From the French pique-nique, picnic originally referred to a meal in which everyone contributed something, but evolved to mean dining outdoors or al fresco, especially in scenic surroundings. Picnicking options in Happy Valley come with beautiful views and options for extra fun or a little extra pizzazz. Here are our top picnicking picks in Happy Valley:

UNIVERSITY PARK (Thursday, Feb. 10) — The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State is thrilled to announce “Waitress” will play Eisenhower Auditorium for a limited, one-night engagement! The diner opens up starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3.

Current Exhibitions

An American Place: Selections from the James and Barbara Palmer CollectionThrough April 24, 2022

The story of the coming of age of American art is filled with alliances and ruptures, expatriates and immigrants, transatlantic dialogues and the search for an authentic aesthetic rooted in America.

Eat, stay, and play at one-of-a-kind The We Are Inn in Philipsburg.

Looking for off‑campus student lodging in State College? The Retreat at State College offers something unique: a home away from home.

Want to make a Penn State visit even better? Add in a Penn State stay. Make the University’s iconic Penn Stater Hotel your home base for your next Happy Valley getaway. Here’s four reasons why.

Online event is first in center’s ‘Up Close and Virtual’ spring season

UNIVERSITY PARK (Monday, Jan. 24) — The next virtual episode of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “Front Row: National” will feature “in-the-moment” pianist Gilbert Kalish.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa . – Starting this month, the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State launches its 50th anniversary, to be celebrated throughout 2022 with special programs and exhibitions. To inaugurate its golden anniversary as a prominent university art museum is a major exhibition of outstanding American art, An American Place: Selections from the James and Barbara Palmer Collection, which opens Jan. 29 as the centerpiece of the museum’s jubilee.

The Arboretum at Penn State, located at Penn State’s University Park campus, is a special Happy Valley treasure. The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, open daily from dawn until dusk, offer visitors ten acres of specialty gardens. Beyond the gardens lie fields and woodlands for hiking, biking, and observing wildlife. Admission is free.