Artists from all over the United States did not waste any time promoting their artwork Thursday morning as Allen and Fraser streets were overran by eager buyers by the official opening at 10 a.m. Walking down Allen street this morning, the aroma of delicious carnival food and the sound of children laughter created a welcoming environment in downtown State College.

With scorching temperatures reaching into the mid-nineties, it seemed Arts Fest 2010 would have to battle the heat.  However, with freshly squeezed lemonade at every corner, mist stations and the water buckets on Allen Street, The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts managed to keep cool.

Fortunately, the art was unaffected by the heat. Talk about a variety! There is everything to see from professional jewelry to homemade music instruments to children finger paintings.  The pottery, especially, caught my eye.  With a variety of practical and decorative ceramics, even the most novice potter can appreciate the well-thrown, well-sculpted clay.

What is an art show, though, without any paintings?  Some of the paintings throughout campus and town absolutely floored me with the talent and creativity, but an oil painting of Mount Nittany is what I remember most. Jennifer Kane from nearby Boalsburg, Pa. specializes in oil-painted landscapes, and she depicted Mount Nittany to the “T.”

There were many other artists local to the State College area and many more from the state of Pennsylvania. Various other artists came from the surrounding states such as New Jersey and Ohio, but people came from nationwide.  There was a sculptor from Sarasota, Fla., a photographer from Chicago, and a food artist from Austin, Texas.

The festivities of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will continue until Sunday evening concluding with a live performance by the State High Swing Club with Kathy DiMuccio, butthere will be multiple other performances between now and then.

For now, everyone will have their fingers crossed that the thunderstorms will hold off for Friday and Saturday, but the break in the heat will be welcoming for most (except maybe the lemonade vendors).  No matter what the weather, get downtown and check out the fantastic art or at the very least, grab yourself a corn dog and a snow cone and enjoy the beautiful weekend!