How Can We Fix March and April?

Remember the week after Spring Break in March when the weather was amazing? 

For five days, it was in the 60s. I stripped from my parka cocoon, showered in sunshine and emerged for spring.

Then the weather turned back to winter and it even snowed on April 18.

This happens every year. And every year, I let myself get pretty irritated about it. I can’t help but fall for it.

So we have to fix March and April.

State College has the best weather in the country outside of March and April.

May and June are delightful. Spring is in bloom, the days are getting longer. July, August and September are perfect summer months—not too hot, but hot enough for the pool and backyard barbecues. October and November bring a fall that’s everyone’s favorite season around here. And December, January and February are winter months perfect for the holidays, skiing, sledding and snowmen.

The problem is in March and April, when winter doesn’t leave. It sucks. We gotta fix it.

I know we can’t change the weather. But we have to start working with or around it during March and April. Here are a few ideas.

Let’s Party More

You know all of those holiday parties that we’re invited to in the first two weeks of December? The ones we would like to attend if we didn’t have so much year-end work, Christmas shopping, family stuff and other obligations? Let’s move some of those to March and April.

We did something similar with a group I’m a member of called CP2. It’s a networking group of local marketing and communication professionals. For years, we had a holiday party in early December and, while we really enjoy each other, we spent a lot of time at the gettogether complaining about how busy we were.

So we moved the party to the middle of January and it’s much more fun. We’re through the holidays, super optimistic and excited to see each other. That party would work just as well at the end of March.

Let’s Support More Marquee Events

Have you been to Elk Creek’s Day of Delicious Darkness? Once a year, the Millheim brewery releases several dark beers they aged in bourbon barrels. The beers are complemented by an array of tapas served on cedar planks.

The event always has a line around the block. This year it was on Sunday, April 24. Did you miss it? 

I know there are other events like that happening that I just don’t know about. Let’s spread the word, invite more friends and help build them up next year!

Let’s also encourage and support more fun, marquee events in March and April. Events at breweries, of course, but also nonprofit fundraisers, gym competitions, art openings and other activities that aren’t dependent on good weather.

How great would it be to fill March and April weeknights and weekends with amazing annual events like the Day of Delicious Darkness?

Let’s Learn More

Along those lines, it would also be cool if places like Penn State and South Hills offered short courses over March and April like the famous Ice Cream Short Course. 

We’re a town full of people who love learning. I would love to sign up for an interesting short course on crypto, Indian cooking or ambient guitar techniques. The Rivet is already trending this way with pottery and woodturning classes. Let’s double down in March and April.

Let’s Do More of What We Do Best

My big idea is nothing new. We’re already famous for doing stuff just like it. 

We took a college football team and turned it into a national obsession. We took an art exhibit on the HUB Lawn and turned it into the best summer art show in the state.

Let’s do it again, but smack-dab in the middle of March and April.

Have you been to Musikfest in Bethlehem? It’s a huge thing now, but it started with a bunch of bands playing inside the bars and restaurants around town.

I think that concept would work really well here. The downtown bar scene is walkable and could host a killer fest—even during an April snowstorm.

I could also see the fest incorporating surrounding establishments like Pine Grove Hall, Axeman Brewery and the Rowland Theater.

And it doesn’t have to be a music festival. It could be a future iteration of something already growing like the Happy Valley XL Improv Festival, or Startup Week. It just needs to be something where dozens of events are all happening around town for a week. It could be like our own South by Southwest Conference that happens in Austin each year.

Would it take a massive amount of cooperation? Yes, it would. But we’ve done it before and we’re good at it.

Plus, what else do we have going on during March and April?

So what do you say? Can we come together to fix March and April for next year?

Brad Groznik is an assistant teaching professor in Penn State’s Engineering Entrepreneurship program. He is also part of a team launching RediscoverStateCollege.com. All opinions are his own.