Penn State Motels
You probably have never heard of a small borough in Pennsylvania called State College. This simply named town is a large college town with many activities to explore. It also has the unusual nickname of “Happy Valley”. If you have heard of it, then you know that State College is where the Penn State University campus is. This is a small town with a huge university, so the town has several events that brings in thousands of people. So, lets discuss some of these events and you will know why they call it Happy Valley.
I might be regretful not to talk about the PSU Football team when you first speak of Travel to State College. They may be by far and away the most important draw, as much as State College Travel applies. You can find tons of State College Hotels that might be out of business, if the PSU football season disappeared. Just consider that Beaver Stadium, home of the PSU Nittany Lions, holds more than one hundred thousand people. State College is likewise well-known for its Tail Gating society so a home game is similar to the biggest celebration you have possibly ever been to. Even as the game is in progress and ticket holders are inside the arena, I’d gamble there are nevertheless several 1000’s of folks that stay in the lots which encircle the arena. These people pay attention to the game on the radio or bring portable antennas to look at it on television, it is quit a site to discover.
As you might speculate several travelers rent hotel rooms for the weekend or camp out close to the stadium in RVs as well as tents. These accommodations can become a little pricey depending on exactly how you view them. State College is full of what I say are very nice hotels and motels and other lodging, that I think are fairly priced. However, just like any other tourist type town, when the football games are going on, guess what occurs? The rates go up! Now, it may seem to be cheaper to purchase a car parking pass and camp near the stadium however you have to be careful when you do this because it not a park, so you can’t just rough it and I need not tell you how expensive it could be to own and operate an RV. Some fans have resorted to finding houses available for home game weekends and rent them instead. Sometimes it is especially wise if you travel with a big group and merely break down the cost out between everyone, rather than everybody renting rooms.
If you reside close to State College, then there is a strong possibility that you have heard of the Dance Marathon, also referred to as just “Thon”. The students promote it on every year and they raise vast amounts for childhood cancer for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital. The first dance goes clear back to 1973 and it grown exponentially ever since.
It takes about 15,000 college volunteers to put Thon together. As huge as the dance is, I don’t know how many people journey into State College for it. I do know that it raises a lot of money and that the Four Diamonds Fund is huge for the National Cancer Society. Thon is a year round deal now, so I am sure that many more people travel in and out of State College than many people believe. Either way, it’s a wonderful tradition that aids lots of children, so I thought I would plug it, just because I can. Although they do many additional events, the 2 day long dancing marathon is generally put on in February.
One more of the biggest events that people travel to State College every year for is the PA Festival of the Arts or a/k/a Arts Fest. Arts Fest happens every July right in the heart of the downtown and pulls 1000’s of consumers from the local surroundings as well as from across the world. It entails way more than it’s name implies. Yes, it had small roots and started off as an outdoor artwork exhibit but now, the several day function is a lot more. Art’s fest has something for everyone. Combined with the usual art, sculpture, music, food and drink, jewelry and crafts, there’s a kid’s day, where the kids are vendors along with face painting and, well you get the idea.
Arts Fest happens during the warm months when many students aren’t on campus but you probably would not know if you have ever been to the festivities. The town center is not actually set up for that much influx. State College is the borough with a big campus, so parking and lodging can be problematic. Since Arts fest is a several day event, it can get quit expensive, particularly if you are a merchant and need to set up, attend every day and then tare down. Like stated previously with the football games, a lot of families share accommodations or rent an entire residence and split the costs, rather than renting hotel rooms in the State College area.
I would like to conclude with the following. To me, the reason that more and more people travel to State College every year is because the University is just a great institution that many people would like to be associated with. I have heard this many times but I can not confirm it but several people have told me that more PSU students return to State College to live than any other college, and I believe it. The big little town is such a social hot spot that once people live there, they long for it and want to get back to it. You might think, well, many folks miss college after they graduate but I am talking about individuals who leave the area, work a complete profession in another state or city and then go back to State College once they retire. So, if you are thinking about State College travel, you better be careful, you will possibly not ever want to return back home.