Philipsburg's Mid-Century Christmas event will kick off on Saturday, December 14 at 10 a.m. as merchants open their shops to celebrate the holidays in style. The rest of the day is chock full of special appearances by such seasonal luminaries as the Grinch, Rudy, and Rudolph, and yes, the Jolly Old Elf himself, who will be paraded down Front St. in a 1951 International Harvester firetruck. There will also be special musical performances, wreath and window-decorating contests, vintage cars parked along the street (bring yours if you have one!), a showing of It's a Wonderful Life at the majestic Rowland Theatre, a tree-lighting ceremony, and a mid-century-themed bash with live music by Elvis (you can't get much more mid-century than the King!) at Dead Canary Brewing to cap off the festive day.

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.

Get into the holiday spirit at Lemont’s Christmas Market! This free event will take place from December 6-7 at the Grain Elevator and Coal Sheds, and it is perfect for festive fun and shopping.

The sixth annual Centre Film Festival recently wrapped after bringing nearly 200 thought-provoking independent films spanning multiple genres and formats to audiences in theatres throughout Happy Valley, PA, as well as to virtual audiences throughout the Commonwealth.

Step into the past with the "Iron Works of Happy Valley, PA" Adventure Lab! Created by the Happy Valley PA GeoTour volunteers, this unique scavenger hunt takes you to 10 historical locations that shaped Happy Valley’s rich iron industry. Perfect for families, friends, and solo explorers, this journey unveils the legacy of Pennsylvania’s ironworks, blending history with adventure.

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.

Some would think that the position of feature twirler of the Penn State Blue Band started at the same time the Majorettes started. However, the Blue Band Majorettes were founded in 1972 and the official feature twirler position did not start until 1974.