Hot Weather Forecast As Arts Festival Opens; See Our Live Camera Feed

Forget the sweatshirt. Bring water.

Lots and lots of water.

With an expected high of 94 degrees in State College, the 44th annual Central Pennsylvania of the Arts launched with a blazing start today.

In the most extreme heat of the day, it will feel like 103 degrees outside, according to AccuWeather.com.

But don’t expect that to derail the festival. No stranger to summer’s weather extremes, it opened with Children and Youth Day events about 9:30 a.m. A complete event schedule and other key details are available via StateCollege.com on this comprehensive festival page.

Meanwhile, views from the StateCollege.com live festival camera, trained on the 100 block of South Allen Street, are available right here. The camera will be up and running all week.

After the Children and Youth Day attractions today, the festival will swing into high gear Thursday through Sunday.

The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, featuring more than 300 artists in State College borough and on the University Park campus, will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. On Sunday, it will be open from noon to 5 p.m.

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the festival, which began as a way to boost downtown business during the slow summer season. It’s blossomed into one of the premier fine-art festivals in the eastern U.S.

And about that weather: Highs are expected to dip back into the 80s by Friday. Beyond the threat of thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, the skies should be clear and dry, AccuWeather.com forecasts show. The borough government is encouraging visitors to use the municipal building’s lobby, 243 S. Allen St., as a ‘shade station’ for shelter from the elements.

StateCollege.com will deliver thorough festival coverage, including original photography from Nathan A. Smith, throughout the week and weekend. Check back for regular updates.

Related features: Love the festival? Share your observations and festival advice through StateCollege.com’s live microblog. No log-in necessary! Or share your own snapshots with our popular online community; go to our arts-festival photo page.