For the first time since 2019, the Happy Valley Music Fest will return to State College on Sunday, September 3, at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will headline the festival, along with performances from Vanessa Collier, the Chris Bell Band, Donny Burns and the 3rd Degree, and Sidewinder.

The Grammy Award-winning headliners, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, received the highest designation in the music industry in 2023 for the Best American Roots Performance. The New Orleans group was formed in 1977 and dabbles in traditional jazz, funk, R&B, and soul.

“We are thrilled to get the Happy Valley Music Fest back on line this Labor Day weekend, and we are excited to have such an amazing facility in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park,” Happy Valley Music Fest Director of Operations Todd Wagner said in a release. “With the support of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and other great partners, we are looking forward to bringing the music back to the Happy Valley Music Fest with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and several more tremendous acts.” 

Collier is an award-winning saxophonist and boasts six albums on streaming services dating back to 2014. The Chris Bell Band, Donny Burns and the 3rd Degree, and Sidewinder are all based in Central Pennsylvania.

Tickets to the festival will run folks $20, and they can be purchased online ahead of the event. Children under the age of 12, meanwhile, can enter for free.

“We cannot wait to welcome our neighbors to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to see The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and celebrate Labor Day weekend with us at the Happy Valley Music Fest,” State College Spikes President and General Manager Scott Walker said. “It’s a thrill to be able to bring this Happy Valley tradition into the ballpark, and we can’t wait to put on a tremendous show!”