Plants might not be growing, and the skies might be snowing, but this winter and spring Centre Stage's shows will not be slowing! Penn State's Professional Theatre Training Program will offer three must-see performances during the upcoming months.

The Happy Valley Comics & Collectibles Convention, happening March 1-2, 2025, at Nittany Valley Sports Centre in State College, Pennsylvania, is your gateway to an unforgettable experience in the world of comics and collectibles. This year’s event features an exclusive, limited-edition commemorative variant comic cover—an essential find for collectors and enthusiasts alike. Variant covers, prized for their unique artwork and scarcity, add a distinctive flair to any comic collection.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Many plans are already well underway for holiday gatherings with family and friends, showing appreciation for employees and colleagues, and December graduation celebrations. Below are some ways the Mt. Nittany Overlook encourages budget-conscious customers to rethink their planning at holiday time or anytime.

Linda & Steve Weaver, the proprietors of Mount Nittany Winery & Vineyard, are grateful for a wonderful 2024 and are already making plans for 2025. Mount Nittany Winery will add two new dry wines - a dry Riesling and a Cuvée Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc aged in oak barrels) and continue Bingo with Beth, which will be offered monthly on a Friday night. Other plans include monthly wine and food-tasting events and a trivia night with a professional MC.

But there is still much to do at the vineyard this December.

Join the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and Maestro Gerardo Edelstein for our annual Holiday Concert and celebrate sounds of the holiday season! Experience a dramatic retelling of the Christmas story with the majestic Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint-Saëns, featuring the State College Area High School Master Singers. Enjoy the familiar sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and sing along with Handel’s Hallelujah from Messiah, featuring a collaboration with State College Advanced String Orchestra students. Join us for a concert that will fuel your holiday spirit!

The beloved community celebration, Bellefonte Victorian Christmas returns for its 43rd year this December 13-15, with an exciting new theme: "The Christmas Express." All are invited to partake in Christmas festivities throughout the weekend.

Over the long history of the Penn State Blue Band, there have only been six directors. Each director has contributed to the tradition of the band in some way. May it be changing the name of the band, changing the uniforms, creating new and imaginative formations or just creating new traditions, each director has had a hand in forming the band into what it is today.

Three new businesses have called Downtown State College their new home. Whether you need your phone fixed, a good meal or an ice-cold smoothie, these new businesses aim to please.

Laurin Goad Davis is an architectural historian working in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library at Penn State. She's written on school facilities and women in architecture. In her current role, she creates metadata for the Central Pennsylvania Architecture and Landscape Architecture Digital Collection and works on other local architecture projects for the Libraries.