Arts Fest 2019 is well underway in Happy Valley, and so is all the fun that comes along with it.
Mother Nature is cooperating very nicely with the event this year. State College has been and, according to current forecasts, will be soaked in sunshine and temperatures in the low-to-mid 80s all weekend. Parts of Fraser and Allen Street have been temporarily converted into art galleries and a mini-carnival for the best weekend of the summer in Happy Valley.
Penn State seriously couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather for this Arts Fest weekend. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Brian Delozier of Reading, Pennsylvania discovered his passion for art on a trip to Hawaii he took a few years after being paralyzed in a skiing accident. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Rochester, New York native Chris Charles’ energetic graphic designs were one of the many displays featured on Fraser Street. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Deborah Diana hopes her paintings of birds can inspire people to “preserve nature’s wonders” and take better care of the Earth. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)David FitzSimmons is an animal photographer from Mansfield, Ohio. He’s taken pictures of more than 1,000 animals in his lifetime and has turned some of his work into children’s books. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)From seahorses to baby rabbits, FitzSimmons does it all… (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)… and yes, FitzSimmons has taken photos of some Very Good Boys. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)David Benyosef is from Somerville, Massachusetts and brought his glass work all the way to Happy Valley for Arts Fest. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Sharon London’s display was entirely comprised of fiber art knitwear that was created in the Hudson Valley of New York. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)London proudly shows off two of her dresses that feature custom paint-jobs. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Rick Lowe’s display on Fraser Street features huge, beautiful sculptures that would look good on any wall. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Some of Lowe’s work is truly too large to fit in one shot — him managing to get these larger-than-life works of art all the way up to Happy Valley is definitely impressive. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Barto, Pennsylvania’s own William Alburger creates very interesting sculptures and mirror frames with wood. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)There was also some space out by Allen Street for chalk artists to showcase their work on the street. One anonymous artist reminded us which country’s the only one to put a man on the moon. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)From shocked Pikachu to a pretty sunflower, all kinds of designs made the cut. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Somebody even made a chalk drawing of Beaver Stadium! (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Back to the displays, Greg Stones shows us just how relatable Penguins are with one of his illustrations. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)I feel your pain, Zombie. I hate when balloons rip my arm off. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Believe it or not, this is one of Tomas Savrda’s less creepy works of art. The four figures in the background sway back and forth. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)There’s been live music by Champs on Allen Street throughout the weekend. Here, Zak Sobel jams out as part of his 1:30 p.m. set on Saturday. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Some of those in attendance might need to cool off because of the hot temperatures. Thankfully, Arts Fest has us covered. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)There’s even buckets of water pouring down to keep the kiddos entertained with some water fun. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)Nothing beats a cloudless July sky and temperatures in the 80s during Arts Fest, huh. (Photo: Mikey Mandarino | Onward State)
In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: [email protected]
