It’s Homecoming week, and there are festivities from Monday, October 17 until kickoff on Saturday. From Allen Street Jam to Best of Penn State (BOPS) Homecoming Carnival, you don’t want to miss the fun. Here’s what is in store!

Ellen Braun’s hospitality story started with a detour. “I graduated from Penn State in 1984 with a degree in English and quickly realized that I was so shy and introverted that I wasn’t emotionally prepared for any of the career paths I’d dreamed of,” she said. So, to overcome it, she got what she calls “assertiveness training” — a job at The All American Rathskeller. The job turned out to be a crash course, not only in confidence, but also in her career path.

Tickets go on sale to the public starting Sept. 1

UNIVERSITY PARK (Wednesday, Aug. 24) —The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State will focus on fostering relationships and connections via new and familiar artists in its 2022–23 events.

UNIVERSITY PARK (Thursday, Sept. 22)—The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State will present the world premiere of the contemporary multimedia opera “A Marvelous Order” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Free related presentation explores a jazz response to Puerto Rican identity

UNIVERSITY PARK (Tuesday, Sept. 13)—Prolific Puerto Rican jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenón and his quartet will explore “Música de las Américas” in their Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Recital Hall.

There’s only one place in the world where you can see John Cappelletti’s Heisman Trophy, or dozens of other once-in-a-lifetime items that memorialize great moments in Penn State Athletics history.

Located within Beaver Stadium, the Penn State All-Sports Museum offers an in-depth look at the rich tradition and history of the many achievements of Nittany Lion student-athletes. Penn State alumnus Ken Hickman returned to his alma mater in 2006 and has since served as director of the museum. He offered insights into what Penn Staters should keep an eye out for and details on the current World War II exhibit that’ll be on display for the next three years.

Joe Belle and the rest of the Clean Team is the reason that you and I get to enjoy a beautiful downtown State College. But he wants to get one thing straight: “We aren’t grouchy garbagemen — we’re pretty cool guys. So stop and talk to us! Everyone on my team is involved in artistic endeavors in the community after work — I am a musician, Damian Cabrera is an artist, and Michael David is into juggling. We’re anything but grouchy.”

Thirty years ago, Lance Shaner and his brother Fred were looking for a new home for their progressive hospitality business. They explored Atlanta, Durham, Chapel Hill and Austin, but it was Happy Valley that caught their eye. “It was hard to beat the quality of life that we saw here,” Lance said.

Musicians will participate in intimate Classical Coffeehouse Oct. 5

UNIVERSITY PARK (Thursday, Sept. 1)—Aizuri Quartet, its name derived from a meticulously detailed style of Japanese block print, will make its Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in a performance at Recital Hall.