Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — open to the University and local community:
Performances
"The Wiz" – 7 p.m., Oct. 22, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Tony Award-winning Best Musical that took the world by storm is back and coming to Happy Valley. The Wiz returns “home” to stages across America in an all-new tour, direct from Broadway.
John Mulaney – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 22, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Emmy Award-winning comedian John Mulaney will bring his highly anticipated new stand-up comedy tour, John Mulaney: Mister Whatever, to the Bryce Jordan Center.
MercyMe – 7 p.m., Oct. 24, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. MercyMe brings a night of music built for big stages and even bigger moments, with special guests Jeremy Camp, Tim Timmons and Sam Wesley.
Gravity & Other Myths: Ten Thousand Hours – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 27, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Eight acrobats and one musician investigate physical skill. Through highlighting the nuance of high-level acrobatics, audiences experience a journey of movement and discovery.
"The Wolves" – 7:30-9:30 p.m., Oct. 27-Nov. 7, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage, the professional arm of the School of Theatre in the College of Arts and Architecture, will present "The Wolves," a story about a girls’ indoor soccer team tackling the challenges of adolescence.
Bach's Lunch – 12:10-12:45 p.m., Oct. 29, 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.
"Clue" – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget. This performance, live on stage, is based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game.
"Macbeth" – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29-30, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. This production of “Macbeth” engages Shakespeare’s original practices by performing with the lights on, using a minimal set, and employing direct address so the audience becomes active participants and even scene partners. Ten audience members will be invited to sit on the stage, offering an immersive, interactive experience, directly referencing early modern theatre’s tradition. Free.
Events
Plant Powered PSU – 5-7 p.m., Oct. 22, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, downtown State College. This open house-style event will feature plant-based food samples, interactive stations and hands-on educational activities. The activities highlight the environmental, cultural and nutritional benefits of plant-forward eating. Guests are welcome to stop in at any time during the evening.
Artist Talk: PSU Faculty and Staff Artists – 1 p.m., Oct. 23, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Explore special exhibition "Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250" and hear from Penn State faculty and staff artists as they speak about their works featured in the Invitational.
PA Dignity Day event – 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Oct. 23, Pond View Lounge, Slep Student Center, Altoona campus. The day will include remarks from Pennsylvania State Rep. Andrea Verobish and Altoona Mayor Matt Pacifico. Project Unite will lead a session on the Dignity Index, a tool designed to ease divisions, prevent violence and solve problems. Registration requested.
Palmer Museum Print Club – 1-2:30 p.m., Oct. 23, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The Palmer Museum Print Club is a program devoted to the study and appreciation of the many printmaking techniques represented in the museum’s permanent collection. Members will enjoy curator-led tours and examine objects ranging from woodcuts, engravings, etchings and lithographs to other works on paper, including drawings, watercolors and photographs. Registration required.
Hard Freight Café – 7 p.m., Oct. 27, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. At this open mic event, attendees are invited to read or perform their own work or music or share a favorite piece of poetry or prose. Participants will be invited to sign up at the beginning of the program.
Yoga and Mindfulness at the Palmer – 12:30 p.m., Oct. 28, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Join Sima Farage for yoga, mindful movement and meditation at the museum. All bodies are welcome, and no experience is necessary. This program is presented through a partnership with Penn State Health Promotion & Wellness.
Trick-or-treat night – 5-6:30 p.m., Oct. 28, Sports & Recreation Field, Hazleton campus. Community members are invited to put on their costumes and come celebrate Halloween at this free event. Pre-wrapped Halloween candy and other treats will be handed out by student clubs and organizations and members of the faculty and staff. Participants can bring a bag or obtain one at the event. All ages are welcome, but children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
With These Hands: A Collaborative Poetry Experience – noon, Oct. 29, Student Union Building Lodge, Beaver campus. Erin Murphy, 2026-27 Penn State Laureate and award-winning poet and prose writer, will read from and discuss her latest books. Attendees will have the opportunity to create their own lines of poetry as part of a collaborative project.
Spooky Plants Walk – 4-5 p.m., Oct. 29, the Arboretum, University Park campus. Discover the science and history of spooky plants with Arboretum programs coordinator and plant nerd Rebecca Horwitt.
Art After Hours: Halloween Spooktacular – 5-8 p.m., Oct. 29, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Dare to get spooked at the Palmer with the Halloween Spooktacular. Bring your own MONSTERpiece to life, immortalize your visit in the Phantom PhotoBOOth and compete for prizes in the costume contest.
Schuylkill Scarecrow Festival – Oct. 1-31, southern Schuylkill County, Schuylkill campus. This family-friendly festival will transform communities across southern Schuylkill County into an outdoor gallery of imaginative scarecrow displays created primarily from repurposed, reclaimed and recycled materials. Visitors can explore the displays at their own pace through a self-guided walking and driving tour.
Lectures
Lauren Linder talk — Noon, Oct. 22, Titelman Study, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona's emerging artist-in-residence will speak. She has choreographed, performed, and taught dance in Seattle, Washington, and Iowa City, Iowa, and her choreographic work has been shown in major cities across the United States.
2026 Emily Dickinson Lecture in American Poetry – 6 p.m., Oct. 22, Foster Auditorium, University Park campus. Award-winning poet Victoria Chang will deliver the 2026 Emily Dickinson Lecture in American Poetry, which is free and open to the public. Chang has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Chowdhury International Prize in Literature, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. She is currently the Bourne Chair in Poetry at Georgia Tech and director of Poetry@Tech.
In-person exhibits
Hidenori Ishii – Through Oct. 31, HUB Gallery, University Park campus. Hidenori Ishii's practice encompasses painting, screen-printing, and installation, focusing on the complex interplay between civilization and nature. A diverse array of paintings, mixed media pieces, and installations delve into themes of reflection and transparency, as well as the connections between inside and outside spaces.
"The Magician's Daughter" – Through Nov. 6, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Ivyside Juried exhibition winner Lisa Co invites visitors to reflect on care, emotional comfort and the unseen experiences that shape our lives. Using printmaking, bookmaking and collage, Co creates layered works featuring repeated imagery, dreamlike spaces and ethereal figures. The exhibition explores themes of longing, vulnerability and the quiet acts of care that connect us to ourselves and others.
"Outside Over There" – Through Nov. 6, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Ivyside Juried exhibition winner Celine Browning presents a powerful series of blind contour drawings that explore the experience of witnessing today's rapidly unfolding news. Created using a drawing method in which the artist looks only at the subject and never at the page, the works began as a response to images of ICE raids in Minneapolis in early 2026 and have since expanded to include photographs from news sources and the artist's own documentation.
"Walk With Us" – Through Nov. 19, Multiple locations, Berks campus. A community-based art exhibition that relates the firsthand experiences of people and families impacted by incarceration and asks the viewer to consider the future of justice in Berks County.
“Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250” – Through Nov. 29, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the Palmer invited artists to submit works that address the following themes: Activating Change, Bridging the Divide, Pursuit of Happiness and A More Perfect Union. The works on view include paintings, sculpture, ceramics, mixed-media assemblages, photographs and works on paper.
“Telling Stories: Rethinking American Art at the Palmer” – Through Nov. 29, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. This installation experiments with thematic approaches to the Palmer Museum of Art’s American art collection, grouping works of various genres, styles and periods together under the themes “Follow the Money” and “American Places" and exploring multiple interpretations of individual artworks.
“Out of the Shadows: Drawings and Watercolors by American Women” – Through Dec. 6, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Brought literally and figuratively out of the shadows, these works by American women artists from the 1820s to the 1950s illuminate an often overlooked yet fundamental history of American art. The audience is invited to consider the relationships between access, medium, and gender that this exhibition brings to light.
"The Art of the Tattoo" — Through Dec. 11, Art Space, Schuylkill campus. An exhibition presented by Altered Ego Tattoos that explores tattooing as an art form and the creative relationship between artist and client.
“LIGHT” – Through Dec. 11, Ronald K. De Long Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. This group of artists examines the layered definitions of a single concept, LIGHT. Through a deliberate juxtaposition of contrasting materials and conceptual frameworks, the exhibition fosters dynamic, unexpected visual relationships.
"The Art of the Tattoo" – Through Dec. 11, Art Space, Schuylkill campus. “The Art of the Tattoo” looks beyond the finished tattoo to explore the creative process behind the work. The exhibition examines the history and evolution of tattooing, showcases the stories and artwork of clients, and highlights how different artists can approach the same idea in distinct ways.
"Kith & Kin: A Rewilding of Sound and Form" — Through Dec. 13, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. An exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Melissa Hyatt Foss traces her path from her academic and artistic training in Argentina, where she reconstructed, performed and composed with pre-Columbian instruments, to a new body of work rooted in her own memories and her relationships with what she calls "more-than-human kin." The exhibition also features a selection of ancient instruments on loan from Penn State's Matson Museum of Anthropology, which have informed and inspired Foss's practice.
“America Works: Building and Sustaining the Nation” – Through Dec. 13, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. “America Works: Building and Sustaining the Nation” traces the deep connections among work, power and nation-building in the United States. While exploring the culture and politics of working people, America Works addresses how changes in technology, law and policy, and activism on the part of workers have impacted labor dynamics throughout history.
“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.
"Recipes" – Through Jan. 8, 2027, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Working in encaustic — a process that uses molten paint made from beeswax, pigment and damar resin — artist Christine Sajecki grinds pigments harvested from her environment and incorporates recycled commercial pigments saved from years of studio practice. Her work explores ways to use waste and culinary byproducts in painting.
"Black Geographies in Circulation" – Through Feb. 26, 2027, Pattee Library, University Park campus. This exhibit highlights a selection of archival stamps and postcards from the Charles L. Blockson Collection of African-Americana and the African Diaspora that help trace the movement of African-descended people, their experiences, ideas and collective memory across geographic and cultural boundaries.
“Hybrid Zones” – Through March 4, 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.