by Margaret McAvoy

Happy Valley is known for its family-friendly events, and Blue-White Weekend at Penn State may be the most popular. The weekend's activities include fireworks Friday and Saturday night, a Penn State Idol competition, a parade and rides.

For the first time ever, the Blue-White carnival will run the duration of the weekend, starting at 6 p.m. Friday, April 15, and ending Sunday, April 17, at 3 p.m.

For a complete schedule of the weekend, click here.

But the highlight for the area’s youngest Nittany Lions is the annual autograph session that takes place before Saturday’s game.

Mark McFall, coordinator of the student section at Penn State, has been involved with the Penn State football autograph-signing for nearly 20 years. He has witnessed people lining up in downpours, kids sprinting to get a closer look at their favorite player, and even a child being thrown over the rail like a football to snag an autograph.

The Penn State football players will sign autographs at Gate B, closest to the All-Sports Museum. The session begins at 12:30, and will last about 45 minutes to an hour, said Mark Bodenschatz, associate athletic director for facilities and operations. While kids have lined up in the past, the wait isn’t extreme, he said.

“Some of the things you see are pretty touching,” McFall said. “It’s fun when you watch a big linemen give a kid a huge hug.”

Related coverage

• StateCollege.com Blue-White Weekend page