STATE COLLEGE, PA (by Geoff Rushton) - The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau on Wednesday honored standouts in the Centre County hospitality and tourism industry.

The fourth annual Happy Valley Hospitality Awards welcomed more than 300 hospitality leaders, community partners and elected officials to Brass 16823 in Bellefonte for a celebration recognizing winners in seven categories.

Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, has announced the 2025 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism. This year’s winners are responsible for contributing a more-than-welcome boost of more than $1.4 billion to the national economy over the past year. 

Among the winners was the 2025 Keystone State Wrestling Championships, hosted at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania. 

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.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A celebration of community and impact, thanks to the power of filmmaking, runs throughout much of the first half of November with the seventh annual Centre Film Festival — which offers hundreds of viewing options along with question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers, special themes and much more.

Looking for live entertainment in State College this week? We’ve got you covered! The new 814 Originals: The Weekly Lineup calendar is your go-to guide for everything happening on stage across Happy Valley, including live music, comedy shows, theater performances, and more.

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) will be partnering with the 2026 State Games of America. Through athletics and administration, together we bring amateur sport opportunities to athletes all over the country.

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP — Local leaders and community members celebrated the opening of the long-awaited and recently completed first phase of Whitehall Road Regional Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community event on Wednesday afternoon.

The 50-acre first phase of the 100-acre park, located at 1954 Blue Course Drive Extension in Ferguson Township, represents a $6.4 million investment in recreation and community space. 

As we kick off a new fiscal year of growth and opportunity, the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA) is proud to introduce the Board of Directors. With a diverse range of experience, our board members play a vital role in guiding the organization and ensuring its continued success.

Centre County’s Certified Film Commissioner, Pablo Lopez, is hosting a three-day Film Production Bootcamp in State College and Bellefonte, PA, from October 21–23, 2025. Designed for film students, aspiring production assistants, storytellers, and career changers, the bootcamp offers an inside look at the film industry from seasoned professionals.

The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau’s Film Production Manager, Pablo Lopez, CFC, continues to build momentum in bringing film projects to Centre County and beyond. A Penn State graduate in Film/Cinema/Video Studies, Lopez founded Dark Mind Productions in 2015 before joining the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau in 2019. In September 2024, he earned his Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) certification, becoming a certified film commissioner. Over the years, he has worked on projects ranging from music videos to feature films, while also serving as a consultant across the industry.

The United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs (USACFC) National Championships will return to the Nittany Valley Sports Centre in 2026. This marks the second year the event will be hosted in Happy Valley.  

Scheduled for April 11th-12th, the USACFC is the largest collegiate club fencing tournament in the country. The event brings together top university fencing clubs from across the U.S. to compete in foil, épée, and sabre events for both men and women.  

Happy Valley has the honor to host the 2026 State Games of America- a national Olympic-style, multi-sport event- brought by the Keystone State Games.

From July 24 - August 2 all volunteers are welcome to help with check-in, event support, scorekeeping or as moral support. No experience needed!

Be prepared for Tussey Mountain to come alive in a three Wednesday long event of invigorating short off-road course running and mountain biking races (tame enough for gravel/cross bikes), live music, food and community vendors. Grab your noisemakers and friends to enjoy the Happy Valley Town Series All-Ages Run and Bike Races (9/24, 10/1, 10/8). Whether you’re an experienced mountain biker, marathoner, or just beginning, enjoy the low-stakes competition of a race right in your Happy Valley backyard.

Sign up to race now at: https://www.bikereg.com/happy-valley-town-series-all-ages-run-and-bike-racing and come check out the expo for a night of community fun! Don’t miss this chance to run, ride, and rally with Happy Valley.