School will be starting soon, but we’ve still got a couple more weeks to enjoy State College: Summer Vacation Edition before that happens. This season, I’ve been keeping track of some of the things I love most about living in our town at this time of year. And while I could write an entire essay on the fact that it’s #BLTseason and Krieder’s tomatoes are once again lighting up my summer, I’ll do my best to mix it up.

Tomatoes aside (for now!), here are some of the things that have made being a local extra fun this season.

Eating + wandering + being downtown.

The vast majority of Penn State students have been gone since May and we’ve been leisurely parking our cars, easily finding tables at our favorite restaurants, and generally enjoying that specific brand of calm that settles upon our lovable little downtown in the summer. (When it’s not Arts Fest weekend…)

In my experience, this can be a FOMO-filled moment in a local’s yearly calendar. There’s a palpable “make the most of this!” vibe. A “live each day to the fullest… and make sure to do that living downtown!” sense of urgency. We go downtown for things we wouldn’t normally go downtown for. We linger and enjoy the peace. We hop up on the wall in front of the Old Main lawn and bask in the sun, munching on a Portuguese Egg Tart from Chew Chew Bun and sipping a coffee from The Cheese Shoppe – or sipping a strawberry oat milk latte from Elixir and munching on a breakfast special from Irving’s! (Waiting in line at two great downtown businesses is easier than Sunday morning in the summer.)

Move-In Week typically kicks off in mid-August, so soak up those meals, meanders, and mellow moments while you can.

Pictured: From a seat on the wall in front of Old Main, an ideal summer spot for enjoying a peaceful breakfast treat!

On Wednesdays, we embrace wellness…

Lucky us! Twice a month, all summer long, Centred Outdoors has been hosting Wellness Wednesdays. These events, ranging from nature sketching to learning about gardening and therapeutic landscapes to yoga, have provided a wonderful mid-week reset. It’s been a free, no-brainer way to infuse more fresh air and groundedness into the week.

I attended Jennifer Tucker’s medicinal plant walk in June on a gorgeous summer evening along with a whole crew of locals of all ages. Jennifer introduced us to the healing properties of witch hazel, plantain, mugwort, mandrake, and a patch of tall, graceful black cohosh along the trail at Shaver’s Creek.

The final two Wellness Wednesdays this summer are happening August 9 (a drum circle!) and August 23 (yoga and mindfulness!) Save the date and learn more here!

Pictured: Jennifer Tucker’s medical plant walk at Shaver’s Creek, one of Centred Outdoors’ Wellness Wednesday events

Tiny entrepreneurs and their killer lemonade.

Keep cash on hand! Summertime in State College means lemonade stands. Or, if you’re really lucky, as I have been, Thai Iced Tea with optional boba stands! As far as I can tell, our town’s youngest (and most charming) refreshment vendors do not yet accept Venmo, so I stock my car with a bunch of ones at the beginning of summer and try to remember to grab some cash before walks around the neighborhood, just in case.

Pictured: Four dollars well-spent

Fireflies and crickets and cicadas, oh my!

It’s easy to fall into an evening routine with the couch and Netflix. But it’s firefly season! And the bugs are going nuts out there. If you throw on lightweight layers to ward off bites from the pesky ones, it’s one of the most magical times of the year to be outside, especially after dark. We’re lucky to have the minimal light pollution, treelines, and fields that lightning bugs love. (P.S. Did you know that the Allegheny National Forest, about a 2 hour drive from State College, is especially great for firefly viewing? The PA Firefly Festival held there every June is officially on my bucket list for next summer!)

Pictured: A view from Peggy and Ken Butler’s Pennsylvania farm, site of the PA Firefly Festival. Photo: Peggy Butler/Courtesy of Pennsylvania Firefly Festival

Now let’s talk tomatoes.

While I have not had the pleasure of trying all of the local varieties available to me, I can guarantee, given the abundance of wonderful farms in our area, that tomato excellence is happening all around us, all summer long! As a creature of habit, I typically make a beeline for Kreider’s stand at the farmers market and their juicy, flavorful, so-red-you-could-die toms are one of the joys of my summer. I usually get mine at the Tuesday Boalsburg market, but you’ll find them at the North Atherton market on Saturdays, too. Slice those suckers on a BLT and just sit back and enjoy your summer. (Oh, and local tip? I add Byler Goat Dairy’s herbed chèvre to my BLTs and would highly recommend for a delicious twist on the classic!)

Pictured: Please imagine the “heart eyes” emoji here. Except instead of hearts, they’re tomatoes.

So those are a few things that have made my Things to Love list! Tonight, I’ll head to 3 Dots for live music at their weekly Tuesdays on the Terrace event, will try to squeeze in one or two more downtown dinners before the students come back, and a friend has informed me that tubing at Poe Paddy – on my still-to-try list! – is a must-do summer activity. Still lots of fun to be had this season and I’ll be sure to share all of the best stuff with you so you can add it to your own Things to Love list.