PHOTO PROVIDED Attendees are pictured at the HVAB’s 2026-27 tourism grant announcement ceremony at The Arboretum at Penn State on Tuesday, June 23. The Centre County Commissioners are seated in the front row.

STATE COLLEGE — The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB), joined by Centre County Commissioners, announced the recipients of the tourism promotion agency’s 2026-27 tourism grants Tuesday at The Arboretum at Penn State.

In total, $1,150,250 was awarded to 91 marketing and tourism enhancement projects.

103 applications were submitted for the grants, with a total funding requests topping $2.4 million.

This year, 11 new grant recipients took home funding.

“The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Centre County Commissioners look forward to this event each year,” said HVAB President and CEO Eric Engelbarts. “Driving visitation, overnight stays in particular, is the intent of the grant program. However, it is also a visible example of the community benefit of tourism, with an array of organizations, projects, events and initiatives receiving support.”

Engelbarts said the grant program is a measure of the growth in tourism to Happy Valley, with the 2026-27 grant pool up slightly from the 2025-26 program year.

Conducted in partnership with Centre County Commissioners, the Tourism Grant program is funded by the lodging tax paid for by those staying in Centre County’s hotels and lodging properties. Since 2003-04, the program has awarded more than $10.55 million to projects, events and initiatives that grow and enhance Happy Valley’s tourism appeal.

“We are excited to announce the 2026-27 Tourism Grant program awards with The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau,” the Centre County Commissioners said. “Due to the expansion of tourism in Centre County, there are new records for both total funding awarded, and number of tourism projects and initiatives supported. The Tourism Grant program has developed tourism assets over the last 24 years, which benefits not only visitors but those who call Happy Valley home. These grants help cover marketing and advertising and tourism enhancement costs for events and festivals that are enjoyed by visitors and Centre County residents alike.”

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