A national, Olympic-style event is coming to Happy Valley in 2026. What you should know

By Josh Moyer (Centre Daily Times) July 09, 2024 — A national, Olympic-style event that takes place every other year is heading to Happy Valley in 2026.

The State Games of America, which involve 30 states and more than 30 sports, will host their biennial six-day sporting event from July 28-Aug. 2, 2026, in Centre County at multiple venues to be determined. At least 8,000 amateur athletes and supporters across all ages are expected to take part, according to a joint announcement Tuesday from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA).

It’s the first time in more than a decade that Pennsylvania has hosted the national event. The last time was 2013, when the Hershey and Harrisburg areas welcomed participants.

“Similar to Ironman, hosting the State Games of America is a wonderful opportunity for Happy Valley, both economically and from a visibility standpoint,” HVSEA Executive Director Eric Engelbarts said in a written statement. “The marketing and branding value of hosting an event of this stature is an amazing ancillary benefit. Like Ironman, it is an event that will take support from the community, which has been incredible.”

Local residents and Pennsylvanians might be more familiar with the smaller, state-level sporting event in the Keystone State Games, which will be held later this month in Luzerne County. The national biennial event simply invites gold, silver and bronze finishers from those state games across the U.S. — in addition to past 2022 or 2024 medalists from the national games — to compete in the larger event. But, for Pennsylvanians, it’s even easier to qualify.

To read more, check out the Centre Daily Times article below: