Children and Youth Day Kicks Off Arts Festival

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts kicked off on Wednesday, and for one day, younger artists got to show off and sell their creations.

The annual Children and Youth Day kickoff to the State College summer festival saw hundreds of young creators occupying booths along South Allen Street for the Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale. 

Abby Jones, Emerson Rand and Lewis Gipe were keeping plenty busy as customers lined up to check out and buy their wares. The three 9-year-olds, who will be going into fourth grade at Easterly Parkway Elementary, teamed up to get space together on the 400 block of South Allen Street.

‘It’s really cool. It’s fun to sell things that you made,’ Jones said.

Jones was selling bracelets and picture frames, partially made from recycled plastic bags. Rand offered bowls made from fabric, and Gipe had stuffed animals he sewed.

A sign named their storefront for the day ‘The Puppy, Penguin and Pygmy Anteater Booth.’

‘We were just thinking of animals we liked, and Lewis is also making dogs,’ Jones explained.

In addition to the arts and crafts being sold, there was plenty for the young and young at heart to enjoy downtown and on the Penn State campus. Youth performers from several local groups had showcases on the Allen Street Stage and the Old Main Lawn band shell, and across Old Main Lawn were fun artistic and scientific activities for kids to enjoy.

The day’s grand procession was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Old Main Lawn, where people of all ages could where or carry a variety of giant papier-mâché creatures in a walk down to South Allen Street and over to Sidney Friedman Park. Musicians from State College Area High School provide the music.

The Pat Farrell Community Sing Along caps off the day at 7:30 p.m. at State College Presbyterian Church, with all invited to take part (no matter your musical abilities) in a community singing of traditional, folk and camps songs, and maybe even some Broadway tunes.

Check out photos from Children and Youth Day in the gallery below