The venue is celebrating its two-year anniversary this week with a number of performances by Haitian, Bosnian, Argentinian and Estonian artists.

Elbin began his career in the music industry as a local vinyl DJ in State College, eventually booking touring artists through his Gorinto Productions moniker and in collaboration with community art space 3 Dots Downtown over a five-year period.

“Manny’s was the culmination of years of booking shows around State College and curating events at various venues around town,” Elbin said.

When Elbin heard that the space formerly occupied by The Saloon at 101 Hiester St. was on the market in 2023, he leapt at the opportunity to have his own brick and mortar venue.

Manny’s was named in honor of owner Corey Elbin’s cat, who is now immortalized on the Manny’s logo. Courtesy photo

The name, Manny’s, was chosen in honor of Elbin’s 23-year old cat who died around that time, who is now immortalized on the Manny’s logo.

This newfound freedom allowed Elbin to attract a wider range of musicians than the usual slate of American country, rock and indie bands that frequent State College.

“The transition to being at Manny’s, I felt a lot of support from community members that have been supporting these events … they had been supporting me over the years so there was a kind of built-in audience, a built-in level of support,” he said.

Elbin also runs the annual Rhoneymeade Fest in Centre Hall, which brings a curated selection of experimental and electronic musicians to rural Pennsylvania.

“Out of the gate it felt like it was falling into a … welcome support from the community,” Elbin said.

Through his time as a DJ, Elbin made connections across the Northeast music community with venue owners, record companies and artists that he has leveraged into the ongoing programming at Manny’s.

Elbin prides himself on hosting a diverse selection of international and national touring acts that may not have found a home in State College prior to the creation of Manny’s.

These artists include Tuvan throat singers from Siberia, native currulao musicians from Colombia and American bluegrass bands.

“(This) has made State College and central Pennsylvania really a destination for a lot of bands and agents that are looking for even more routing options while bringing their artists to the U.S.,” Elbin said.

Many international musical acts only visit leading urban hubs like New York City, Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, so having a destination on the way from several big East Coast cities and midwestern destinations like Chicago is a valuable asset.

“The types of original music we bring (have) been filling a void in the area,” he said.

State College has one of the highest densities of international residents anywhere in the commonwealth thanks to its proximity to Penn State University, so many international students feel right at home with Manny’s programming.

“The support, especially from the Latino community, to be able to dance and enjoy the rhythms of where they came from, where they traveled from to call State College home has been a beautiful experience to share,” Elbin said.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.

If you go

What: A six-day anniversary celebration featuring musicians from across the globe.

Where: 101 Hiester St., State College

When: Concludes with various times on Oct. 8 and 9. Tickets available online at https://dice.fm/venue/mannys-nvv85?lng=en-US.