About 100,000 visitors will descend upon State College today for the rain-or-shine start of the 39th annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
State College Police Sgt. Mark Argiro said plain-clothes and uniformed officer patrols would increase to levels usually seen on home football weekends between now and Sunday. He added that mounted state police patrols would also be monitoring the Arts Festival crowds.
One security measure that will not be in effect this weekend is live monitoring of the Beaver Canyon cameras, which was scheduled to begin July 1.
State College Police Chief Tom King said in a previous interview that he hoped to have live monitoring by this weekend; however, Argiro said yesterday that because one camera has not been moved to its new location on Calder Way, they will not be recording for the festival.
"With the number of officers, auxiliary police, plain-clothes officers... I don't think it will affect us," Argiro said.
King was unavailable for comment yesterday.
The borough proposed the cameras in 2003, partly in response to riots that occurred during the 1998 and 2000 Arts Festivals.
Getting around downtown and finding a place to park may be difficult for visitors and residents alike.
State College Parking Office Manager Karen Martin said some streets, including Foster, Fairmont and Prospect avenues, are reserved until Sunday for vendor parking, accessible only with an Arts Festival permit.
The borough-wide 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. parking restriction has also been lifted for all residents, she said; however, the permit-only streets would remain restricted 24 hours a day until Sunday, she said.
Eric Brooks, borough public works operations manager, said streets would reopen starting Sunday as vendors close their stands. Allen Street will open last, at about 7 p.m. Monday.
Festival visitors are encouraged to park for $5 at the Jordan East parking lot, near the Bryce Jordan Center, said Missy Schoonover, Arts Festival development director. A free shuttle will travel from the parking area to Allen Street and Beaver Avenue every 10 minutes through the weekend.
Some 325 artists are attending this year's festival to sell their work, including Susan Levi-Goerlich of the Stitched Impressions exhibit.
Levi-Goerlich, who said she has been selling at Arts Festival for about seven years, added that most of her business comes from events similar to the festival.
"It's one that I continue to come back to, and that's a good sign that it's profitable for artists," Levi-Goerlich said.
Schoonover said the festival keeps no record of artists' profits, but to become a vendor, artists must apply and pay a $25 application fee. She said a "jury" selects the 325 participants from the application pool.
Once selected, each vendor pays the festival $375 to participate, she said. The festival costs $700,000 to operate each year, raised through the vendor fees as well as corporate and private donations.
Schoonover said that as a new feature this year, live performances and themed entertainment will occur -- including Thursday's bluegrass night and Friday's Celtic night, which each feature multiple live acts.
Both events will be held at Memorial Field Stage, located at the State College Area High School football field -- next to Central Parklet -- on the 200 block of South Fraser Street.
Arts Festival will continue until Sunday, rain or shine, Schoonover said. However, lightning storms could prevent musical acts from performing.
Accuweather meteorologist Henry Margusity said tomorrow is expected to be warm and humid, with a high of 80 degrees and only a 40 percent chance that the remnants of Hurricane Dennis would bring thunderstorms to the area this afternoon.
--Staff writer Claudia Vargas contributed to this report
