NEWS
The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) World Series announced that Rothrock by UTMB would join its 2026 North American calendar, marking the circuit’s second East Coast race alongside the Grindstone Running Festival by UTMB. The inaugural event is scheduled for May 16–17, 2026, in Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest.
With less than a month left in 2025, you might be reflecting on those fitness resolutions you made back in January. The good news? It is not too late to accomplish something big before the year wraps up. The Nittany Valley Half Marathon returns this weekend, and whether you want to run, volunteer, or just support a great local cause, there is still time to get involved.
Happy Valley experienced a record year for visitation and visitor spending in 2024. Tourism over the past year was strong and vibrant, setting the stage for a promising 2026.
The official numbers won’t be known until mid-year next year when The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) receives its 2025 visitation report from Longwoods International, a leading travel industry research firm. Centre County has, however, experienced visitor growth in every month this year except February, April, and November.
An international trail running series is bringing one of its events to Happy Valley in 2026.
The UTMB World Series is introducing Rothrock by UTMB as its second event on the eastern side of the U.S. Runners from across the globe will have the chance to compete in 25 km and 50 km distances.
A prestigious, international trail running event is coming to Happy Valley in May. And with it will come trail improvements, a bigger spotlight - and an opportunity to qualify for a championship race in the Alps.
UTMB World Series, which annually hosts more than 50 trail-running events around the world, announced Tuesday morning that its newest race would take place May 16-17, 2026, in Rothrock State Forest near Tussey Mountain. Rothrock is one of only eight spots in the U.S. to host a race next year; other picturesque destinations include those in Argentina, Thailand and New Zealand.
A new international trail running event will launch in Centre County this spring, expanding the long-running Rothrock Trail Challenge into a two-day race weekend under the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc World Series banner.
Organizers announced at a press conference on Tuesday at Tussey Mountain that Rothrock by UTMB will take place Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 in Rothrock State Forest, featuring a 50-kilometer race on Saturday and a 25-kilometer race on Sunday.
The UTMB World Series is pleased to announce the addition of the new Rothrock by UTMB™, joining the circuit as the second event on the Eastern side of the U.S. alongside Grindstone Running Festival by UTMB®. The first edition of Rothrock by UTMB is scheduled to take place on May 16-17, 2026, bringing the UTMB World Series experience to Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest for the first time.
If you live in Happy Valley, you already know the Bryce Jordan Center isn’t just Penn State’s sports arena, it’s the region’s go-to spot for big touring shows, major concerts, comedy, family entertainment, and those once-a-year spectacles that fill the whole place with energy. As we move into a new year, the BJC is lining up an impressive mix of events that bring something for everyone: chart-topping artists, nostalgia tours, high-flying performance groups, and full-throttle family shows.
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.
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.
Pablo Lopez speaks about film with the confidence of someone who believes the film industry can take root here in Centre County. Not in New York or Los Angeles, but in the valleys and brick-lined main streets of State College.
That mission is cresting this month with the Happy Valley Film Production Boot Camp, a three-day intensive designed to give students, freelancers and career-changers hands-on skills and real industry context, from fundraising to cinematography to on-set workflows. The boot camp runs Oct. 21–23, using venues in State College and Bellefonte, including the Ramada by Wyndham State College and Brass 16828 at Titan Energy Park.
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.
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.
A national championship is coming to Happy Valley, and tourism officials expect it to be a big win for the area. The Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley has been running for several years, with Race Director Josh Cone saying they have seen thousands of participants. Now the organization announced that Happy Valley will be hosting the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship June 14, 2026. Registration for the event will open for priority registration this Thursday, August 28 at 12pm ET and for general registration on Tuesday, September 2 at 12pm ET by visiting www.ironman.com/races/im703-pennsylvania.
IRONMAN has announced that the IRONMAN® 70.3® Pennsylvania Happy Valley triathlon has been selected to host the IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship in 2026. The event will return to central Pennsylvania on Saturday, June 14, 2026, offering a North American Championship title, elevated professional prize purse, and increased age group qualifying opportunities for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France. Registration for the event will open for priority registration this Thursday, August 28 at 12pm ET and for general registration on Tuesday, September 2 at 12pm ET by visiting www.ironman.com/races/im703-pennsylvania.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau will once again recognize excellence in the Centre County hospitality industry at the Fourth Annual Happy Valley Hospitality Awards & Gala, and community members are invited to make nominations. Applications will close September 19, 2025.
Downtown State College came alive on Saturday, July 26, as more than 250 cyclists competed in the inaugural State College Criterium, hosted by the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance. The event, sanctioned by USA Cycling, also served as the Pennsylvania State Championship for Elite and Masters categories.
Pennsylvania Sportsmhas announced new additions to its Executive Committee, bringing fresh leadership and experience to the statewide sports tourism organization. Danielle Vincenti, Director of Business Development at the Hershey Harrisburg Sports & Events Authority was elected the new Chair of PA Sports. Alongside her, HVSEA’s Executive Director, Eric Engelbarts will serve as the treasurer.
The tourism industry in Centre County broke records in 2024, and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) is looking to keep up the momentum.
The 2024–25 fiscal year was a major win for sports tourism in Happy Valley. Over the 12-month span, the region hosted events that brought in 24,000+ athletes and 58,000+ spectators, resulting in an estimated 37,000 hotel room nights and over $20 million in direct visitor spending. Altogether, the total estimated economic impact surpassed $29 million.
The Hoppy Valley Brewers Fest returns to State College on Saturday, July 19, 2025, and this year’s entertainment lineup is bringing the perfect mix of nationally recognized talent and local favorites. Headlining the festival is acclaimed singer-songwriter Channing Wilson, known for his raw, soulful sound and songwriting credits with artists like Luke Combs and Travis Tritt. His powerful storytelling and Southern roots promise a set you won’t forget.