Although you may not be able to head down the shore, tan on a beach, catch a baseball game, barbecue by a pool, or do whatever western Pennsylvanians do on Labor Day weekend, there are plenty of activities in Happy Valley to squeeze out the last bits of summer.

Penn State Football

Let’s start with the obvious here.

Penn State hosts Marshall at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Beaver Stadium. The weather is supposed to be exceptional, with partly cloudy skies and a high of 77 degrees. The first tailgates of the new season will undoubtedly be a blast. Hop out of bed and kick your Saturday off early for a long day of Penn State football.

Bald Eagle State Park

There are many beautiful sights around Happy Valley, though one thing always seems to be missing: a big body of water.

Bald Eagle State Park is one of the exceptions. The 5,900-acre state park features a man-made reservoir that spans 1,730 acres of water and a (small) strip of beach to go with it. And the best part is? You can rent boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards to explore every last acre of the reservoir.

Labor Day weekend is their last guaranteed available weekend to explore Bald Eagle State Park via their rental vehicles.

University Wine Compnay

While it might sound like a 21+ activity, those under 21 are welcome to enjoy University Wine Company’s Fall Harvest Festival.

The festival will feature live music from Honey Pie and Group Therapy, three different tastes of food trucks, and over 20 vendors, including downtown State College’s own McLanahan’s.

Located at 540 Misty Hill Drive, the event will run from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 6.

Per their website, all those purchasing wine will have their photo ID’s checked.

Downtown State College Farmer’s Market

Every Friday until the end of November, Locust Lane hosts a farmer’s market with a dozen vendors that sell anything from soap to coffee.

Running from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the market is a staple of downtown State College. All vendors are local, and most, if not all, products are locally sourced. If you can’t make it this Friday, as the weather begins to cool, you may feel autumn coming on, and this market will only heighten that fall feeling.

Mount Nittany

There’s never a bad day to hike Mount Nittany.

Sunday and Monday both offer a high of 75 degrees and sun, and there are no better conditions to hike the beautiful mountain our mascot is named after. Mount Nittany is a relatively easy hike that takes no more than an hour to get a breathtaking overview of Happy Valley and all it has to offer.

It’s about 1.4 miles round-trip to the Mike Lynch Overlook, a popular spot for hikers, or up to 5.2 miles if you complete the full loop and explore all overlooks.

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