The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, more commonly referred to as “Arts Fest,” took over State College this past weekend as over 300 vendors and thousands of students, locals, and visitors gathered in Happy Valley to celebrate. The festival returned for the second year in a row after taking the previous two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our photographers were in State College to capture the splashes of color and vibrancy that adorned the streets of campus and downtown. Let’s take a look at some photos from the weekend.

As always, welcoming, lively banners hung above Allen Street, guiding visitors through the heart of the festival.

Visitors cooled off from the summer heat in a mist tunnel in the active block between Beaver and College Avenues.

If the mist tunnel wasn’t cutting it to cool off, folks could opt for the more direct option: a bucket of water dumped right on your head.

Allen Street also had a wide array of musical performers who entertained the crowd all weekend long, including local favorites Caledonia and Louise Page.

Vendors all along the streets of State College proudly displayed their precious and impressive artwork to be sold throughout the five-day event.

Adults and children alike put their chalk talent to the test to decorate “Little Art Alley” on S. Allen St. throughout the weekend. Rain and afternoon thunderstorms provided a blank canvas for chalk artists to decorate the street over the course of the Arts Fest festivities.

Arts Fest isn’t exclusive to downtown, and vendors lined the streets and malls of Penn State’s campus as well.

Some furry friends even stopped by to join in the fun, too.

While it may be over, Arts Fest 2023 certainly made Happy Valley even more colorful!