2nd Annual · Oil City, Pennsylvania

ARMA FestAllegheny River Music, Art & Outdoor Festival

Three days along the Allegheny — music on the bandstand, art in the streets, a poker run on two wheels, and a whole downtown turned into a trailhead.

See the full schedule
Apply as a vendor

When

Fri–Sun, Sept 11–13, 2026Center Street Bridge light show, nightly at dusk

Where

Justus Park & Town SquarePlus both sides of downtown & the Venango Campus

Admission

Festival grounds are freeOil City Uncorked (Fri) is $30 adv. / $35 at the door

Presented by

Oil City Main StreetWith eight partner organizations — see below

The Weekend

Three days, banks to bandstand

Every event below is free to attend unless noted. Times and locations as announced by Oil City Main Street — always worth a last look before you head out.

Friday

SEPT 11
Oil City Uncorked is ticketed

5:00 – 8:30 PM
Oil City Uncorked
North Side · $30 in advance, $35 at the door

ARMA Fest kicks off with a wine & tasting stroll through the North Side storefronts.

ALL EVENING
Food Truck Frenzy
Justus Park

ALL DAY
Outdoor Recreation Business Contest Awards
Town Square

The Oil Region Alliance presents $10,000 and $5,000 awards to two winners of the Elevating Outdoor Recreation Business Contest.

ALL DAY
Artist Relocation Screenings & Transit Annex Open House
Big screen downtown + Transit Building

Arts Oil City runs its Artist Relocation videos on the big screen — then stop into the Transit Building and meet the Annex artists in person.

7:00 – 10:00 PM
Battle of the Bands
Justus Park

Saturday

SEPT 12
The big day — 11 AM to 9 PM

8:00 / 9:00 AM
Friedhaber’s Family Friendly Poker Run
Starts & ends in Town Square · Erie to Pittsburgh Trail

1st annual bike ride along the river trail — registration at 8, riders roll at 9. Best 5-card hand wins an $1,800 electric bike from Friedhaber’s.

11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Food Truck Frenzy & Art Demonstrations
Justus Park

Including The Fallen Shoppe’s Kaleb Lewis live-sculpting the 2026 “Guardian of the Allegheny.”

NOON – 2:30 PM
RockAholics
Justus Park bandstand

3:00 – 5:30 PM
Memphis Honey Blues Band
Justus Park bandstand

6:00 – 9:00 PM
Coston Cross Band
Justus Park bandstand

ALONG THE ROUTE
Plein Air Artist Contest
Finished work displayed in Town Square

ALL DAY
Silent Film, with live organ accompaniment
Venango Museum

ALL DAY
Bridge Literary Arts Festival
Transit Art Building, Seneca St.

Details at BridgeLiteraryArtsCenter.org.

Sunday

SEPT 13
Half marathon + family morning

6:00 AM registration
ARMA Fest Pathways 1st Half-Marathon
Venango Campus, West First Street

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Food Truck Frenzy & DJ Jimmy Juke Box
Justus Park

Local music and dance, Little Turtle of the East Drumming and Dancing, BridgeLit Jazz Poetry, and free children’s activities with the Fatherhood Initiative and the Oil City Library.

Don’t Miss

Signature moments

A few things worth building your weekend around.

Guardian of the Allegheny

Watch The Fallen Shoppe’s Kaleb Lewis carve this year’s river-guardian sculpture live in Justus Park, start to finish.

Center Street Bridge light show

Every evening at dusk, the bridge itself becomes the show — best viewed from either riverbank.

$1,800 e-bike on the line

Ride the Poker Run along the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail — best 5-card hand at the finish takes home an electric bike from Friedhaber’s.

A half-marathon through downtown

The first-ever ARMA Fest Pathways Half-Marathon starts Sunday morning from the Venango Campus.

Bridge Literary Arts Festival

Poetry, readings and workshops fill the Transit Art Building on Seneca Street all Saturday.

Silent film, live organ

The Venango Museum pairs a silent-era film with live organ accompaniment — a rare one for the schedule.

Get Involved

Vend, ride, or run

Paperwork for the weekend’s three signature sign-ups, straight from Oil City Main Street.

Set up as a vendor

Artisans and makers: apply for a spot in Justus Park or along the North & South Side art walk.

Download vendor application →

Run the half-marathon

ARMA Fest Pathways’ first half-marathon — registration opens 6 a.m. Sunday at the Venango Campus.

Download registration form →

Ride the Poker Run

Saturday, 8 a.m. registration in Town Square. Best hand on the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail wins an e-bike.