It may not be the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and there may not be masks or parades involved, but Mardi Gras is coming to State College.

The Pennsylvania Dance Theatre will hold its largest social fundraiser of the year, "Mardi Gras Evening on Bourbon Street," at 7 p.m. Saturday at Brookline Village, 1930 Cliffside Dr. The event marks the State College performing group's fifth annual be benefit auction.

Auctiongoers will be able to bid on such items as weekend getaways for two, fashion clothing, gift certificates, family resort vacations and furniture. The item sales will benefit PDT programs.

PDT Director LaRue Allen said the evening's festivities will begin with a silent auction, during which champagne and hors d'oeuvres will be served. At, 8:30 p.m., a live auction using PDT dancers to display the various items will begin, she said.

The auction will be held in the Brookline Village's Windsong Dining Room, said Lori Pacchioli, public relations director for the Village.

Pacchioli said the dining room has "a very elegant, open setting, which lends itself very well as a backdrop for the festive Mardi Gras event." She added that if weather permits the event could be moved out onto the dining room's adjoining terrace.

Although PDT dancers will not perform at the auction, entertainment will be provided by the Deacons of Dixieland, a sextet that volunteered for the event.

Allen said the auction has brought PDT in as much as $10,000 in past years. This year about 125 guests are expected, she said. Ticket sales pay for the event's costs.

Pacchioli said holding the auction at Brookline was suggested by PDT Board of Trustees President Susan Seidler during a conversation about possible performances for Village residents.

The Brookline Village is a community offering three levels of adult care: independent apartment living, personal care and skilled nursing. Residents of the Village were invited to attend the event, Pacchioli said.

"They're looking forward to taking part in the auction and the whole Mardi Gras festivity there," Pacchioli said. "We have at least a dozen people who are helping to coordinate, and we're very pleased that we can offer something for their event, both Tickets for the auction are $15 and available at the Pennsylvania Dance Theatre.