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State College Hotels
September 1st, 2010 by Ben Mellott, under Vacations. No Comments
More than likely, you have never been aware of a tiny borough in PA referred to as State College. This simply named town is really a big college town with lots of activities to discover. It also has got the unconventional nickname of “Happy Valley”. if you have heard of it, you already know that State College is where the Penn State Univerity campus is. It is a little community with a massive university, and so the area has many events that can bring in 1000s of folks. So, let’s discuss a few of these occurrences and you will understand why they refer to it as Happy Valley.
I would be remiss not to mention the Penn State Football team when speaking of Travel to State College. They are by far the biggest draw, as far as State College Travel goes. There are dozens and dozens of State College Hotels that would be out of business, if the football went away. Just consider that Beaver Stadium, the home of the Nittany Lions, holds well over 100,000 people. State College is also well known for its Tail Gating community so a home game is like the hugest party that you have probably ever been to. Even while the game is progress and ticket holders are inside, I would bet that there are still many many thousands of people that remain in the lots that surround the arena. They listen to the game on the radio or bring portable antennas to view it on TV, it’s quit a site to see.
As you might guess several vacationers rent hotel rooms for the weekend or camp out out around the arena in Recreational vehicles as well as in tents. These accommodation prospects can turn out to be a little expensive depending on just how you view them. State College is full of what I say is very nice hotels and motels and other lodging, that I think are sensibly priced. However, just like any other vacationer type city, whenever the football games are going on, guess what happens? The prices go way up! Now, it may well seem less costly to get a car parking pass and camp near the stadium yet you ought to be careful when you do this because it not a park, so you can’t just Daniel Boone it and I do not have to tell you how expensive it may be to own and operate an RV. Some fans have resorted to finding houses that exist for home game weekends and rent them instead. Sometimes it is especially wise if you travel with a large group and just break down the expense out between every person, 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 massive as the dance is, I am not sure how many people journey into State College for it. I recognize that it raises a bunch of money and that the Four Diamonds Fund is huge for the National Cancer Society. Thon is a year round deal now, so more people journey in and out of State College than many people think. Either way, it’s a wonderful tradition that aids a lot of kids, therefore I thought I would plug it, just cause I want to. Even though they do many additional events, the two day long dancing marathon is usually put on in February.
Another of the most popular 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 downtown and draws thousands of consumers from the nearby area as well as from all over the world. It entails way more than it’s title indicates. Yes, it had tiny roots and started out as an outdoor art exhibition but now, the several day function is much, much more. Art’s fest has something for everyone. Along with the usual art, sculpture, music, munchies, jewelry and crafts, there’s a kid’s day, where the kids are vendors along with face painting and, well you see what I mean.
Arts Festival happens during the warm months when many students are no longer on campus but you would not realize it for those who have ever visited the festivities. The downtown is not actually set up for that much influx. State College is a suburb with a big campus, so parking and lodging can be problems. Since Arts fest is a several day event, it can get quit expensive, specifically if you are merchant and need to set up, attend every day and then tare down. Like mentioned previously with the football games, a lot of families share lodging or rent an entire home and divided the expenses, rather than renting hotel rooms in the State College area.
I will conclude on this note. To me the primary reason that more and more people travel to State College each and every year is because the University is a great institution that many people only want to be associated with it. I have heard this many times but I can’t validate it but many people have told me that more PSU students return to State College to live than any other college near your vicinity and I believe it. The big little town is such a social hub that once people live there, they long for it and want to get back. I am sure that many people miss college after they graduate but I am talking about people that leave the area, work a complete career in another cit or state and then return to State College once they retire. So, should you be thinking about State College travel, you better be cautious, you might not ever want to return home.
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