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.

RE Farm Café at Windswept Farm is a unique dining experience where you “can see our farm from your table,” says LLC Managing Member Duke Gastiger. The café itself is sustainably built, their chefs (called composers) spend time tending the vegetables as they are grown, and every food either comes from the farm itself, or from a tiny network of sustainable growers. The result? Reviewers gravitate to the word “amazing.”

A local’s guide to must-see agricultural destinations

Whether it’s trying a craft beverage, picking your own bucket of blooms, bringing home a basket of apples, or touring a cheese cave, Happy Valley Agventures destinations offer something that every visitor to the region can enjoy.