A weekend without football is a hard concept to wrap your head around.

Tailgating, getting dressed up, putting stickers on your face, and devouring chicken baskets — it all becomes a weekly routine. It’s something to look forward to at the end of each week, providing a much-needed break from studying and exams.

But a bye week isn’t the worst thing in the world either, especially considering how stressful last week’s nail-biter against Pitt was. In fact, it seems like lately, football has been adding more stress to our lives than not.

So take the time this weekend to catch up on your sleep, de-stress a little, and broaden your horizons by doing things and going places you wouldn’t have the time for on any other football weekend.

Go For A Hike

What better way to kick off your Saturday morning than with a good ol’ hike? There is no shortage of places to visit near State College. From Mount Nittany to the various state parks within a thirty-mile radius of campus, you honestly can’t go wrong. The views are reason enough to wake up early and start your day on a good note.

If hiking up a mountain really isn’t your thing, you can always just go to the Arboretum. It’s one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on campus, perfect for relaxing and simply enjoying the fresh air.

Apple Picking

Yes, apple-picking SZN is upon us. So why not spend your day in the orchard, eating more apples than you can pick? Your fridge will be stocked with apple pies, crisp, and cobbler galore for weeks.

Harner Farm on West College Ave. is my go-to option for this. With 100-acres of farmland, including a corn maze and pumpkin field, you’ll have plenty to see and do.

The farm is open 9 a.m. to dusk on Saturday and 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Experience Historic Bellefonte

Bellefonte is perfect for a day trip if you’re looking to get out of town and experience something new/different. Spend the day shopping, dining at local restaurants, or dabbling in history. You can visit the Bellefonte Art Museum, the Historical Railroad Society, Centre County Courthouse, or Talleyrand Park.

Jason Aldean and Ty Dolla $ign

Country music star Jason Aldean is bringing his “Ride All Night” tour to the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday, September 21. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and will also include performances by Cole Swindell, Carly Pearce, and Dee Jay Silver.

If you don’t want to spend the money to purchase tickets for a concert, you’re in luck. Another concert featuring rapper Ty Dolla $ign will take over the HUB lawn on Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m. This performance will be free of charge, courtesy of SPA.

Homework

It’s inevitable. I know this isn’t the most exciting thing to do on a Saturday, but it never hurts to stop procrastinating for once and actually get things done. You’ll certainly make things easier for yourself for the rest of the week, and the Sunday Scaries won’t hit too hard the next day.

Wine ‘n Pierogi Fest

If you’re in the mood for some yummy food and wine, the Wine ‘n Pierogi Fest is perfect for you. For just $10, you can get tickets to the event, where there will be endless samples of wine and food.

The festival will be held at the Ramada Conference Center on Sunday, September 22 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Check Out Other Penn State Sports

Contrary to popular belief, Penn State is more than just a football school. There are plenty of teams to follow, and what better time to start checking them out than now?

No. 4 Penn State women’s volleyball will host No. 6 Pitt Friday night at Rec Hall in a highly anticipated match-up slated for 8 p.m. The two teams will meet again Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., this time in Pittsburgh.

Women’s soccer is set to square off against Michigan State at Jeffrey Field this Sunday at 1 p.m. The Nittany Lions will try to stop their current losing streak and bounce back from a devastating loss in this conference game against the Spartans.