A lot has changed in Happy Valley since the last Arts Fest, People’s Choice. Here’s what’s new
READ MORE
Summer fests return
Here’s what you need to know for the first in-person Arts Fest and People’s Choice Festival in two years.
Expand All
A lot has changed around the Centre Region in three short years.
The last time two of Centre County’s favorite festivals greeted visitors — the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and the People’s Choice Festival — many of the new student high-rises still hadn’t been completed. Since the most recent in-person festivals in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced out some businesses, inspired a mass of renovations and seen numerous new shops and restaurants open.
Not everything has changed for the better. But that doesn’t mean everything has grown worse, either. Beloved State College icon The Tavern (220 E. College Ave.) added an indoor and outdoor dining space on the second floor, where two apartments once stood; several new breweries and wineries have been embraced by locals; and a number of new eateries have generated the kind of hype usually reserved for sports teams.
We haven’t detailed every single change or every opening, but we have outlined a comprehensive list of what’s new in the area around Arts Fest and People’s Choice (which moved locations this year) to get you started. For those who haven’t visited since 2019, this should give you an idea of how much has changed and what new stops might be worth adding to your summer itinerary. For locals, with so many openings and closings, you’d be superhuman if you could track them all — so even you might find an addition ... or two ... or three ... that you weren’t aware of.
Here is what’s new since summer 2019:
Breweries & Wineries
Antifragile Brewing Company (324 E. Calder Way, State College): Yes, you’re reading this right — downtown State College finally has its own brewery. It opened this past April and features its own craft beer, hard kombucha, non-alcoholic kombucha and craft cocktails.
Axemann Brewery (2042 Axemann Road, Suite 125, Bellefonte): This spacious, 27,000-square-foot brewery is located in a converted metal factory and features indoor cornhole, trivia nights and occasional live music (Velveeta is playing July 15). Even if you don’t visit, you’ll almost certainly stumble upon some of their brews in town, such as the Kolsch-style “Blue Stripe.” The eatery inside is changing hands and might not be ready in time for Arts Fest but, in the meantime, there are always at least two food trucks stationed outside.
University Wine Company (540 Misty Hill Drive, State College): True, University Wine Company has been around in some form since 2011 — but the Misty Hill location opened in November 2020. It features a scenic vineyard, paid tastings and events/experiences, such as a food truck and live music July 15.
Food/Drink
Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and Carvel (324 E. College Ave., State College): We combined these three into one entry since they’re all located at the same place. To each his or her own.
Big Dean’s Hot Chicken (208 W. College Ave., State College): This is the first standalone restaurant for the eatery, which first opened inside a ShopRite in Roxborough and earned some love from the Philadelphia Inquirer. This location specializes in chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches that range from not spicy to Nashville Hot to “Dang Hot.”
The Cakeshop by Tati (113 E. College Ave., Pleasant Gap): Trust us, you’ll want to add this stop to your itinerary. Read up on the owners’ culinary resumes (i.e. impressive Manhattan experience), enjoy French pastries made from scratch, and stock up early.
Central Reservation (101 E. Beaver Ave., State College): The American restaurant and bar offers open-air seating and also brands itself as upscale, with entrees such as Duck Ragu and a Blackened Kobe Burger. It has a number of specialty cocktails.
Chick-fil-A at Happy Valley (1938 N. Atherton St., State College): We’ve got good news and bad news. First, the bad: Chick-fil-A is temporarily closed until sometime in September due to construction. The good news: When it reopens, it’ll have a bigger kitchen, a dual-lane drive-thru and significantly less traffic congestion.
El Jefe’s Taqueria (352 E. Calder Way, State College): Say hello to a new late-night Mexican spot that, in the mornings, also carries Mexican breakfast staples like Huevos Rancheros. It’s open every day from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Elixr Coffee Roasters (123 W. Beaver Ave., State College): This replaced the former Saint’s Cafe location, which closed in December. Elixr now has six locations — including four in Philadelphia, one in Nashville and one in State College. Its aim is to deliver a “transformative coffee experience.”
K2 Roots (109 S. Fraser St., State College): Gold medal wrestler David Taylor and his wife, Kendra, were part of the group that founded the smoothie and juice bar. The downtown State College location was the business’ second, though it functions as the flagship spot.
Lupita’s Authentic Mexican Food (312 W. Beaver Ave., State College): If you’ve never heard of Lupita’s; boy, do we have a lot to catch you up on. The first location opened just a few weeks before the 2019 Arts Fest at the Uni-Mart at 3180 W. College Ave. It quickly earned a cult following with freshly made sopes, tostadas, empanadas, and more. Since then, it’s opened another location in Milesburg and a sit-down restaurant earlier this year in downtown State College.
Mr. Wish, Hibachi Express and Aone Mart (320 E. College Ave., State College): If you’re wondering why we’ve grouped these three spots together, it’s because — well — they’re all located in the same spot. Mr. Wish is a bubble tea franchise; Hibachi Express is a Japanese-inspired hibachi restaurant; and Aone Mart is an Asian convenience store.
Raising Cane’s (228 E. College Ave., State College): This location has a lot to boast about — $1.6 million in renovations; 4,000 square feet that hold about 110 customers; lots of Penn State memorabilia; and, of course, never-frozen/made-to-order chicken fingers. This is only the second Raising Cane’s in Pennsylvania, as the restaurant can mostly be found in the South.
RE Farm Cafe (1000 S. Fillmore Road, State College): Located at Windswept Farm, this spot opened just a week or two after the 2019 Arts Fest. You’ll need to make reservations prior to heading there. The menu changes weekly; it’s hard to beat the view.
Social Food + Drink (201 E. Beaver Ave., State College): The bistro-style restaurant in the lobby of the Scholar Hotel offers a full-service bar and a handful of small menu items.
Titan Market (2042 Axemann Road, Bellefonte): Located next to Axemann Brewery, this building features an indoor market with various local vendors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Vendors aren’t just limited to food and drink, as you can find a little of everything here.
Trophy Room (125 S. Atherton St., State College): The restaurant and bar opened last August inside of the Graduate State College hotel. Its limited menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches, soup, desserts, cocktails, wine and beer.
URBN Flavourhaus (205 Park Place, Bellefonte): This contemporary restaurant, with several locations around the county, bills itself as featuring “handcrafted coffees, fresh hot donuts, gourmet burgers, wood-fired wings, sandwiches, unique entrees and epic shakes.” Where else in Centre County can you feast on a burger that blends bison, elk, boar and wagyu?
Weirdoughs Custom Pizzeria (204 E. College Ave., State College): The create-your-own pizza shop opened in fall 2020 and features regular crust, gluten-free crust and cauliflower crust. One of its first customers? Penn State football coach James Franklin.
Wendy’s (521 University Drive, State College): This opened earlier in the year, replacing the longtime Burger King that shut down during the pandemic. It does not have a drive-thru.
Yallah Taco (310 E. College Ave., State College): You might already be familiar with the tacos, burritos and rice bowls from this establishment on McAllister Way. But a second, larger location opened here, after the 2020 closure of the former Taco Bell.
Miscellaneous
Aldi (1798 N. Atherton St. and 780 Benner Pike, State College): That’s right; there are now two new locations of the discount-grocery chain within the State College area. Both opened within the last 10 months and mostly feature their own brands.
Blue Brick Theatre (209 W. Calder Way, State College): Happy Valley Improv pinballed around Happy Valley for years, but opened their own 45-seat improv comedy theater last summer. Performances occur every Friday at 7 p.m.
Curaleaf State College (1248 S. Atherton St., State College): Centre County’s second medical marijuana dispensary opened earlier this year, at the former site of the Citizens Bank in State College.
Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub Building (123 S. Burrowes St., State College): We won’t get into everything that’s changed at Penn State these last few years. But we felt this merited a special mention for a few reasons — it’s downtown, it recently took on the name of the outgoing university president, and it’s a building designed for entrepreneurial students and residents alike.
The Gamble Mill (160 Dunlop Street, Bellefonte): This historic building, which was built in 1894 but can trace its roots back to 1786, housed a brewery years ago. But it’s been rejuvenated the last three years, with basically five businesses now inside — including inn and suites, The Speakeasy (event space), The Republic (craft cocktails), Creekside Restaurant, and Smith + Front Boutique (local/handmade items).
IQ Skateshop (118 S. Pugh St., State College): The place to stop downtown if you’re looking for a skateboard, footwear or skating apparel. Professional skateboarder and State College native Jake Johnson owns the shop and has even helped design the public skatepark coming to the area.
Master Goblin Games (234 E. College Ave., Unit D, State College): The one-stop shop for all things board games opened last September. It has six locations around the U.S., including in cities like Denver and Portland.
The Pet Pub (507 Benner Pike, State College): Opened in 2020, this pet-centric business features both grooming a retail shop — including a bakery, just for pets, that contains freshly made treats for even the fussiest eater.
Scholar Hotel State College (205 E. Beaver Ave., State College): The 72-room hotel, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, caters to those seeking extended stays from two weeks to three months. On a side note, this same company is set to take over the Nittany Lion Inn and Penn Stater, so it might be worth a quick trip inside to see what they’ve done here.
Sephora at Kohl’s (275 Colonnade Blvd., State College): The retail chain with upmarket makeup, perfumes, beauty and skincare products opened in the spring, inside of Kohl’s State College. It is the first Sephora in Centre County.
Stage West - State College (420 E. College Ave., State College): This 600-person live music venue originally planned to open in February 2020, right around the start of the pandemic. It already has a few acts planned for the weekend of Arts Fest.
Verilife State College (1820 S. Atherton St., State College): This medical marijuana dispensary, the county’s third, opened earlier this year at the former site of Home D Pizzeria.
Student housing
The Maxxen (131 Hiester St., State College): This student-centered high-rise, formerly known as Here State College, opened in 2020. Feel free to read the recent Google reviews.
The Standard at State College (330 W. College Ave., State College): The 12-story building overlooks the intersection of College Avenue and Atherton Street. It bills itself as “ultimate student living.”
CDT reporter Bret Pallotto contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 10, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
