In the summer of 1993, a small group volunteers organized a festival with about 50 vendors, four food stands and a few bands.
Starting today, the People’s Choice Festival celebrates its 25th year with a four-day event on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg. It’s a festival that now attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.
The festival offers another option at the same time as the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in downtown State College and the two combine to create a pair of big summertime events in the Centre Region. The two festivals, along Philipsburg’s Heritage Days which runs through Sunday, make Centre County a premier destination for families and festival fans every mid-July.
People’s Choice has carved its own place as a prime attraction, building on its roots of being an affordable and family-friendly festival.
‘I think there were about 60 artists that first year,’ festival co-director John Madison says in the Centre County Gazette’s People’s Choice Festival guide. ‘They were all along the military museum entrance road, with about four food vendors over by the monuments. We had one little stage. It was a hay wagon. Someone made us a yellow, red and blue canvas backdrop and a little roof. That was it, a hay wagon.’
Now the festival stretches over acres on the museum grounds and this year’s edition has nearly 200 artists, more than 40 entertainment acts, 26 food booths and 14 specialty food vendors. And that hay wagon has been replaced by two large entertainment tents that accommodate hundreds of spectators.
There’s also kids activities, a petting zoo and a bounce house, along with lots of open spaces.
All artists, entertainers and food vendors are from Pennsylvania.
People’s Choice is free to attend, with local artists, food vendors, music and kids activities going on each day of the festival, which is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday.
A wide range of creations by local artists will be on display and for sale each day. For a full list of styles, artists, and where to find them at the festival, click here. The festival says all art offerings are selected based on quality and affordability.
When it comes to music and other entertainment, anyone will be bound to find something that appeals to their tastes. Blues, country, rock, jazz, big band and classical are among the choices and many popular local bands such as Velveeta, JR Mangan Band, Pure Cane Sugar, Chris Rattie, Jay Vonada, Jackie Brown and the Gill Street Band and many more perform during the festival. The full schedule of live music for each day can be found here.
There are plenty of kids activities as well throughout the weekend. In addition to the bounce house and petting zoo, families can find the always growing Kids Science Museum, face painting, a huge variety of crafts and other activities and Character Day on Saturday. Check out the schedule for kids activities here.
With more than two dozen food vendors, visitors can get breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert with options to spare. Crab cakes, pierogies, sausage, gyros, pizza, barbecue, cajun, ice cream, shaved ice, and more are on the menu. A specialty food tent features showcases a wide range of locally-made edibles. A list of food vendors can be found here.
Seven Pennsylvania wineries, including local producers Seven Mountains, Happy Valley Vineyard, Mount Nittany Vineyard, and University wine company will offer tastings and bottles for sale.
Check out the Centre County Gazette’s Official Guide to the People’s Choice Festival for more on this year’s happenings.
