Another strong year for tourism in Centre County meant another record total for the grant program supporting nonprofit events and initiatives that help drive visitations to the local community.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Centre County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday announced 91 marketing and tourism enhancement projects will receive $1,150,250 from the Tourism Grant Program this year. It surpasses last year’s record total by about $50,000 and marks the largest number of recipients in the program’s 24-year history.
The grant program is funded by a portion of the 5% local occupancy tax on lodging authorized by the county —so the more rooms that are booked, the more money that is available for the program designed to boost initiatives and facilities that drive tourism and improve quality of life.
“That continued growth matters,” said Eric Engelbarts, president and CEO of the HVAB. “In many ways, this program is the clearest measure of the growth of visitation in Happy Valley. That is why there is such a strong emphasis on overnight visitation. Day visitors and local residents are incredibly important to our events, attractions, restaurants, shops and communities, but overnight stays are what drive the success and future growth of the tourism grant program.”
Centre County tourism has been on a steady upward trajectory since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the grant program awarding a new record total each of the past four years while visitations surpassed 5 million and visitor spending topped $1 billion each of the past two years.
Commissioner Mark Higgins noted that grant funding has almost quadrupled since he started on the board in 2016.
“The grant recipients make a tremendous impact on our entire tourism ecosystem and… our local quality of life,” Higgins said, adding that the industry employs 8,000 people, about 2,000 more than pre-pandemic. “The recipients have so much to offer the people of Centre County and those who visit. This is why we’re seeing the record breaking tourism revenue in the county.”
Wednesday’s event was held at The Aboretum at Penn State, which received a $12,000 grant for marketing.
Casey Sclar, H.O. Smith Endowed Director of The Arboretum, is also treasurer and public policy chair of PA Gardens, which advocates in Harrisburg for the power of public gardens as attractions. Places like The Arboretum, he said, are dedicated to conservation, education, specialty crop horticulture, health and well-being and agritourism.
“We take very seriously our $500 million combined injection as public gardens, and you have two wonderful examples here in the immediate vicinity,” Sclar said. “Both us and [fellow grant recipient] Rhoneymeade do wonderful things that connect to all those different points to help drive tourism.
“We really want this place to continue to grow and to continue to be a community destination, but also a regional and important destination for the surrounding areas to come in. And that’s what we’re all about.”
The Arboretum and Rhoneymeade were among this year’s recipients selected from a pool of 103 applications totaling $2.4 million.
Commissioner Amber Concepcion said those included “a lot of really innovative and new proposals.”
“This year’s amazing applications truly show how our local nonprofits and diverse organizations are continuously thinking of new and creative ideas to bring people together through welcoming events and intentional community spaces,” Concepcion said.
“These grants are well distributed throughout Centre County and not only concentrated in our population centers by promoting events and supporting community spaces throughout the county. We hope to encourage all residents and visitors to explore more of our beautiful county and to venture a bit off the beaten path.”
The grant program, which is open to nonprofit organizations and municipalities, had 11 first-time recipients for 2026-27.
Among them is Freedom Rising USA, a recently created organization “dedicated to honoring heritage, celebrating service and strengthening community bonds,” Vice President Mitch DeLong said. The organization, in coordination with American Legion Post 245, is for the first time organizing the Independence Day parade in downtown State College on July 4 and received a $3,000 grant for the event.
The parade traces back to 1927, when it was introduced by Alpha Fire Company, and in recent years was sponsored by Central PA 4th Fest (another grant recipient).
“When the 4th Fest was unable to support the parade this year, Freedom Rising USA stepped forward as a new organization,” DeLong said. “This grant has been critical in helping us build visibility, name recognition and a momentum for the future.
“The grant was provided as an essential boost as we prepare for the 250th Independence Day celebration. And as we look forward to the parade’s 100th anniversary next year, our goals are to increase community involvement, extend parade participation and position our nonprofit for long-term stability. With the parade’s centennial approaching, we believe it can become an even stronger draw for families visiting the region and finding their happy place here.”
Another first-time recipient is Sock & Buskin Theatre Company, which received $1,000 to market its fall 2026 and spring 2027 seasons.
Formed in 2022, the all-volunteer theater company has become an integral part of the Centre County performing arts scene with plays, dinner theater, murder mysteries and, recently, its first musical production. But as its built its standing and drawn fans throughout Centre County and beyond, the group has had little money to dedicate to marketing.
“If you want to do something with very little money, ask a thespian,” Sock & Busking co-founder and president Stefanie Austin said. “If you’ve ever been involved in theater, we can really make money grow.”
The grant funding, Austin said, will be used for professional design of show posters, logos and print and digital advertising that reflect the quality of the company’s productions.
“I think so many people hear community theater and they think low quality, and if you haven’t seen our shows, that’s just simply not the case,” Austin said. “Because we’re volunteer and because we’re community theater, what you are getting is people who really love it. And so what you get is people who are there because for the love of it, and they really put their heart and soul into the productions. So being able to have professionally designed logos and show posters demonstrates that commitment to quality.”
Now entering its second year, the New Ground Orchestra Festival received a $4,000 grant for promotional efforts.
Director and conductor Rebekah O’Brien created the festival in 2025 to bring together women musicians from around the world to strengthen their relationships, focus on health and wellness and participate in community activities while preparing for a culminating concert.
O’Brien said more than 50 musicians will participate in this summer’s festival. They will be involved with public programming, do community service with Taproot Kitchen and Plowshare Produce, participate in well-being experiences and hold a classical music jam at Pine Grove Hall in the week leading up to a performance of Dvorak’s New World Symphony on July 31 at Penn State’s Recital Hall.
“I had women flying from Seattle, from Portland, from Brussels, Belgium to be involved last summer, and many of those women are coming back this summer,” O’Brien said. “We also invite students who are on the performance track to join us and be side by side and hear stories from these professional women musicians — some in their mid-20s, some in their early-70s — about what life as a professional female musician is like and how you can take care of yourself. so that you can give your whole heart in a performance.
“I am so grateful for the support of the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, for all those that support them being able to give so much generosity to our community.”
The New Ground Orchestra Festival is one of many recent additions to a lineup of events that have drawn visitors to Centre County.
Looking from The Arboretum toward the Penn State campus, Commissioner Steve Dershem reflected on how not only has the university grown, but so too has Centre County and its tourism industry.
“Tourism maybe was always taken for granted before,” Dershem said. “Maybe it was there was seven, eight weekends a year where Penn State football was a thing. You know, everything centered around that, and not that it still doesn’t, but there’s so much more than any generation before us has ever understood. And I think this is one example of why not only Penn State, but Centre County has grown into really a tourist destination.”
Since 2003-04, when the hotel occupancy tax was first instituted, the grant program has awarded more than $10.55 million.
2026-27 Tourism Grant recipients:
- 3 Dots Downtown – $5,000 for immersive events venue marketing
- A Soldier’s Hands – $3,000 to market A Walk to Remember our Fallen
- A Way to Help (Way Fruit Farm) – $7,500 to market Art in the Orchard
- AAUW State College – $3,000 to market the State College Used Book Sale
- Art Alliance of Central PA – $1,500 for Art Alliance marketing
- Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County – $15,000 for the 2026-27 exhibition and programming schedule
- Bellefonte Arts & Crafts Fair – $6,000 to market the Arts & Crafts Fair
- Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association – $12,500 to market Civil War Weekend in Bellefonte
- Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (Enhancement) – $6,000 for passenger service enhancements to the ticketing area
- Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society – $10,000 to market railroad excursions
- Boalsburg Village Historical Society – $4,000 to market Boalsburg Hometown Christmas
- Boalsburg Village Historical Society – $5,000 to market Memorial Day “A Day in Towne”
- Borough of Philipsburg – $15,000 to market Philipsburg Heritage Days
- Bryce Jordan Center – $30,000 for BJC marketing
- Burning Ma’am – $15,000 for marketing BURNING MA’AM 2027
- C3 Sports and Event Center – $20,000 for a regional tourism growth and event attraction marketing campaign
- Central PA July 4th, Inc. – $45,000 for Central PA 4th Fest
- Central PA Tasting Trail -$18,000 to market the craft beverage trail
- Central PA Tasting Trail – $10,000 to market the Outdoor Adventure on Tap event
- Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (Enhancement) – $25,000 capital improvements to festival infrastructure
- Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts -$75,000 to market Arts Fest and First Night State College
- Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair – $25,000 to market Grange Fair
- Centre County Historical Society – $35,000 for the Explore Centre County: Heritage marketing initiative
- Centre County Library and Historical Museum (Enhancement) – $27,000 to complete renovations to the Miles-Humes Mansion
- Centre County PAWS*** – $2,500 to market PAWS-tober Fest
- Centre County United Way*** – $5,000 to market Taste of the Town
- Centre Film Festival – $25,000 to market the festival
- Centre LGBT+ – $10,000 to market State College PRIDE
- Centre Region Community Tennis Association*** – $2,500 to market the State College USTA Junior Tennis Tournament
- Centre Volunteers in Medicine – $16,500 to market the Centre County Cornhole Classic, Nittany Valley Half Marathon, and Centre Cycling Classic
- ClearWater Conservancy – $9,000 for Centered Outdoors Season 10 marketing
- Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum – $5,000 for museum tour and special event promotion
- Constitution Day Centre Inc. – $2,500 for Constitution Day promotion
- Discovery Space of Central PA – for Gorinto Productions – $10,000 for Secret Planet marketing
- Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania – $30,000 for year-round marketing to families, Maker Faire Happy Valley, Winter Market at The Rivet
- Downtown Bellefonte Inc. – $20,000 for Experience Bellefonte campaign, year two
- Downtown State College Improvement District -$20,000 for Fall Fest 2026, Holiday Light Show and Sips & Sounds 2027
- Freedom Rising USA*** – $3,000 for Central Pennsylvania Independence Day Parade
- Friends of Egg Hill Church** – $1,000 for America250 at Egg Hill Church
- Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum** – $7,000 for museum outreach
- Haines Township – $6,000 for the 50th Annual Dutch Fall Festival
- Happy Valley Improv, LLC -$18,000 for the Sixth Annual Happy Valley XL Improv Festival
- Historic Bellefonte Cruise – $25,000 to market the Cruise
- Historic Bellefonte Inc. – $5,000 to market the Arts & Crafts Fair
- Historic Bellefonte Inc. – $10,000 to market Bellefonte Victorian Christmas
- Historic Bellefonte Inc. – $3,000 for America250 celebration/Hometown Hero banner program
- Howard Volunteer Fire Company – $5,000 for the annual Punkin Chunkin Festival
- Jana Marie Foundation – $3,000 to market the Hobby Horse Derby
- Juniata Valley Council, Scouting America -$4,000 for website refresh and media campaign
- Latin Vibe – $5,000 to market the sixth annual Happy Valley Latin Festival
- Lemont Village Association -$1,000 to market Lemont Village Association events
- Moss Farm – $2,500 to market the Moss Farm Film & Arts Invitational
- Mount Nittany Conservancy – $5,000 to promote Hike Mount Nittany!
- Mountaintop Area Swimming Pool Association (Enhancement) – $30,000 for pool expansion continuation project
- New Ground Orchestra Festival – $4,000 to promote the 2026 New Ground Orchestra Festival
- Nittany Knights – $2,000 to market the annual show
- Nittany Lion Rugby Association (Enhancement) – $1,000 for the Art of 7s Rugby Tournament
- Nittany Mountain Biking Association (Enhancement) – $18,000 for Harvest Fields Community Trail expansion to support larger events
- Nittany Mountain Biking Association – $7,000 for Harvest Fields Community Trails visitor marketing initiative
- Nittany Multisport, Inc.*** – $7,500 to market the Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathons
- Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority (Enhancement)*** – $25,000 for Keppler Pool Bathhouse improvements
- Patton Township’s Happy Valley Comic Con – $20,000 to market Patton Township’s Happy Valley Comic Con
- Penns Valley Pedals and Pints – $4,500 for 2026-27 season marketing
- Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra – $5,000 for a digital marketing campaign
- Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra – $5,000 to market the orchestra’s 2026-27 season
- Pennsylvania Environmental Council – $2,500 to market the Public Lands Ride
- People’s Choice Festival Inc. – $30,000 to market the festival
- Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation – $17,500 to market PRC community events
- Pleasant Gap Fire Co. – $2,500 for the Pleasant Gap Fire Co. Fall Fest
- Rhoneymeade Inc. – $2,000 for general marketing
- Rowland Theatre Inc. (Enhancement) – $36,000 for a sound system
- Schlow Centre Region Library – $1,500 to market Bookfest PA
- Seasons of Rothrock Adventures – $16,000 to market Seasons of Rothrock races
- Sock & Buskin Theatre Company — $1,000 to market the fall 2026 and spring 2027 seasons
- State College Choral Society – $3,500 for audience expansion marketing efforts
- State College Youth Ice Hockey Association*** – $3,000 to market the Happy Valley Youth Hockey Tournament Series at Pegula Ice Arena
- State College Youth Ice Hockey Association*** – $1,000 to market Happy Valley Elite Skills Clinic
- Tempest Productions Inc. – $12,000 to market the Central PA Shakespeare Festival
- The Makery of Central Pennsylvania – $3,750 to market Makery Magic
- The Nittany Valley Symphony – $6,000 to market the 60th anniversary season
- The Orpheus Singers – $1,500 to market the 2026-27 season
- The Pennsylvania State University – Arboretum – $12,000 to market The Arboretum
- The Pennsylvania State University – Center for the Performing Arts – $18,000 for 2026-27 season support
- The Pennsylvania State University – Centre Stage – $22,500 for 2026-27 season support
- The Pennsylvania State University – Palmer Museum of Art – $30,000 to market exhibitions and programs
- The Pennsylvania State University – Shaver’s Creek – $7,000 to market the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center
- The Roland Curtin Foundation for the Preservation of Eagle Furnace (Enhancement) – $5,000 for an Eagle Forge interpretive scale model
- The Roland Curtin Foundation for the Preservation of Eagle Furnace – $13,000 for marketing and program enhancements
- The State Theatre Inc. (Enhancement) – $65,000 for audio console upgrades
- The State Theatre Inc. – $30,000 for marketing and artist support
- Wildlife For Everyone Endowment Foundation – $4,500 to market the Great Outdoor Picnic
**Awarded funding but have since rescinded request
***New Tourism Grant Recipients
