In big cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York, the "First Friday" of each month is dedicated to showcasing the cultural, intellectual and entertainment talent in the community.

State College decided to take a shot at this community phenomenon with a slight twist.

"After the new public library was finished, the library board, the Friends of Schlow, wanted to find a way to use the new facilities downtown. After talking with a wide group of venues and receiving their consensus, we decided to begin the tradition of monthly First Thursdays," Katie O'Toole, First Thursday coordinator, said.

The Thursdays was a decision based on the fact that Downtown State College is already open late on the weekends, she said.

This monthly event will provide venues for seminars, exhibits, performances, debates and community involvement for State College and the Centre Region.

"The big cities' First Fridays gave us inspiration for this project. But we modeled our event after the monthly event in Doylestown, which is a smaller community similar to State College. Like Doylestown, we have created a Web site to inform the community about the venues for each First Thursday," O'Toole said.

The kick-off First Thursday begins today at noon and lasts until 9 p.m.

It will take place at venues throughout the downtown and Penn State campus including the Palmer Museum, Pattee and Paterno Libraries, the Downtown Theatre, Schlow Centre County Region Library, the Artisan's Connection and Creative Oasis.

O'Toole said special sandwich boards have been made for this event, advertising the specific venues for the night.

"When we thought of the idea, we brainstormed a list of the venues that we thought would be great places for First Thursday.

As the event grew, more venues have been asking to be added and it is hoped that other venues including theaters, art galleries, coffee shops, museums and businesses will join the effort to make downtown State College the place to be on the first Thursday of each month," O'Toole said.

The day's activities include an artist reception, featuring potter Grace Pilato, a display of Spanish and French oil paintings and the Arthur Goldstein Jazz Quartet.

Today also marks the opening of a new art exhibit at the Palmer Museum. Penn State music group Essence of Joy will perform to celebrate the opening of Family Legacies: The Art of Betye, Lezley and Allison Saar.

The Paterno Library will be showcasing a rare copy of the Emancipation Proclamation as a part of remembering the historical background of the U.S.

O'Toole said this event is perfect for all ages, although some events may not appeal to very young children.

Therefore, the Schlow Library will be holding a contest for the month of February.

Anyone who goes to the children's library dressed as a storybook character will become eligible to a win a basket of classic children's books.

As the event grows, O'Toole hopes that special age-appropriate activities will be designed specifically for children who want to participate.

First Thursday is free of charge to everyone. The parking in much of State College on Thursday evening will be free, including the meters and the Beaver, Allen and Fraser Street parking lots.

"It will be a great event for everyone. Allen Street will be closed, and everyone will be walking around.

"We made sure to make the first event in February because most students aren't around in January. We're hoping for many students along with the residents to participate in order to hopefully capture community," O'Toole said.