Bernie Keisling is hosting a party, and all of State College is invited.
Keisling is the executive director of the Central Pa 4th Fest – a daylong Independence Day celebration on the Penn State campus that combines music, food, games entertainment and (of course) fireworks.
“It’s a big, family-oriented, all-day birthday party, and we’re inviting 80,000 of our closest friends,” Keisling says with a big, excited smile.
4th Fest is perhaps best known for the fireworks show that will begin at 9:15 Saturday evening. Featuring roughly 12,000 shells over 45 minutes intricately choreographed to music, the dancing skyward explosions are sure to dazzle and delight.
And, with a sly glint in his eye, Keisling suggests there may be more to the show than just fireworks and music for the first time ever. He’s not confirming or denying anything, but he’s especially not confirming or denying the use of lasers.
But Keisling says there’s so much more to the festival than just the fireworks show – even if it has been rated in the top five shows in the United States.
“This year we have a big name entertainer coming in for the first time: Nashville country singer Craig Morgan,” Keisling says.
Every year, people can pay $25 to get into the VIP section of the viewing area for the fireworks to be up close to the action. For the first time, that same $25 will also get you in the audience for Craig Morgan’s concert on a special stage inside the VIP section starting at 7:30 p.m.
Outside of admission to the VIP viewing section, admittance to the festival and all of the other performances are completely free. And if you’re not a fan of Craig Morgan’s country stylings, Kesiling promises “three stages of non-stop entertainment.”
Want to listen to some of State College’s favorite local bands? Take your pick! Tommy Wareham and the Intrigues, Jackie Brown and the Gill Street Band, the Tommy Roberts and more will be making appearances.
Would you want to take in some bluegrass, metal, Christian rock, folk, big band or country? The 4th Fest will have all of that too. There will even be an Irish river dancing performance, a death-defying BMX display and a magic show.
There are also two other annual events that help make 4th Fest the place to be for Independence Day. The festival kicks off at 9 in the morning with the popular Firecracker 4k Race – a patriotic trek through campus, open to absolutely anyone of any age to run or walk at whatever speed they want.
Keisling is also fond of the Parade of Heroes, which departs from the State College Municipal Building at 2 Saturday afternoon. There will be everything from floats to horses to fire trucks to rollerbladers – but that’s not what makes the parade so great.
“All year we encourage everyone to nominate people who have made a positive difference in their lives,” Keisling says. “This is a way to celebrate the heroes in our community.”
You might think that a Fourth of July celebration would end with the fireworks, and most of the time you’d probably be right – but not when it comes to 4th Fest.
Once the last firework sounds, instead of getting in your car and fighting traffic, you can stick around to take in Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band of Altoona leading everyone in one final dance.
“On every level, this is just a really fun event,” Keisling says.
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