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.

UNIVERSITY PARK (Wednesday, March 16) — Empowering hip-hop duo Soul Science Lab will join Michael Mwenso in the eleventh webisode of the free virtual discussion series “Meeting the Moment.”

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.

If you, like me, have ever braved the surprisingly chilly morning air of MID-May to take a number and get in line for the bibliophile dream that is the AAUW STATE COLLEGE Book Sale, then this message is for you. The sale is back from Saturday, May 14 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at Penn State’s Snider Ag Arena and it’s just as wonderful as you remember.

This year, Penn State will celebrate Homecoming on October 22 as the Nittany Lions battle Minnesota. In the days leading up to the game, Homecoming Week will celebrate the WE ARE spirit with Allen Street Jam, the return of the Best of Penn State Carnival, and the iconic Homecoming parade.

UNIVERSITY PARK (Wednesday, March 9) — Following an outdoor-patio concert to open the 2021–22 season, Mwenso and The Shakes will return to Eisenhower Auditorium with a high-energy performance. The ensemble will present “Hope-Resist-Heal: A Celebration of Black Joy” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23.

UNIVERSITY PARK (Wednesday, March 2) — A performance by Delfeayo Marsalis and Uptown Jazz Orchestra, postponed in February by the artist due to unforeseen circumstances, has been rescheduled.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (February 25, 2022) — The 2022 Homecoming Executive Committee is pleased to announce the 2022 Penn State Homecoming Week will be held Sunday, October 16 through Saturday, October 22, 2022.