Penn State Homecoming 2024 will take place Sept. 22-28, as announced today (Feb. 22) by the Homecoming executive committee. A week of celebrations and festivities will lead up to the Penn State football game versus Illinois on Sept. 28, at Beaver Stadium.

You'll find a wide selection of hotels, motels, and inns located in State College, with easy access to Penn State University. The Happy Valley region offers a variety of lodging options from the lone traveler looking to be steps away from downtown State College and the Penn State campus all the way to the traveler who wants to fall asleep to the sound of crickets.

Travelers can explore museums and historical sites in Happy Valley that showcase Happy Valley's rich history. The Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Iroquois tribes made their life off the land by planting crops in the fertile valleys and hunting game among the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. Explorers and settlers arrived in the mid-18th century, and industry would soon follow a couple of decades later with the discovery of iron ore.

The Children & Youth Day Sidewalk Sale is sponsored by Penn State Federal Credit Union, and the event is a fun way for boys and girls to develop both their artistic and entrepreneurial potential.

If you have visited the State College area, odds are you have heard of, or even attended, the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. With an impressive assortment of activities, rides, and classic fair food, the Grange Fair is an undeniable destination every August. However, when walking around the fair, enjoying a funnel cake or watching a sheep show, you might wonder what happens when the vendors pack up and the animals return to their pens.

If you’ve been paying attention to the social media scene in Happy Valley over the last few months, you probably already have heard of the region’s newest influencer: Happy Valley Hannah. Hannah Morris, the creator behind the rapidly growing Instagram account, recently shared some of the story behind her rising local fame with The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.

Hiking in a forest alone never crossed my mind as something I would be doing before 2023. I had barely set foot in a forest. As a former long-distance runner, I thrived on the adrenaline of a long run. Never would I see myself hiking slowly through a forest, having to be aware of such things as snakes and bears. After the passing of my mother in late 2020, I thought I would use running to heal, but I found that I could no longer find the motivation to do so. After many failed attempts to return to running, I began walking instead.

There’s plenty to see and do in and around Happy Valley, and whether you’re a local looking for somewhere special to spend your staycation, or a visitor seeking to make your getaway memorable at every moment (even while sleeping!), exploring the region’s unique lodging opportunities is a must. From peaceful, bucolic settings that set the soul free, to beguiling Victorian bed and breakfasts and chic modern digs, Happy Valley has it all!

A recent Centre Daily Times article referenced movies produced in Pennsylvania in 2023. Our state is of course no stranger to the film industry, with many recognizable motion pictures made in the Commonwealth over the years. During my time with the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism, Film and Economic Development marketing, more than 30 major motion pictures were filmed in Pennsylvania. Prior to that, blockbuster movies such as 1985’s “Witness” helped make already well-known Lancaster County the extremely popular tourist destination it is today.