What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — open to the University and local community:
Performances
Bach's Lunch – 12:10-12:45 p.m., April 30, Eisenhower Chapel, University Park campus. "Bach's Lunch" is a weekly concert series during the school year. These popular concerts are brief in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour. Free.
Movin' On – May 1, IM Fields, University Park campus. Movin’ On, Penn State’s student-run music festival, will feature Zara Larsson, the Dare, and That Mexican OT, as well as Slayyyter — the Student Programming Association’s (SPA) sponsored act, and the BATTLE winner. Movin’ On is an 18+ music festival for all Penn State students; entry requires a valid Penn State student ID or government-issued ID.
University Jazz Band – 2 p.m., May 3, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona's University Jazz Band will perform selections for every jazz enthusiast, from classic big band sounds to modern fusion flair. It will feature “Molten Swing” by Ernie Wilkins, “Listen” by Neil Slater, “The Jazz Police” by Gordon Goodwin, and “Portal” as performed by Snarky Puppy. Free.
Distinguished Young Women of York County – 2:30 p.m., May 17, Pullo Center, York campus. The Distinguished Young Women of York County program returns to The Pullo Center for its annual showcase of excellence, talent, and leadership. This inspiring evening spotlights high school senior girls from across the county as they compete for scholarships and recognition through a dynamic, live event that blends performance and personal achievement.
Commonwealth Concert Series: Cole Swindell with special guest Gabby Barrett – 7 p.m., May 23, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. The Commonwealth Concert Series delivers a once-in-a-generation musical experience across Pennsylvania. The five-city series highlights the Commonwealth’s rich history and cultural identity while uniting communities through live music, storytelling, and shared pride. The State College stop, “A Salute to Service and Sacrifice,” will honor the region’s deep-rooted traditions while bringing fans together for an unforgettable night of music featuring Cole Swindell with special guest Gabby Barrett and the Benny Havens Military Band.
Journey: Final Frontier Tour – 7:30 p.m., May 27, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. After decades of electrifying performances, chart-topping hits, and unforgettable moments, the iconic rock band Journey is saying goodbye with a thunderous, full-throttle “Final Frontier Tour.”
"Let Freedom Ring" – 7:30 p.m., June 28, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Morgan Koziar from First Frontier Blair County will host “Let Freedom Ring,” a musical tribute celebrating the United States' 250th birthday. “Let Freedom Ring” is presented by P&J Productions, Penn State Altoona and the city of Altoona.
Events
Earth Month events – Multiple events and locations. Penn State Sustainability and other Penn State units will host a series of events throughout April in celebration of Earth Month, offering students, faculty, staff and community members numerous opportunities to engage in sustainability through education, collaboration and action.
Campus Pride Month events – Multiple events and locations. Campuses across Penn State are offering events in recognition of Campus Pride Month this April.
Bird Walk – 8-9:30 a.m., April 30, the Arboretum, University Park campus. Drop in to the Arboretum for a guided bird-watching walk, led by avian expert Joe Gyekis. Please dress for the weather, wear shoes suitable for walking on rustic trails, and bring binoculars if you have them.
Creative Studio at the Palmer: Positive/Negative Circles – 5:30-7:30 p.m., April 30, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Cut circles, make stencils, and layer paint and paper to create expressive abstract images inspired by the work of artist Howardena Pindell and local artist, art educator, and session leader, Erin Bolger Welsh. Creative Studio sessions offer art-based creative activities designed to encourage relaxation, connection with others, and rejuvenation of spirit.
Garden & Gallery Book Club: A Bigger Picture – 6-7:30 p.m., April 30, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Join educators from the Arboretum and the Palmer Museum for the spring 2026 edition of the Garden & Gallery Book Club discussing :A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis” by Vanessa Nakate, which explores themes that resonate with the Palmer’s special exhibition “Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection.” Registration required. Free.
Senior Week 2026 – April 27-May 1, Various locations, University Park campus. Seniors can join the Penn State Alumni Association for events to celebrate and commemorate their time at Penn State. From ironing out graduation gowns to grad photos, the week will assist in preparing students for commencement and what comes next.
Planetarium shows – April 30-May 1, Allied Health Building White Box (Room 115), Mont Alto campus. Participants can explore the night sky, fly around solar system objects, and immerse themselves as they enter one of many astronomy-themed full-dome videos. Hosted by Penn State Mont Alto associate professor of physics and astronomy Kim Herrmann, evening planetarium shows will be offered to the public.
Student Farm Club Plant Sale – May 1, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tyson greenhouses, University Park campus. The Student Farm Club will host its 12th annual Plant Sale, featuring more than 100 varieties of vegetables, herbs, cut flowers, native Pennsylvania plants and succulents, with more than 10,000 seedlings available. Visitors may stop by at any time during the event to browse selections.
Twining Coasters: A weaving workshop – 5-8 p.m., May 1, Woksob Family Gallery, University Park campus. Learn to craft your own reed coasters in this workshop led by Beatrice Opokua Atencah. You'll work with water-soaked reeds, shaping and coiling them by hand into 6" round coasters that are as functional as they are beautiful. Open to all ages, no prior experience required.
Star Party at the Arboretum – May 2, 9-11 p.m., the Arboretum, University Park campus. Drop in to the Arboretum to stargaze and glimpse the waning gibbous Moon. If skies are particularly clear, the asteroid Vesta may appear at its brightest and most visible. Telescopes and astronomical expertise are provided by the Central Pennsylvania Observers.
Botanical Watercolors – May 3, 2-3:30 p.m., Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Simple techniques, vibrant results! In this meditative class suitable for beginners, we will embrace creative flow and engage with beauty as we paint simple compositions based on nature.
Adopt-a-Seedling – May 11-12, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Arboretum, University Park campus. Drop in to the Arboretum and adopt a free seedling! This plant giveaway celebrates Go Public Gardens days, the evergreen initiative by the American Public Gardens Association to get people to visit, value, and volunteer at public gardens.
Yoga in the Gardens – 6-7 p.m., Wednesdays May 13-May 27, the Arboretum, University Park campus. Join in on a serene yoga experience amidst the beauty of nature! Unwind and rejuvenate with yoga in the gardens sessions. Embrace tranquility, stretch, and find your inner peace in the heart of nature.
Family Gardening Club – 1:30-3:30 p.m., May 17, the Arboretum, University Park campus. This monthly program series will take place on Sunday afternoons from January to June. Participants will receive all the supplies necessary to grow six seasonally appropriate plant varieties from seed to harvest, including seeds, soil, and full-size containers suitable for small outdoor spaces. Registration required.
Arboretum Explorers Family Hike – 1:30-2:30 p.m., May 22, the Arboretum, University Park campus. This monthly program for children and their grown-ups, participants will explore our lesser-known spaces including the Hartley Wood and Arboretum prairie lands. The group meets at the Overlook Pavilion and proceeds to the Arboretum’s natural areas after a short program introduction. Free.
Shaver’s Creek 50th Anniversary Celebration – May 23, Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, University Park campus. Join a yearlong celebration as we honor 50 years of discovery at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center! Stop in for one of our celebration events, submit a story for our Field Guide to Alumni of Shaver’s Creek, follow along on social media, and more.
Lectures
“Antisemitism: An American Tradition” – Noon, May 1, via Zoom. Pamela Nadell will discuss her most recent book on Jewish women in colonial times. Nadell holds the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History at American University. A past president of the Association for Jewish Studies, she is a consultant to Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life museum, has testified multiple times before Congress, and lectures widely.
In-person exhibits
"Malaysian WWII Oral Histories: A Digital / Virtual Art Exhibition" – Through May 1, Freyberger Gallery, Berks campus. Created by Cheryl L. Nicholas, associate professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State Berks, the exhibition draws directly from her Malaysian WWII Oral Histories Project, which opened to a crowd of 3,000 at Perak Museum in Malaysia in 2023. Viewers will walk through a Malaysian house facade into a digital experience, where they can watch videos, listen to interviews, and experience an interactive VR environment, which includes artifacts from family collections.
Student art exhibit – Through May 1, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. Artwork created by students enrolled in the "Renaissance through Modern Times," "Perceiving the Arts," "Rhetoric and Composition" and "Crime and Detection in World Literature" courses will have their artwork on display.
“Squeeze Me In” – Through May 2, Woksob Family Gallery, downtown State College. This exhibition features artworks created by Beatrice Opokua Atencah, John M. Anderson assistant teaching professor of art in the College of Arts and Architecture’s School of Visual Arts. The exhibition explores how identity is rediscovered and transformed through clothing by combining craft processes — dyeing, sewing and beading — with spatial considerations and the complex history of corsetry as frameworks for examining acceptance and belonging.
“Unmuting the Noise” – Through May 7, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Visual Arts Studies student Makenzie Kunkle inspired by the feelings and emotions that surface from music. A reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, in the Center’s Titelman Study.
“The Warning” – Through May 7, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Visual Arts Studies student Talon McKendree exploring the dangers of advanced technologies, such as social media and artificial intelligence through visual metaphors and bright colors. A reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, in the Center’s Titelman Study.
"Dancing on Strings" – Through May 8, Zoller Gallery, School of Visual Arts, University Park campus. "Dancing on Strings" explores rhythm as a visual language of identity. Rooted in his Ghanaian heritage and shaped by his experience as an immigrant, Robert Botchway translates patterns of sound, memory, and movement into ceramic form. The exhibition reflects on the gap between visibility and understanding: what it means to be seen, yet not fully known.
"Carrying the Unseen - Portraits of the Invisible Burdens"– Through May 8, Zoller Gallery, School of Visual Arts, University Park campus. Adwar Oguttuh presents large-scale portraits of composure under strain. In many works, weighted forms emerge from the body, forcing invisible pressures into view. In others, disruption occurs through fragmentation, erasure, and mark-making. These works make burden unavoidable, turning the portrait into a site where what is usually hidden can no longer stay contained
"Like It Is" – Through May 9, Ronald K. DeLong Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. This exhibit features the work of abstract artist Femi J. Johnson. Johnson was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania. His early talent in graphite and charcoal led to a professional career as a master draftsman and designer for companies in Pennsylvania and New York before he returned his focus to fine art.
"Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection" – Through May 10, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition presents 40 works of sculpture, painting, ceramics, printmaking and photography by 22 living artists who have lived and worked on the African continent or in the diaspora.
"Playing Favorites: Highlights from the Special Collections Library" – Through May 13, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. For this endeavor, those who teach, catalog, research, acquire, curate and describe rare book and archival materials were invited to choose one or two items to share with a wider audience — in hopes that visitors will be enraptured with the eclectic results.
"Refugee" – Through June 5, Woskob Family Gallery, 146 S. Allen St., Downtown State College. An exhibition of large-scale paintings created by School of Visual Arts alumnus Michael Fratangelo.
“Sweet Solidarity: Portraits of Learning and Liberation” – Through June 8, Exhibition Cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Jasmine Cho’s work intertwines activism, artistry, and culinary creativity to explore the intricate relationship between food, cultural identity, and community care. Through the unique medium of pastry art, she invites visitors to reflect on how our shared experiences and culinary traditions can nourish not just the body, but also the spirit of solidarity among diverse communities.
Center for Arts and Crafts Artist and Instructor Exhibition – Through June 8, Exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The exhibition features artwork by instructors and students from Penn State’s Center for Arts and Crafts, representing a range of classes and workshops. The annual exhibition highlights a variety of craft materials and techniques and reflects the ways artists learn from and influence one another.
“Expanding the Collection: Recent Acquisitions” – Through June 14, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Reflecting the nearly encyclopedic nature of the Palmer’s permanent collection, new acquisitions represent a wide range of cultures, time periods, and artistic approaches. In this exhibition, a wide range of artistic pieces cover the continued relevance of art throughout history and into today. The exhibit also offers insight into how works of art enter the museum’s holdings. All collecting is guided by the museum’s Collections Plan, which defines the scope of the collection, identifies areas for growth, and establishes priorities to ensure that each acquisition contributes meaningfully to the museum’s mission and long-term vision.
“Puss an dawg nuh have di same luck” – Through July 19, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Krystle Lemonias’s multifaceted art practice explores the intersections of labor, identity, and social justice, providing a powerful commentary on the experiences of Black immigrants and the complexities of working-class life. Her work not only highlights the often-overlooked contributions of these individuals to society but also challenges the stereotypes associated with their roles in the workforce.
“Through Different Eyes: Industrial Worlds by Women Artists” – Through December, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, University Park campus. This exhibit explores the lives of women artists in 20th-century industrial Pennsylvania through their artwork and premiers the curatorial work of undergraduate students Alexis Woodring, a public relations major, and Gabriella Heidorn, an art history major with a minor in French and Francophone studies, who both have special interests in American art.
“Hybrid Zones” – Through March 8, 2027, HUB Gallery, University Park campus. “Hybrid Zones” is an immersive exploration of the post-industrial landscape of Eastern Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region. Through drawing, photography, and video installation, the artists trace the environmental and psychological imprint of centuries of resource extraction. In this powerful new body of work, Rachel Bacon and Meredith Davenport confront the entanglement of human and nonhuman systems, reflecting on how deeply industrial history is inscribed into the land—and into us.
"The Way I Saw It: A Photography Retrospective" – Through Aug. 1, 2027, Penn State All-Sports Museum, University Park campus. “The Way I Saw It” celebrates the work of Penn State alumnus Pat Little, who started out with the Daily Collegian and spent over three decades as a photojournalist with the Centre Daily Times, Associated Press and Reuters. Starting from a million photo negatives then narrowed down to a set of 5,000 photographs, the exhibit presents a final curated collection of 100 unique and powerful images of Penn State athletes, coaches, venues and fans, shot by Little between 1977 and 2005.
Virtual exhibits and online resources
In addition to in-person events, a number of virtual exhibits and online resources are available through University departments. The Palmer Museum of Art and Penn State University Libraries offer a rotating selection of historical and artistic collections to view via their websites, as well as other online resources.