LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — Rock music fills the gymnasium on Lock Haven University's East Campus. It's all for the 20th Annual Kent's Fest.
"It's really just a special event. Everybody always looks forward to it. I get phone calls months in advance, inquiries about the event, and so it's always just a really good time for everyone," said Dr. Erica Jones, a Professor in the Department of Exceptionality Program at Lock Haven University.
Kent's Fest is a talent show for kids with special needs. This year's theme is "Battle of the Bands".
"Kent's Fest is actually in memory of Kent Glossner, who was a special education teacher and alumni from Lock Haven who passed away in 2001, and he loved music and loved working with individuals with exceptionalities," said Dr. Jones.
Students from 45 classrooms around Lycoming, Clinton, and Centre counties participated.
It takes months of preparations, so every year, there's a theme; this year was 'Battle of the Bands.' Each classroom chooses a song and works on a performance to be able to display their musical talents and abilities," said Dr. Jones.
Megan Hess is a Multiple Disabilities Support teacher at Central Mountain High School. She says her students have been preparing for a few months.
"We've practiced or prepared at least once a week since we've found out the date so practicing our dance, our song, building our back drop," said Hess.
Central Mountain High School student Lauran Bilbay has been coming to Kent's Fest for a few years now and says this is a safe space for kids with disabilities.
"And they get to come here and be appreciated and nobody would judge them here unlike in the schools sometimes people judge them because they have disabilities but here it's just like they're not being judged at all, they can show their own self," said Bilbay.
"It's amazing to feel how special these kids are. You know, we tell them every day at school but to have a festival where they're celebrated and embraced is just truly amazing," said Hess.
Every student at Kent's Fest gets to go home with an award.