by Greg Woodman
Let’s talk about tailgates.
Not just football. The human kind.
Because after a year of building, listening, and dreaming with people across this region, I’ve started to believe tailgates might be the whole thing.
People think tailgates are about football. But they’re not.
Tailgates are about belonging.
They’re about the shared rhythm of showing up.
They’re about seeing someone across a field, waving them over, handing them a beer, and saying, “We’re glad you’re here.”
No app. No guest list. No algorithm.
Just people. In motion. With food, music, memory, and warmth, even when it’s cold.
That’s the blueprint for Connect Happy Valley.
That’s what we want more of every season of the year.
So, What Are We Really Building?
Yes, there’s technology involved. You need to find the parking spot easily.
Yes, we’re building a guide, a tool, a utility.
But the real goal is something deeper.
We want to help people say yes more easily.
To reduce the friction between intention and action.
To make showing up simpler and more inviting.
Just like OpenTable did for dining, or The Knot did for weddings, or Tinder did for dating. They didn’t create the desire to connect. They just made it easier to act on it.
That’s what we’re doing for real life in Happy Valley.
Helping you know where to go, who to be with, and what’s worth your time.
Connecting hosts and guests.
Amplifying local joy.
Building the connective tissue of this place we all care about.
Connect Happy Valley is guiding experience-seekers toward locally rooted places, building repeat visits, stronger hosts, deeper culture, and a self-reinforcing network built on trust and love.
Why This Matters
Because the real obstacle to connection isn’t apathy or busyness. It’s fear.
Fear says, “You won’t fit in.”
Fear says, “You won’t know anyone.”
Fear says, “Don’t bother. It’s too late.”
Love says something else.
Love says, “Come with me.”
Love says, “We saved you a spot.”
Love says, “You belong here.”
More love. Less fear. That’s our north star.
This vision became clearer during a Friday afternoon conversation with Liz Grove. A local dreamer and doer who’s betting it all on two buildings, Pine Grove Hall and Flour and Stone, a live music scene, and a belief in third places.
As we talked, she showed me a tattoo on her foot. It said, “I fear nothing.”
Those three words weren’t just ink. They were a memorial to her daughter’s spirit. Olivia Jones wrote the phrase in a school assignment in third grade. Now mother and daughter share it as a reminder of the resilience that runs through their family.
That moment changed something in me. It gave this project direction. It reminded me that connection is not about speed or scale. It’s about staying power. It’s about building something with heart.
Who This Is For
This is for:
- Students just finding their rhythm.
- Parents who visit and feel this place pull at them.
- Visitors who leave and can’t stop talking about their weekend here.
- Locals who already know there’s something special.
- Small business owners who carry the cultural heartbeat
- Alumni who never really left in spirit
And if we do our job well?
More people will stay.
More people will return.
More will start families, businesses, and next chapters right here.
The Blue-White Zone Vision
Around the world, Blue Zones are places where people live longer and better because they show up. For each other. For purpose. For connection.
That’s not luck. That’s culture.
We believe Happy Valley is a “Blue-White Zone”.
A place where tailgates turn into traditions.
Where guests turn into regulars.
Where hosts become heroes. Do you know Mike the Mailman?
Where connection becomes culture.
This isn’t just a website update. It’s healthier hometown infrastructure.
Love Actually… Is the Business Plan
Here’s something not everyone knows. The opening and closing scenes of Love Actually — the ones at the airport filled with hugs and reunions — those were real people. Not actors. Filmed at Heathrow with hidden cameras.
That’s what made it so powerful.
Real love. In motion.
That’s what we want. Not just during the holidays.
We want the joy of Elf, the coziness of The Holiday, and the heart of The Muppet Christmas Carol. All year long.
More hugs. More live music. More pies and playlists.
More reasons to show up and stay.
The 2026 Challenge
Let’s make this our rally cry for the year ahead:
More yes. Less no.
More we. Less me.
More love. Less fear.
More tailgate. Less isolation.
We’ll know it’s working when more people go out, say yes, show up.
When hosts feel seen.
When guests feel welcome.
When Happy Valley flows.
When that happens, more locally owned businesses will stay open.
More third places will thrive.
And we’ll all have more meaningful reasons to live, work, and play here.
A Final Word
This vision only works because of the people who keep showing up.
The local shop owners who remember your name.
The nonprofits who bring joy to your doorstep.
The organizers who turn sidewalks into stages and strangers into friends.
The tailgate crews who always bring a little extra , just in case someone new stops by.
These are the hosts.
They’re the reason this place feels like home.
And we need them to thrive.
So, here’s how we build the most connected hometown in the country:
Support them. Celebrate them.
Shop local. Show up. Invite others.
Say yes, not just for yourself, but for the kind of community you want to live in.
Connection isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we create together.
We’ve stumbled into something. We’ve listened. We’ve learned.
We’ve seen magic unfold at tailgates, at Pine Grove Hall, at Flour & Stone, The Rivet, and Discovery Space. In conversations with people who care deeply about where they live. In alumni returning to downtown by investing in a place like the new Nittany Residence Club. What is being bought is not just real estate. It’s love.
Now we’re lighting the match.
This is where we plant the flag and say clearly:
We’re here to build or facilitate the most connected hometown in the country.
Not someday. Not maybe. Now.
We’re here to fuel more love in Happy Valley.
To hand out maps, spark friendships, and help people say yes to each other.
Let’s make 2026 the year of tailgating life, with heart, joy, and community.
Thank you for sticking with us while we figured out what we wanted to become when we grew up.
Let’s go. Are you in?
More love. Less fear.
With gratitude, belief, and a full heart,
Happy New Year !
Story from spring 2025 mentioned….
