In an effort to raise revenue and promote the event, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is selling festival T-shirts earlier this year.

"First, we want to alert folks that the Arts Fest is happening in July," said Philip Walz, the festival's executive director.

Walz said the T-shirts may arrive in local stores by week's end.

"We also want to recruit some revenue, but people wearing the shirts and talking about the festival has much more value," Walz said.

Last year there were a number of different T-shirts, he said. The T-shirts were put together by July, he added.

"I don't know what happened, but they sold out immediately," he said. "This year, we'll get them out sooner, maybe three months sooner, which will tell us what designs people like."

Few revenue-making practices for the costly festival exist besides the sponsors, T-shirts and the new $2 buttons that will be sold to allow entrance into restricted-access performing arts events, Walz said.

The T-shirts, on average, will cost about $12. Sweatshirts will cost about $25, he said.

Six local stores will sell the shirts:

-- Appalachian Ski and Outdoors, 324 W. College Ave.

-- Lions Pride Sportswear, 112 E. College Ave.

-- Penn State Bookstore.

-- Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave.

-- Tinderbox Gifts, 137 E. Beaver Ave.

-- University Book Centre, 206 E. College Ave.

"We've been selling the official T-shirts for a while," said Norm Brown, owner and manager of SBS. "(But) it's very true that this will be the first time that we'll sell them way before Arts Fest."

With upcoming April events such as the Blue-White game, the T-shirts will provide students and alumni visiting for the game with an early reminder of the festival, which is scheduled for July 8-12, Brown added.

Steve Long, manager of University Book Centre, said the early release is a good idea, and the sale of the shirts at his store is his way of promoting the festival.

"(Arts Fest officials) will have more control on their overall costs," Long said. "If they recover some money before it starts, it will be a big help to the Arts Festival people."

Elizabeth Wilson, merchandise supervisor at the Penn State Bookstore, said the T-shirts would provide early advertising for the festival, and may tell students to come back in July to check it out.

"It gives the Arts Fest more visibility," Wilson said.