Zach Lorber lived the transient chef life before coming to State College. “My wife, Megan, grew up in State College and is a Penn State alum of the hospitality program. We met while both working at Bedford Springs Resort, fell in love, and knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I moved here in the winter of 2009 and Happy Valley has been home since. In just a few more years, this will be the longest I've lived anywhere and that makes me happy.”

In 2021, Megan Marcaurelle-Jones and her husband Cody moved to Bellefonte to open their very own cocktail bar. Their passion project, The Republic, is located on the first floor of the Gamble Mill, and Megan says that opening it has been “so rewarding.”

I slowly retrieved my gold spinning lure past a small boulder and through a deeper pocket on the small Centre County stream. My retrieve was pleasantly interrupted by a strike from an eager trout. After a brief battle, I brought the colorful trout to my boots and admired its chocolate and cherry spots.

Happy Valley Pennsylvania is full of special places. Some are man-made, some are natural, and some are a combination of the two. The Bog Trail at Black Moshannon State Park – one of my favorite places – falls into the latter category.

Descendants of the families that lived and worked at Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village are invited back to Curtin on August 13, 2022 to a “Come Home to Curtin” reunion to spend the day enjoying activities and sharing stories and family artifacts handed down from generation to generation.

July 26, 2022 - What a great day for the Bryce Jordan Center and State College, PA. Concert promoter Stuart Green, President of Magic City Productions, would like to thank Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band for one of the fastest sellouts in Bryce Jordan Center history. The demand for tickets was overwhelming and we can't wait until March 18, 2023 when Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band return to State College.

There was a time, and not long ago, that a trip to State College/Happy Valley in early June would involve golf, golf, and more golf. Rounds at Penn State’s Blue and White courses, followed certainly by a trip out to Toftrees Golf Resort for another 18, and maybe some time on the practice range in between, which was always necessary to grind my game down to a solid 6 handicap.

Big Spring Spirits Tasting Room Manager Lucy Rogers has been part of the wine scene in State College since 2003. She started at Harrison’s Wine Grill when it was at the Hilton Garden Inn, where she ran weekly wine tastings and wine classes, and moved on to Zola and catering management. When she heard about an opening at a brand new distillery in Bellefonte, she said without hesitation, “I’m on board.”

Mike Szczesny, is the Executive Director of Sales for HFL Corporation, and oversees Sleep Inn and the number-one-rated Comfort Suites in the world. He says that his hospitality journey has continued to bring him back to the area, and for him and his family, that’s a very good thing. “All roads have led me to Happy Valley,” he said.