A national, Olympic-style event is coming to Happy Valley in 2026. What you should know
A national, Olympic-style event that takes place every other year is heading to Happy Valley in 2026.
The State Games of America, which involve 30 states and more than 30 sports, will host their biennial six-day sporting event from July 28-Aug. 2, 2026, in Centre County at multiple venues to be determined. At least 8,000 amateur athletes and supporters across all ages are expected to take part, according to a joint announcement Tuesday from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA).
It’s the first time in more than a decade that Pennsylvania has hosted the national event. The last time was 2013, when the Hershey and Harrisburg areas welcomed participants.
“Similar to Ironman, hosting the State Games of America is a wonderful opportunity for Happy Valley, both economically and from a visibility standpoint,” HVSEA Executive Director Eric Engelbarts said in a written statement. “The marketing and branding value of hosting an event of this stature is an amazing ancillary benefit. Like Ironman, it is an event that will take support from the community, which has been incredible.”
Local residents and Pennsylvanians might be more familiar with the smaller, state-level sporting event in the Keystone State Games, which will be held later this month in Luzerne County. The national biennial event simply invites gold, silver and bronze finishers from those state games across the U.S. — in addition to past 2022 or 2024 medalists from the national games — to compete in the larger event. But, for Pennsylvanians, it’s even easier to qualify.
Because Pennsylvania is hosting the 2026 national event, residents of the commonwealth (and neighboring states) do not need to qualify by medaling at the state games. They’ve already qualified by virtue of being a Pennsylvanian and, like the Keystone State Games, simply need to sign up. There will technically be no Keystone State Games in 2026, as state competitors will simply compete nationally.
The same held true for the most recent host state of California, where the city of San Diego will hold the national event later this month.
That means Centre County residents have some of the easiest paths to competing in the 2026 State Games of America. The full list of sporting events is not yet settled, but some sports are open to all ages while some — mainly some team sports — are open to those 18 years old and younger. Sports being considered include archery, basketball, bocce, bowling, cornhole, disc golf, esports, field hockey, flag football, golf, gymnastics, karate, pickleball, powerlifting, soccer, volleyball and wrestling, among more than two dozen others.
Because of regional differences, the sports offered tend to change from one national event to the next. In San Diego, for instance, surfing is among the listed events — and that’s not being considered in Happy Valley, obviously.
Happy Valley will be the 10th host of the State Games of America since it was first conducted biennially in 1999. Past hosts include Ames/Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colorado (thrice); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Hartford, Connecticut; Hershey/Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lincoln, Nebraska; Lynchburg, Virginia; San Diego, California (twice); and St. Louis (twice).
The State Games of America are organized by the National Congress of State Games, which is comprised of 30 organizations and designed to promote “health, fitness and character building.” It is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Multi Sports Organizational Council.
The participating venues around Happy Valley are expected to be released as the event draws closer. A timer on Keystone State Games’ website notes it’s still more than 740 days away.
