Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — open to the University and local community:
Performances
Alabama: Live in Concert – 7 p.m., Oct. 9, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. The iconic Country Music Hall of Fame group Alabama will visit Bryce Jordan Center, supported by The Oak Ridge Boys.
“Weird Al” Yankovic – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 11, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Weird Al brings his legendary full-production multimedia comedy rock show back to the concert stage with the "Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour,” playing his iconic hits and fan favorites. Al’s long-time band is joined by four additional players to create a super-sized concert experience.
Hamlet – 7 p.m., Oct. 13, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. A cast of actors with Down syndrome and learning disabilities share their desires and frustrations through portrayals of the characters in Hamlet. Teatro La Plaza, a theater and creative space based in Peru, will explore what the work means for those who are often disregarded.
Andrew Neu Big Band – 7 p.m., Oct. 14, Sutherland Auditorium, Abington campus. Comprised of some of the most exciting musicians on the East Coast, the band's shows are inspired by big band jazz from the 1960s and 1970s. Neu, a Billboard-charting recording artist, has toured the world with Smokey Robinson, Bobby Caldwell and Diane Schuur.
Bach's Lunch – 12:10-12:45 p.m., Oct. 15, 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.
"Sister Act" – Multiple performances, Oct. 6-17, James P. and AJ Jimirro Playhouse 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 "Sister Act," the tale of a nightclub singer who turns a convent's lackluster nun choir into a glitzy performing ensemble.
Events
National Hispanic Heritage Month events – Multiple dates and locations throughout September and October. From mid-September through the end of October, Penn State units at campuses across the commonwealth will hold events in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as a time to honor and celebrate the historic background, culture, heritage and many influences of the Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the years. The unifying theme for this year’s observances is "La unidad es nuestra fuerza" — “Unity Is Our Strength."
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.
Brown Democracy Medal ceremony and lecture – 4 p.m., Oct. 8, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park campus. Trusting News executive director Joy Mayer and project manager Mollie Muchna will accept the Brown Democracy Medal from Penn State's McCourtney Institute for Democracy and present a lecture from their forthcoming book, “The Transparency Imperative: Journalism, Trust, and the Future of an Informed Democracy."
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Dollywood - Where Southern Charm Meets the Table – Oct. 8, Café Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Fall Festival – 5:30-8 p.m., Oct. 8, Soccer Field, Scranton campus. Designed to celebrate the autumn season and bring the campus and local community together, the festival will feature a variety of family-friendly activities and attractions, including live music, fall-themed games, a petting zoo, a fall foliage walk and a photo station. Attendees also can enjoy complimentary local apple cider, a s’mores station and food available for purchase from local food truck vendors.
Commonwealth Sustainability Week – Oct. 5-9, Multiple events, Virtual. Penn State Sustainability and the Pennsylvania GreenGov Council invite the public to participate in engaging conversations around the future of sustainability in Pennsylvania and innovative initiatives that are building a more resilient commonwealth for all.
Arboretum Explorers Family Hike – 10:30 a.m.-noon, Oct. 9, the Arboretum at Penn State, University Park campus. Join childhood educators from the Arboretum for a guided exploration of the Arboretum’s wild areas. The walk will depart from the Overlook Pavilion and proceed to Hartley Wood. Registration is required.
Drop-in Tour at the Palmer: Indigenous Peoples’ Day – 2 p.m., Oct. 11, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. Each tour explores a theme, lasts about one hour, and includes close-looking through discussion and experiential learning opportunities.
The Joyfull: Feast Edition – 6 p.m., Oct. 12, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. "The Joyfull: Feast Edition" program will celebrate the rich history and contributions of indigenous arts and culture. It will feature a catered buffet and an intimate performance by Dakota Sioux rapper Stuart James.
Nature Sketching – 10-11:30 a.m., Oct. 13, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. This art class for adults explores a variety of art materials and techniques as we connect art and nature. All experience levels are welcome, from beginner to professional. Free.
Yoga and Mindfulness at the Palmer – 12:30 p.m., Oct. 14, 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.
Penn State Schuylkill Volleyball Community Night – 6 p.m., Oct. 14, Health and Wellness Building, Schuylkill Campus. This annual event features an evening of volleyball, activities and opportunities for fans to connect with the Nittany Lionsahead of the 7 p.m. match, when Penn State Schuylkill takes on Penn State Scranton. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: An Evening in Tuscany: A Night Under The Tuscan Lights – Oct. 15, Café Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Palmer Museum Creative Encounters – Oct. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Centered on mindful creativity and relaxation, these gallery sessions invite participants to explore works of art through sketching, journaling and reflective observation. Connect with fellow creative thinkers, discover new ways to engage with art and develop everyday creative practices that prioritize process over product.
Lectures
Artist Talk: Ryan RedCorn – 5:30 p.m., Oct. 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Ryan RedCorn is an Osage photographer, filmmaker, graphic designer, and comedian. He was a writer/story editor and actor on FX’s critically acclaimed Reservation Dogs, and his photographic work is represented in the Palmer Museum’s permanent collection. RedCorn's work translates his experiences with education and family lineage into art, including ongoing work on a feature documentary on the history of his Osage people.
"Local food prices, SNAP purchasing power, and food insecurity" – Noon, Oct. 14, 157 Hosler Building, University Park campus. Luyi Han, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State, will present as part of a fall seminar series hosted by the Initiative for Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy (EEEPI).
In-person exhibits
"The Art of the Tattoo" – Oct. 13-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.
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" – Oct. 1-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" – Oct. 1-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.
“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.
“America Works: Building and Sustaining the Nation” – Sept. 16 to 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.