Free Holiday Season Parking Returning in Downtown State College

Downtown State College will once again offer free parking options this holiday season, starting before Thanksgiving and continuing until after New Year’s.

From Nov. 24 to Dec. 21, the grace period for free parking in garages will increase from 30 minutes to two hours with no validation required. Courtesy cards also will be issued to forgive up to three meter violations at street meters and municipal surface lots.

Street meter and lot parking will be free after 5 p.m. daily. during that period.

Beginning Dec. 22 and continuing to Jan. 4, garage, meter and lot parking will be free at all times.

State College Borough Council approved the annual holiday parking program in partnership with the Downtown State College Improvement District at its Oct. 22 meeting.

In 2024, the extended grace period in garages from before Thanksgiving to before Christmas was utilized about 8,000 times, which had a maximum revenue value of $16,000, according to a policy briefing summary from borough parking director Tom Brown and parking operations supervisor Matthew Pieper.

“The exact cost impact of this program has not been able to be calculated in full as it impacts on the Parking Fund, however, it is supported by our department,” Brown and Pieper wrote. “The Borough has historically considered this program as part of its ongoing financial support of DSCID.

In previous years, the borough has estimated the planned budget impact of the program as being between $50,000 and $76,000 across the parking and general funds.

State College annually supports the program to help encourage patronage of downtown businesses and planned events during the holiday season.

“Our district’s businesses believe this is the most valuable service we provide each year,” DSCID executive director Lee Anne Jeffries wrote in her request to the borough for the 2025 holiday parking program.