It makes sense that the director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts — one of Happy Valley’s signature summer events since 1967 — would be the authority on finding the best arcane, beautiful and story-filled spots in Happy Valley. After all, that’s what Rick Bryant has been doing in his role with The Fest since 1999 — discovering things of interest and beauty, and sharing them with the rest of us.

Lee Anne Jeffries is deeply rooted in Happy Valley. She grew up in the area, went to Penn State and now heads the Downtown State College Improvement, a live, work, and play neighborhood that sparks the creative, the eclectic, and the local. “Happy Valley is home and I care deeply about this town, it’s a special place,” she says.

Zach Barton has spent his entire career as a servant leader, mentoring the next generation. After graduating from Penn State, he became a case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Jersey for three years, then joined the Centre County Youth Service Bureau. During six years at the YSB, he was the program director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre, Mifflin, and Juniata Counties and then the organization’s development director. In 2020, he became executive director of Leadership Centre County, guiding the organization through the pandemic while keeping true to their mission of educating participants about the needs, available services and opportunities, and issues in our community.

Writer Teresa Mull started out here in Happy Valley — even growing up in the house that Philipsburg’s founder, Hardman Philips, built — before heading off to Dallas, Texas and Rome, Italy, and jobs in Washington, D.C. and Teton Valley, Idaho. And then, she got homesick.

We talked to her about why she’s made Happy Valley her permanent home, her insider picks for culture and fun, and what every Happy Valley visitor has got to try. Read on!

“People are often surprised to learn that I was not born and raised in Happy Valley,” Matt Maris says. Considering that the high school teacher owns and runs Local Historia, an ode to Happy Valley’s historic past, the surprise is legitimate.

When Hector Cruz visited Happy Valley for the first time — visiting his daughter at Penn State — he didn’t know anyone. He says finding a place to eat was tricky. “Reading a review is just not the same as talking to someone about their favorite places to eat,” he says. “You can’t ask them questions or ask for recommendations.”

Eric Loop is the president of the board of directors of the Mount Nittany Conservancy, a public charity dedicated to conserving Mount Nittany in its natural state for the benefit of Happy Valley. For him, it was a natural next step after growing up in its shadow, hiking and camping on it all his life.

This April, Bob Cameron is writing a new chapter in his life. For the past seven years, he’s been the director of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum in Boalsburg, keeping the stories of Happy Valley’s past alive and in living color. Over those years, he worked to revitalize the historic destination, working with more than 600-900 volunteers per year to implement projects ranging from miles of trails to a walking bridge to new gardens and arboriculture.

Jason Browne wears a lot of hats. He owns four LLCs, is active in Rotary, performs for Happy Valley Improv, cohosts the Morning Getaway on 94.5 and is on the board of 3 Dots Downtown, which has won “Best Community Space'' every year since it opened in 2019.