Sips & Sounds Festival Returns for 3rd Year in State College With Local Food, Drink and Music

An outdoor food and drink festival that has become the signature summer event for the Downtown State College Improvement District is back for its third year.

Sips & Sounds Downtown will be held from 4 to 8:45 p.m. on Friday, June 27 at Sidney Friedman Park.

The now annual event is a celebration of regional food and craft beverages — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic — along with local live music.

“Sips and Sounds is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of our local flavor, music and the incredible community spirit that makes State College so special,” Lee Anne Jeffries, executive director of the DSCID, said in a statement. “We’re proud to bring people together for an evening that supports local and small businesses, showcasing all the energy and creativity in our region.”

Two local bands will play during the festival: Honey Pie from 4 to 6 p.m. and Coal Aly from 6 to 8:45 p.m.

Beverage vendors from the Central Pennsylvania Tasting Trail will include:

• 814 Cider Works
• Antifragile Brewing Co.
• Axemann Brewery
• Barrel 21 Distillery
• Big Spring Spirits
• Boal City Brewing
• Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery
• Otto’s Pub & Brewery
• University Wine Company

Locally-made non-alcoholic options will include Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits and Moody Culture Kombucha offering mocktails and other refreshing alternatives.

Featured food vendors are:

• Juana’s Venezuelan Cuisine
• Uncle John’s Jawns
• Island Noodles
• The Windy Wagon
• Naughty Nutz
• Sunset Slush Happy Valley

Attendees are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket to set up on the open grassy space of Friedman Park, which has play areas for kids. DSCID also will have yard games on hand to add to the family fun.

A donation of $10 is suggested for adults to help DSCID continue offering community events.

The festival will be fenced with entrances from South Fraser Street and West Foster Avenue. Last call for alcoholic beverages will be at 8 p.m.

Free three-hour parking validations for the Beaver, Fraser and Pugh parking garages will be available at the DSCID table during the festival.

DSCID is also seeking volunteers to help make the event a success. Community members interested in supporting the free, all-ages festival can sign up to volunteer online.