Arts and Entertainment Events Drew Nearly 900K Visitors, $181M in Spending to Centre County in 2023, Study Finds

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on March 18, 2023 at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center. Photo by Sophie Yadzinski | Onward State

Arts and entertainment are big business in Centre County, according to a new study, and local tourism officials are looking to grow their economic impact further.

Arts and cultural venues, festivals and events drew to 897,000 unique visitors in 2023, according to the study commissioned by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA). Venues such as the Bryce Jordan Center, Eisenhower Auditorium, The State Theatre and others accounted for 722,000 visitors, while events and festivals such as the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, People’s Choice Festival and Philipsburg Heritage Days brought in 175,000.

“This report demonstrates that there is a vibrant art, entertainment and cultural scene here in Centre County,” HVAB President and CEO Fritz Smith said in a statement. “Because of the strong and nationally renowned reputation that Happy Valley has as a sports destination, the jewels that we have in the arts and cultural scene sometimes get overlooked. But anyone who has been to the new version of the Palmer Museum of Art understands that we value culture here.”

The study by Philadelphia-based EConsult Solutions found arts culture and entertainment generated nearly $181 million in direct spending and a total economic impact of $282 million for Centre County. The economic impact includes 2,560 industry-supported jobs with $70 million in employee compensation.

Visitors to arts and entertainment events were part of a record year for tourism in Centre County in 2023. Earlier this summer, HVAB revealed its annual Visitor Volume Study, which found the county had more than 5 million visitors and $1 billion in visitor spending.

Much of that came from sporting events, especially Penn State sports, which a 2022 study conducted by EConsult determined had generated $417 million in total economic impact for the county.

“The study will open some eyes for sure,” Smith said. “The economic impact of football season is much more obvious because it is compacted and easily observable. Over the course of the entire year, our robust arts and cultural offerings quietly but significantly benefit the local economy at a high level.”

He cited the area’s music scene as a segment of arts and entertainment with potential for significant growth, pointing to venues like The State Theatre and Pine Grove Hall, along with the concert schedule at the Bryce Jordan Center. This year has already seen the addition of the Happy Valley Music Series at Tussey Mountain and the Luke Combs’ performance at Beaver Stadium, which is expected to open the door for more live music at the home of Penn State football.

HVSEA Executive Director Eric Engelbarts said the study results provide a starting point for developing a strategy to build on the county’s arts and cultural strengths and further develop areas of promise such as the film industry.

Members of the HVSEA board said they are eager to build on the study’s findings. Former Penn State Alumni Association President Randy Houston, who is general counsel for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and co-chair of the HVSEA Arts and Entertainment Committee, called the growth of cultural events in the county since he was a student “inspiring.”

“It’s also inspiring – and yes, more than a bit daunting – to think of the challenges we face in continuing that growth and expansion now,” he added. “But it is precisely those challenges that the Happy Valley Sports and Entertainment Alliance was established to tackle head on.”

While the HVSEA has found success bringing new sporting events to the region — such as the Ironman 70.3 Happy Valley and the 2026 State Games of America — it is ready to place more emphasis on arts and entertainment, said board member and Penn State College of Arts and Architecture Dean B. Stephen Carpenter II.

“The arts attract visitors, which can lead to the creation of jobs, entrepreneurial ventures, and innovative work by artists, designers and other creatives,” Carpenter said. “Put simply, the arts and other creative industries animate communities.”

The full study report can be read online.