It had all the elements of a fall classic: a big crowd, tailgating and blustery conditions. The only problem — that’s not the kind of weather you expect for Penn State’s traditional Blue-White spring football game. It feels like November even though it’s April.
But the Penn State faithful were undaunted by the occasional snow, intermittent sleet, and on-again off-again showers of chilly ran that fell on tailgates scattered across the Beaver Stadium parking lots.
It was a brisk morning with temperatures in the low 40’s and an icy wind gusting up to 20 mph. But the gray skies overhead could not dampen the festival feeling.
Steaming grills loaded up with burgers, hot dogs and kielbasa were surrounded by people huddled together for warmth.
Paul Waller made the trek from Glendora, NJ. Waller didn’t attend Penn State but he enjoys Nittany Lion football — especially Joe Paterno, he says. Waller and his family are regulars for the Blue-White Game. “We do it almost every year, it’s a little chilly– football weather!”
Pete Carfley is a Penn State graduate who made the trip from his home in Camp Hill, PA. “Come to see the boys play, get a football fix in here for the spring and just get together with some friends and family and have a good time.”
Carfley is a true blue Penn State fan. He says he’s only missed three home games in the past 40 years, dating back to when he was just a kid. “I didn’t think I’d ever seen snow flurries at the end of April but I guess you get used to it around here. No, I didn’t dress right. They lied to us. I thought it was going to be a little warmer than it was, but we’ll survive. We’re tough. We’re Penn State fans”
On the west side of the stadium a party atmosphere was in the air as kids packed into the carnival rides. It looked like the Jersey Shore, with a ferris wheel, merry-go-round, tilt-a-whirl and lots more. Carnival games were everywhere and there were lots of vendors selling everything from grilled sausage to deep-fried pickles.
Nicole Snyder was running the show at Snyder’s Concessions. She thinks the weather cut down on the the size of today’s crowd. “It’s very cold. I wish it was a little warmer.” Asked how her business was making out, Snyder had a positive attitude, “For the weather it’s been good, the rain and the snow (was) unexpected, but you have to take what you can get. We’ve had bigger crowds (in past years) but I think it’s just the weather that scared people away.”
Some people were lured away by the creature comforts at home. “I was going to the game until I saw snow,” said Penn State alumnus Joel deNeuf, who now lives in Atlanta. “It’s too cold for my Georgia blood.” deNeuf said he was heading downtown to watch the game on television.
The weather may have scared off some people but thousands of Penn State fans weren’t bothered by the winter-like conditions. From the size of the crowd inside Beaver Stadium it’s safe to say that roughly 40,000 people showed up to see the Blue take on the White.
