As it happens, one of our Roar Lions Roar staff members happened to be perusing the 11W forum the other day, and noticed some people talking about what to do when visiting Happy Valley for a game, as I imagine a number of you are for this upcoming weekend's clash. Well, seeing as how most of us at RLR are experts on that very subject, we figured we'd drop by and give you our suggestions (and backup suggestions) on how to do game day right in State College.
Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet some of you this weekend (a large group of RLRers will be around the tailgate fields), so, I don't know, just walk around yelling "I READ ELEVEN WARRIORS" and maybe we'll find you that way. Or be a normal human and enjoy your day without doing that. Your choice.
STEP ONE: GETTING INTO TOWN
As many of you have already mentioned, getting into town on game day itself is a nightmare. Because of its middle-of-nowhere location, there are only so many ways you can actually enter State College. Most of the signs leading up to the town will direct you straight to the stadium, where the longest lines of cars will be.
You could try your luck with going through the town of State College, rather than going straight to Beaver Stadium, but there will likely be traffic everywhere. Instead, my suggestion would be to just take the most direct route to the stadium you can, and load up the 11W and RLR podcasts in preparation for the game.
If at all possible for you and your situation – get there on Friday, the earlier the better. The tailgate fields open early on Saturday, and you can get in line right away the next morning. If you venture downtown, there are plenty of places you can either park for free or for next to nothing at all times on game day weekends. However, if you don't have a hotel/motel booked already, you likely won't find one.
Step One Addendum: Getting to the Fields Without a Car
If you're lucky enough to be driving the car that doesn't need to be there for the tailgate, I would highly suggest parking away from the stadium (downtown is your best bet) and walking up. It's a little bit of a hike, but this is also the time of year when campus is at its most beautiful. So cut through campus (just follow the hoards of people moving that direction). Get a quick look at our beautiful, swanky hockey arena (Pegula Arena) on the way, and then find your tailgate of choice. If necessary, you can grab a cab or an Uber, plus there's a CATA bus that costs like $3.
Step Two: PreGame (A Non-Tailgating Alternative)
Let's say you're not someone trying to pretend they're in college again, and you want to spend your morning exploring the town a bit. You're probably making a good decision. Here are some suggestions for how to spend your morning in State College.
- Sneak in a round of golf at either the Blue Course (tougher) or the White Course (easier). It's supposed to be a little cooler on Saturday morning, but it's a nice way to spend money before attending the event you already spent a lot of money for.
- Go see the Lion Shrine (west side of campus on Curtin Road). You'll have to wait in line if you want to take a picture with it, but it's worth seeing at the very least.
- Head to the Berkey Creamery. If you've ever talked with a Penn Stater, you've probably heard about the Creamery. If you have time to wait in line, get an ice cream cone. If not, just grab a tub of ice cream to go the next morning. They'll give you a special carrying case and dry ice to keep it cold on your way home.
- If you feel like getting a mild workout in, go hike Mount Nittany. When you reach the top, you have an incredible view of State College and Beaver Stadium, which will truly show off the full scope of the tailgating experience.
Restaurants/Bars with Decent-to-Good Food
You can't go wrong with Happy Valley Brewing Company.
- The Deli. Probably the most common dining location in State College. The food is usually very good (I'd recommend the Monte Cristo), but if you go at the wrong time, you could be stuck waiting for a bit.
- The Corner Room. The food isn't quite as good as The Deli, but it's still a great meal overall. Lots of seating available, typically not as long of a wait as The Deli.
- Happy Valley Brewing Company. Thanks to its location out of downtown, it's never as crowded as the previous two locations. Call ahead and hop in an Uber (since your car should already be parked at the tailgate fields) and give them a try. Tell them Roar Lions Roar sent you.
- Otto's. Otto's is another great option that's not nestled right in downtown. You'll need a ride to get there, but their food is excellent. It's also a brewery, so you can get some of their beer while you're there (it is also very good.)
- Cafe 210 West, Mad Mex, Primanti, Bar Bleu, Champs (off campus). These are all bars (though Champs leans more towards being a restaurant) that also happen to serve passable-to-good food. So if you want to eat and also take advantage of some drink specials, these are all good bets. Primanti and Bar Bleu are also great places to watch football.
Upscale Bars
- Liberty. One of the newer bars in State College, located right on College Avenue. Easily the best beer selection in town, and an awesome Moscow Mule. Great food, and typically smaller crowds, too. My co-editor, Bill, wants me to add that it's the only bar he's ever been to that plays Brand New, which he says makes it the best bar on earth. If you're into that, cool.
- Local Whiskey. One of the best places to go to watch a football game, and as the name implies, drink good whiskey. If you go, get the cheesesteak egg rolls, whether they're your appetizer or your meal. Plus their beer selection is nothing to scoff at, and their cocktails are all upscale and really, really good.
I WANNA BE IN COLLEGE AGAIN Bars
- The Phyrst, The Saloon, The Brewery, The Rathskeller, Indigo, The Shandygaff. These basement bars (though Shandygaff is actually upstairs, but feels like a basement) will make you yearn for the days of your 21st birthday and dollar beers. All will be crowded though, so be prepared. Also: if you hate smoking, avoid the Gaff, because you are allowed to smoke in there.
- The Lion's Den, Darkhorse, Pickles. These three are at least on street level, but offer similar experiences. Many Penn State athletes are often found at the Den, while Darkhorse and Pickles lean slightly towards "upscale" in that the floors aren't sticky and they're kind of well-lit.
Step Three: Tailgating
If you don't care about exploring State College beforehand, there's nothing wrong with tailgating all day. Hell, that's where you'll find us RLRers. So don't feel bad if you want to drink beer and eat food from 8 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. (get in for kickoff, y'all).
All of the yellow on the map is non-reserved parking.
The fields will start filling with the sounds of drinking games and the smell of bacon and eggs right away at 8 in the morning. They won't quite fill up until later in the day (around 10:00 a.m. or so, it'll be mostly full), so you still have plenty of leeway time. A lot gets made by certain people about getting this spot or that spot, but honestly, there aren't many bad spots to tailgate.
The earlier you get to the fields, the closer you can be to the stadium, naturally. Now, it is supposed to rain the day before the game, so if you don't want to deal with the potential mud, I'd aim for a spot in a paved or gravel lot. Also, the players' entrance to the field for night games is pretty damn cool. You can find out what time that is when you get there, but you'll have to get there early to have a spot where you can see, so parking near the stadium could be advantageous in that way.
A lot gets made of opposing fans being mistreated in the tailgate fields, but honestly, if that's happening to you, you're likely near the groups of current college students. The slightly older fans won't say anything to you aside from special cases (every fan base has those). And if you want to make some new friends while you're in Happy Valley, just walk up to any tailgate with a beer or two to share, make fun of Michigan and Notre Dame, and you may just find yourself with a new friend.
Ninety-nine percent of Penn State fans there will know full well that the Buckeyes are going to beat the Nittany Lions on Saturday, so any sort of smack talk would be silly on our part. Everyone is there because whiteouts against good teams that give us excuses to drink all day long, are exactly the way a Saturday should be spent.
Bonus: The Day After
If you can get yourself up and out of bed early enough, head to The Waffle Shop. There are three locations (one downtown, one down out West College Avenue, and one up North Atherton Street). It is legitimately the best breakfast you will ever consume, but you have to get there early (before 8:00 is best) if you want to go in without waiting in a line. If you can muster the strength to get there, do it, no questions asked. Bring cash though, as they don't accept credit cards.
Really, there's no wrong way to go about game day in Happy Valley. It's a pretty cool place, since the entire town revolves around the university. It's unique in that way, so finding the little things that make the town special is never a bad way to go about your day. If you want any specific recommendations or tips about anything State College or Penn State-related, please feel free to tweet at me (@TheREALNPolak), email me (nick@roarlionsroar.com) or contact anyone else on our staff. We'd be happy to help.
