Originally published by Suburban Life Magazine in Philadelphia, PA

From Penn State football to outdoor excursions, and from farm-to-table dining to first-rate shopping, Happy Valley offers the perfect backdrop for a memorable getaway.

Various local legends and theories pertain to the origin of the phrase Happy Valley, though nobody can say for sure how it came to be associated with Penn State University and the surrounding communities. Ed Stoddard believes there is a fairly simple reason why the name has stuck, and it begins with the residents who call the region home.

Tweet #BestBarChamps to cast your vote

It’s Penn State vs everybody — and you can help clinch the championship! Champs Downtown is in the finals for America’s College Bar. Voting ends MONDAY, April 4. You can jump and help declare downtown State College’s iconic bar the winner by tweeting #BestBarChamps to cast a vote or cast seven votes by ordering the Best Bar T-shirt.

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!

HVAB, CBICC announce one-time funding to boost agritourism enterprises, provide for visitor-readiness

State College, PA, March 23, 2022 – The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) today announced a one-time Happy Valley Agventures grant program to help local farms, farm stands and other agricultural businesses become more visitor ready, and enhance the visitor/customer experience through facility improvements.

“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.

Happy Valley has such an abundance of farm markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) options that it’s easy to make “eat fresh, eat local” a way of life. Between weekly markets, CSA delivery and local farms, our family enjoys a year-round supply of meat and eggs, dairy products and seasonal vegetables, all grown or raised right here in Happy Valley.