Before getting into more lighthearted State College news below, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the weight of the events surrounding last week’s thwarted State High shooting plot. While this kind of event is difficult to imagine in any community, we’re grateful to the State College Area School District for their care-filled and attentive response, providing transparent communication, resources, and support for students and families. We are additionally encouraged to see the SCASD administration working hand in hand with the State College Police Department and Penn State University to provide enhanced safety measures for students, faculty, and staff across our district.

In addition to roller coaster spring temps, colorful crocuses and daffodils popping up everywhere, and those first weekend afternoons getting our gardens ready for the upcoming season, here’s what’s been going on lately!

Photo credit: Penn State Bellisario College of Communications

Almost two decades of powwow in State College

Each year, Native participants travel hundreds, even thousands, of miles to State College to join in on what has come to be known as one of the finest powwows in or outside of Indian Country. This year, the 19th annual Penn State Powwow was held in late March and brought together American Indian dancers and Native Drum Groups from American Indian reservations and communities across the United States and Canada.

The free event, which has the atmosphere of a big family reunion, where people of all ages come to socialize, dance, and eat traditional foods, brings communities together in a two-day long cultural celebration. As one of the few Native cultural events that non-Natives can be a part of – and one that typically draws more than 6,000 visitors each year! – we’re lucky to have this unique opportunity to experience Native culture right here in State College.

A dance performance from 2024’s Multicultural Children’s Festival, photo Penn State Outreach

A local celebration of international cultures

Thanks to a collaboration between WPSU and SCASD, hundreds of kids and their families gathered at State High last month to learn about traditional dance, art, music, and food from around the world. The Multicultural Children’s Festival, a free event now in its fourth year, also brought something new to the table this time around – rather than the array of food trucks available in previous years, students from the State High Culinary Arts program were responsible for preparing the menu of international foods for sale.

Cirque du Soleil’s insect-inspired Ovo wowed during three performances at the Bryce Jordan Center in March.

Cirque had us stunned!

One question: If you saw Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo at the Bryce Jordan Center last month, is your mouth still hanging open in amazement at the physical feats the performers were able to achieve? Us too.

The insect-inspired, family-friendly performance was breathtaking, colorful, and creative and we left feeling completely inspired (if not slightly less than gifted in the flexibility department!)

It’s not every night you get to witness a contortionist dressed as a spider supporting her entire body weight by biting onto a mouth grip while sitting on her own head…?!

Ovo’s White Spider performs the Marinelli Bend, one of the most difficult contortion positions, photo Cirque du Soleil

And summer is for the locals. (It’s a townie takeover!)

The energy and vibrancy that Penn State students bring to our town during the school year is undeniable – and a welcome feature of living in a college town! But summer? That’s for the locals.

This year, for the first time, Rediscover State College is teaming up with student hotspot Champs Downtown to host an event that’ll both kick off summer (a season which, lucky us, starts post-graduation in May!) and provide a fun meet-and-greet opportunity for anyone who’s new to town or looking to plug into the community in a deeper way.

So, townies old and new! Save the date for Friday, May 16 from 4-7pm! With the students gone, the lines will be nonexistent and we’ll take over Champs to hang out and enjoy some food and drink specials, meet new people, and cheers to the chill vibes of State College summer that we love so much. More details coming soon!

Oh! And did you catch these?

We recently published a blog post about where to find free social dance lessonsin State College and this post was one of our Instagram community’s favorites in March!

For more of-the-moment updates from Rediscover State College, join us on Instagram.