Gazette Flavor & Fun

PLEASANT GAP — The Centre County Conservation District recently presented the 2025 Conservation Awards as a precursor to the annual Farm City Week festivities. Farm City Week, which runs from November 26 to December 3, is a national observance recognizing the cooperative relationship between agricultural areas and urban areas. On Oct. 21, the Centre County…

By ELANA LAING Happy Valley Adventure Bureau  Happy Valley attracts more than 5 million visitors primarily from a 250-mile radius. But this past May, one local resident and Penn State University student became a tourist in her own hometown. It wasn’t until Elana Laing started working as the public relations intern for The Happy Valley…

The unsolved murder of Betsy Aardsma STATE COLLEGE — For more than five decades, the story of Betsy Aardsma has drifted through Penn State like a ghost story. A graduate student and just 22 years old, Aardsma was stabbed once in the heart in the basement stacks of Pattee Library. Her killer was never found.…

BELLEFONTE — Belle Mercantile grew out of a simple belief: people in Bellefonte shouldn’t have to leave town to find something thoughtful, useful or unique. What began as a small marketplace has evolved into a vibrant collective where handmade goods, practical gifts and local creativity all live under one roof. And for owner Andrea Skirpan,…

BELLEFONTE — At Teresa’s Treasures, “treasures” isn’t a marketing line. It’s a invitation to what lies behind the business’ doors. And if you walk in for one thing, you might be leaving with three. Tucked into 126 W. High St. in downtown Bellefonte, the small shop started out as a knife store and has quietly…

STATE COLLEGE — As part of its annual Season of Giving, Mount Nittany Health is donating $10,000 to the State College Food Bank. In addition, the health system has launched an employee food drive to collect nonperishable food and essential supplies to further support the food bank’s efforts throughout the holiday season. This initiative reflects…

PHILIPSBURG — The Centre Film Festival concluded its seventh edition with a dynamic Closing Night Awards Ceremony at the historic Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg, honoring multigenerational filmmakers across 13 categories and highlighting the powerful collaborations between the global creative community and the region’s arts and cultural organizations. This year’s festival showcased films and guests from…

STATE COLLEGE — Standouts in Centre County’s tourism and hospitality community were celebrated at the Fourth Annual Happy Valley Hospitality Awards & Gala on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at Brass 16823 in Bellefonte. “The contributions of our tourism and hospitality community matter greatly to our destination marketing mission,” said Fritz Smith, President and CEO of The…

CENTRE COUNTY — The 2025 Centre Film Festival will begin in State College on Nov. 9with a search for a lost slice of pizza and end on the Nov. 16 at Philipsburg’s Rowland Theater on a journey with a Palestinian boy in an Oscar nominated foreign feature film.In between, moviegoers can experience almost every type…

By ELANA LAING Happy Valley Adventure Bureau The holiday season is quickly approaching. What better way to spend it than with the most special people, in the most special place — in Happy Valley. Here’s a guide on how to get festive, host the best holiday parties, potlucks, and get-togethers while supporting local businesses and…