Why I Love Happy Valley: Fly Fishing in Spruce Creek, Up Next

I grew up in Julian — a quiet corner of Happy Valley where the outdoors wasn’t just a backdrop, it was a way of life. I went to Bald Eagle Area High School, spent my weekends on horseback, learned to hunt in the nearby woods, and fished local streams with my family.

Now, I’m a Penn State student, heading into my senior year this fall as an Agribusiness major. But long before college classes and career plans, I knew where I belonged — outside. Whether I was in the saddle, in the woods, or waist-deep in a cold creek with a fly rod in hand, the outdoors called to me.

The Game Behind the Game: What Every Local Needs to Know About Penn State Football in 2025

As the 2025 college football season kicks off, Penn State finds itself at the center of one of the most transformative eras in college athletics history. Beyond the touchdowns and tailgates, the evolving financial, legal, and operational forces now shaping college football are reshaping the Happy Valley economy and our community. Here’s your guide to all the moving parts.

A Snapshot in Time: Happy Valley’s Pink Pony Moment

It’s June 18, 2025.

There are just 45 workdays until students return for the first day of Penn State classes.

Have you been to a pool yet this summer?

Or has it just… rained every day since Memorial Day?

Around here, time moves both fast and strangely slow—until suddenly, it’s football season again. And this fall, as 100,000 fans pour into Beaver Stadium, there will be a moment—maybe between plays or during a timeout—when Pink Pony Club plays over the loudspeakers.

Stop and Smell the Roses

By Greg WoodmanReprinted from 1988 Football Preview What are the distinct geographical boundaries of the area called Happy Valley? Is it just the Penn State campus, Beaver Stadium, College Avenue, and five bars with lots of memories?  If the area is growing as much as it appears, will Happy Valley soon be called “Big Valley” […]

Built on Love: A Blueprint for Growing Your Business Without Losing Its Heart

In a world where fear often pays off—and efficiency is rewarded—it takes a different kind of entrepreneur to build with love.

But that’s exactly what’s happening in Pine Grove Mills, Pennsylvania.

Not through national franchises or outside capital. But through wild-eyed local founders who, at first glance, might seem like dreamers—but who are quietly transforming their town through vision, grit, and deep devotion to people and place.

From Laughter to Leadership: How XL Fest Became a Blueprint for Belonging

What does it look like to grow something real—without losing the reason you started?

For James Tierney, co-founder of Happy Valley Improv, the answer came to life during XL Fest 2024. Eighty-one improvisers from across the country came to Central Pennsylvania expecting laughs. What they found instead was something deeper: hospitality that felt intentional, experiences that felt personal, and a weekend that felt more like a family reunion than a performance schedule.