By: Sarah Taylor
While Happy Valley may be known as Penn State, and it’s easy to assume that most visitors come to the region for university-related events (like football games), when school’s out during the summer, Centre County still welcomes over 1.9 million visitors over the span of three months.
Many June and July events draw in large crowds, like the IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley, which generated over $4.4 million for the local economy last year, and brought in over 1,600 athletes.
The People’s Choice Festival in Centre Hall and the Bellefonte Cruise also attract large numbers of visitors, though the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts outdoes both of them, by regularly drawing over 100,000 attendees in the course of four days. (You can check out this article to learn more about the record-setting number of tourists expected this summer in Happy Valley.)
However, all of these events have already come and gone for 2024. What’s left for the rest of the summer months?
Well, the Centre County Grange Fair — filled with carnival activities and grandstand entertainment — kicks off in mid-August, and has, in the past, pumped over $2.9 million into the local economy over its nine-day run.
Then, GRAMMY Award-winning singer and bluegrass songwriter, Billy Strings, is expected to play back-to-back nights at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Bryce Jordan Center is known for selling out shows, where crowds total more than 15,000 — and all of these fans’ needs, need to be met, meaning that, with each act, more money is pumped back into Happy Valley’s economy. With previous headliners like Billy Joel, Metallica, Elton John, Travis Scott, Taylor Swift, and Kevin Hart, the top-tier entertainment at the Bryce Jordan Center continues to attract performers and audiences alike.
Beyond these top Centre County attractions, though, there are also plenty of events going on throughout the rest of the broader Alleghenies region, and for attendees looking for a wealth of hotels, restaurants and entertainment beyond the attracting event, State College delivers to these tourists, too.
Here are some of the top events throughout the region to keep your eye on, all within driving distance.
41st Annual Bellefonte Arts & Crafts Fair – Aug. 2-3
Downtown Bellefonte, Centre County
Bellefonte Fair
Arts, crafts and food vendors line the streets of historic downtown Bellefonte, along with live music and entertainment. With dedicated kids activities, there’s fun for the whole family.
Billy Strings – Aug. 2-3
Bryce Jordan Center, Centre County
The bluegrass singer is coming to State College. Be sure to get your tickets now!
Lake Raystown Resort Annual Car Show – Aug. 3
Lake Raystown Resort, Huntingdon County
2024 Lake Raystown Resort’s Annual Car Show (Facebook)
Stop by to look at the cool cars, listen to live music and grab a bite to eat. All of the car show’s proceeds are donated to Sideline Cancer, so come out and have some fun while supporting a great cause.
Huntingdon County Fair – Aug. 4-10
Huntingdon, Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County Fair (Facebook)
Welcome to Pennsylvania’s second-largest agricultural event of the year. With demo derbies, a talent show, live music, truck and tractor pull and a fair queen, the Huntingdon County Fair has it all.
Portage Area Summerfest – Aug. 9-11
Portage, Cambria County
Portage Area Summerfest (Facebook)
This summerfest has fireworks, car shows, basket rattles, entertainment, food and craft vendors and kids’ games. The best part? There’s free admission and parking!
Centre County Grange Fair – Aug. 16-24
Centre Hall, Centre County
Pschemp, Wikimedia Commons
For generations, the Grange fair has been a family and community favorite. This county fair has livestock exhibitions, concerts, classic fair food and carnival rides.
Laurel Hill Bluegrass Festival – Aug. 17-18
Laurel Hill State Park, Somerset County
Laurel Hill Bluegrass Festival
This festival hosts seven bands, local artisans, food vendors, period reenactors, children’s activities and wagon rides.
Move-in Week at Penn State – Aug. 19-25
State College, Centre County
Penn State Arrival
School is about to be back in session, meaning that college students are rushing back to State College. If you’re a proud parent dropping their kid off for the first time or an alum making your way back to the region, be sure to stick around for the other events happening near Happy Valley.
First Penn State Home Football Game: Penn State vs. Bowling Green – Sept. 7
Beaver Stadium, Centre County
The excruciating wait is over: Football season is back! Come to Beaver Stadium to watch the Nittany Lions play against the Falcons in the first home game of the 2024 season.
Mike Phillips’ 2024 “N-Scale Weekend” – Sept. 14-15
Altoona, Blair County
The Altoona Association of Model Railroaders (Facebook)
Hosted by the Altoona Association of Model Railroaders, this weekend centers around an impressive array of over 24,000 square feet of model trains. Even if model trains aren’t your speciality, you should go just to see how insanely crazy and detailed the models are.
Which of these events are you going to? Be sure to tell us in the comments and, if you enjoyed this story, sign up for HappyValley Industry’s free weekly newsletters, covering all things industry, innovation and entrepreneurship in this incredible local region.
