs including: Twelve Days Prior to Christmas, Santa Ain’t Comin’ To Our House, We Three Kings of Orient Are Us, and It’s Better to Give Than To Receive. This show is filled with “Nunsense” humor, some of your favorite carols, a “Secret Santa,” and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet. Nuncrackers will make you laugh and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It’s the perfect way to insure your holiday season is merry and bright.

Cost: $18, $16 Students & Seniors

Wednesday December 14, 2011; 8:00 pm
Thursday December 15, 2011; 8:00 pm
Friday December 16, 2011; 8:00 pm
Saturday December 17, 2011; 2:00 pm ; 8:00 pm
Sunday December 18, 2011; 3:00 pm

For more information, visit the State Theatre Website.

Day 69: Tuesday Night Bluegrass and Gospel Jam

Day 69: Tuesday Night Bluegrass and Gospel Jam

If you're looking for some free live music tonight, either as a participant or a spectator, everyone is invited to play, sing or just listen to the Bluegrass and Gospel Jam fans every Tuesday night. Join the guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, harmonicas, dobros and of course, the melodious voices. A 15 minute break is enjoyed by all for some pot luck cookies and/or cakes. Event is located at Pine Hall Lutheran Church at 1760 West College Ave in State College (map). For more information, contact A. Scott Krug at askrug@comcast.net.

Day 68: Check out Darrell Scott at WPSU Studios Tonight

Day 68: Check out Darrell Scott at WPSU Studios Tonight

If you're looking for some live music on a rainy Wednesday night, check out Darrell Scott at the WPSU Studios (100 Innovation Blvd., University Park, PA, 16802 (map)) tonight at 7:45 PM. Tickets are $16 and can be purchased online at http://acousticbrew.org, or at Nature's Pantry in State College.

Day 64: Check Out the Free American bicentennial Conestoga Wagon Reunion Concert on Sunday

Day 64: Check Out the Free American bicentennial Conestoga Wagon Reunion Concert on Sunday

On Sunday, July 3 at 3:00 PM, the American bicentennial Conestoga Wagon Reunion Concert will take place in Esber Recital Hall, in the Penn State Music Building. Parking is located nearby in the Penn State Nittany Lion Inn Parking Deck or check with the CATA website for bus schedules. 

The concert will feature twelve of the original performers who were part of a national wagon train pilgrimage in 1976. For more information and a great story about the local connection to this concert, check out this article.