HAPPY VALLEY UPCOMING EVENTS
Current listing of events in Happy Valley.
The Fountain of Youth Is Hiding in Banana Suits and Smiles
When my son was little, I spent countless hours volunteering at Ferguson Township Elementary. Honestly, I had more fun my second time through grade school than the first. Now, scrolling through Facebook, I notice that half my friends are half my age, and many are from those Ferguson days. It makes me wonder if that’s why I still feel so alive.
Maybe staying young isn’t about chasing youth, but staying close to it.
Stop On By: Celebrate Local Makers & Science at the 6th Annual Rivet Winter Market in State College
This weekend, take a break from the usual and step into a celebration of creativity, curiosity, and community. The 6th Annual Rivet Winter Market returns on Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1224 N. Atherton Street, and you’re invited to stop on by for a weekend that’s anything but ordinary
Teammates for Life: Love, Leadership, and the Classroom Beyond Class
I walked into the “Teammates for Life” Power Hour knowing there would be energy. When Char Morett-Curtiss is involved, there always is. What I didn’t expect was to be so moved by what unfolded in that single hour. It became a living lesson in leadership, resilience, and the power of love over fear.
The Palmer Museum: World-Class Art in Our Own Backyard
The first time I walked into the new Palmer Museum of Art, I was amazed. The attention to detail, and the architectural ingenuity required to protect the art from light while still maintaining a bright, inviting space, was breathtaking.
The Strength of a Sticky Community
A few weeks ago, I was watching an interview on the Clarity Compass with community builder Erica Quinn when a simple phrase grabbed me by the heart and wouldn’t let go:
“Sticky community.”
She wasn’t talking about size or status. She was talking about depth. About what it means to belong to a place where people don’t just live near each other. They hold on to one another. Where neighbors become lifelines and kindness becomes muscle memory.
That phrase stuck with me because, in Happy Valley, I see that kind of community every day.
The Little Engine That Does
The State Games of America, coming to Penn State July 24–August 2, 2026, will bring more than 8,000 athletes and thousands of fans to Happy Valley. Tens of thousands of room nights and millions in visitor spending are expected. For the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA), the small nonprofit that helped land the event, it is proof that measurable, visitor-driven growth works.
