UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State, along with the Borough of State College and Centre County, will honor the service and sacrifice of military service members, veterans and their families with a series of free military appreciation events for the Penn State and local communities throughout October and November. 

Penn State’s eighth annual Military Appreciation Week officially kicks off on Nov. 8 with a weeklong series of festivities celebrating America's Greatest Generation. The celebrations, which include Veterans Day activities on Nov. 11 and the grand opening of Penn State’s Student Veteran Center — a new hub for student veterans to access support and resources — will culminate in the annual Military Appreciation Tailgate and Football Game at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 16.

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public — including veterans and service members — and Penn State students, faculty and staff.

Military Appreciation Week events:

Oct. 14 — State College Borough Military Appreciation Week Proclamation: 7 p.m. at the State College Municipal Building. During its regular meeting, the State College Borough will recognize Military Appreciation Week in the Borough, to be held from Nov. 8 to 16. The meeting is open to the public.

Oct. 29 — Centre County Military Appreciation Month Proclamation: 10 a.m. at the Willowbank Office Building in Bellefonte. Centre County Commissioners will recognize November as Military Appreciation Month during its weekly meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

Nov. 8-16 — Downtown State College Military Appreciation Week: More than 50 downtown businesses will provide discounts and specials to individuals with military IDs. Downtown State College will provide free parking validations to all military service members and veterans who stop by during normal business hours, or at the participating businesses. Validations are good at any of the three downtown garages. This event helps support the Penn State University Military Student Fund, offering financial assistance to military-affiliated students as a needs-based scholarship. Each business will donate a portion of the week’s proceeds to the fund.    

Nov. 8 — Mindful Resilience Yoga Class: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 3 Dots Downtown at 137 E. Beaver Ave. in State College. Wellness in Motion yoga instructors will lead a free, mindful resilience yoga class open to the Penn State community, veterans and military families. Participants of all levels are welcome, and can bring their own mat or borrow one. Space is limited to 50 participants, and individuals should RSVP to Renee Kotch at rak5434@psu.edu by Nov. 4.

Nov. 8 — Military Appreciation Women's Volleyball Game: 7:30 p.m. at Rec Hall. The women's volleyball team will welcome Indiana for a military appreciation game. Penn State Athletics is providing promotional rate tickets to current and former military on a first-come, first-served basis. General admission tickets are also for sale.

Nov. 9 — Military Appreciation Men’s Basketball Game: 4 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. The basketball team will celebrate its military appreciation game when the Nittany Lions welcome Wagner College. Penn State Athletics is providing promotional rate tickets to current and former military on a first-come, first-served basis. General admission tickets are also for sale.

Nov. 10 — Freedom 5K for PTSD Run: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Westgate Building and Pollock Road. Penn State’s Aerospace Studies Student Organization will host the fourth annual Freedom 5K for PTSD to help raise money and awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn more and register. The deadline to register is Nov. 6.

Nov. 10 — Military Appreciation Women’s Basketball Game: 2 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lady Lions will celebrate their military appreciation game when they welcome the Rider University Broncs. Penn State Athletics is providing promotional rate tickets to current and former military on a first-come, first-served basis. General admission tickets are also for sale.

Nov. 11 — Military Appreciation Breakfast: 9 to 10:45 a.m. in Heritage Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center. Penn State students, faculty and staff who currently serve or have served in the U.S. armed forces are invited to attend the 11th annual breakfast featuring light refreshments, entertainment and presentations by Jared Frederick, author and instructor of history at Penn State Altoona, and filmmaker Mark Frederick of WPSU. Learn more and register. RSVPs are required by Nov. 2.

Nov. 11 — Veterans Day Ceremony: 11 a.m. to noon on the front steps of Old Main. The Penn State Student Veteran Organization welcomes the public to attend their annual Veterans Day Ceremony to honor and thank all who served in the U.S. armed forces.

Nov. 11 — Free Professional Portraits: 1 to 5 p.m. in 224 Steidle Building. The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is offering free professional portraits for military members, veterans and ROTC members. No registration is necessary. 

Nov. 13 — Veteran Luncheon: noon to 2 p.m. in Robb Hall in the Hintz Family Alumni Center. Penn State faculty, staff, student and alumni veterans are invited to attend the fourth annual Veterans Luncheon. Along with a ceremony celebrating local World War II veterans, Richard Hamp, special assistant to the deputy adjutant general of veterans affairs at the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, will deliver a talk. RSVP to Kristin Harpster at kmm21@psu.edu by Nov. 1

Nov. 13 — “Stupid Things Good People Say” Panel: 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. at Foster Auditorium in Paterno Library. A panel of student veterans will host “Stupid Things Good People Say” to share their experiences when encountering civilians’ questions, presumptions and stereotypes. There will be a social hour following the panel for further discussion.

Nov. 14 — Oral History Recordings and Library Pop-Up Display: Sign up in advance to record an oral history and share your story about being a veteran at Penn State during two time slots: 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. in the Special Collections Library. In addition, a military “Meals, Ready-to-Eat” breakfast will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Mann Reading Room (Paterno Library) followed by a pop-up “Greatest Generation” exhibit in the Special Collections exhibit space from 10 a.m. to noon.

Nov. 15 — Free Professional Portraits: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in 224 Steidle Building. The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is offering free professional portraits for military members, veterans and ROTC members. No registration is necessary. 

Nov. 15 — “Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home” Film Screening and Q&A Session: 7 to 10 p.m. at The State Theatre. “Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home,” documents the journeys of eight women who served in combat zones on the front lines of Afghanistan through the first two years of their reintegration. A presentation will follow by Andrew Swensen, the film’s producer. Tickets are available for purchase through The State Theatre.

Nov. 16 — Alumni Association “Huddle with the Faculty:” Complimentary continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. and presentation starts at 9 a.m. at the Nittany Lion Inn Ballroom. Michele Vollmer, director of the Penn State Law Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic, will host “Healing the Wounds of War by Training the Next Generation of Lawyers to Assist Veterans.” Learn about how law schools are training their students to meet the legal needs of those who served. Admission is free and reservations are not required. 

Nov. 16 — Military Appreciation Tailgate: 8:30 a.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State and Walmart will host a free tailgate featuring food, entertainment, a resource fair and more for active duty, Guard and Reserve military members, veterans and Fallen and Gold Star families. Additional events include a military-themed banner competition and a Pennsylvania Army National Guard reunion. Military members and veterans with military IDs are welcome and can get tickets at the door.

Nov. 16 — Military Appreciation Football Game: noon at Beaver Stadium. Penn State will recognize America's Greatest Generation during the football team’s game against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Penn State campus events:

Nov. 6 — WWII Veterans History Exhibit at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus: 12:15 p.m. at Swimmer Hall. Penn State Fayette will host the WWII Veterans History Project for a public discussion and exhibit. The exhibit preserves the memories of veterans of WWII and features uniforms, helmets, medals of valor, personal letters and photographs from history. Founder Benjamin Mack Jackson will discuss the origins and implications of the exhibit on Nov. 6, and the exhibit will remain open to the public, free of charge, through Nov. 20.

Nov. 7 — Veterans Employment and Education Conference at Penn State Scranton: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Penn State Scranton will host its first professional development conference to connect veterans, active-duty military students and employers with leading experts to discuss the challenges and successes of getting veterans back to work. Optional one-on-one career counseling will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. There is no cost for veterans to attend, but registration is required. Learn more and register.

Nov. 11 — Veterans Day program at Penn State Berks: 12:15 p.m. at the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. The annual Veterans Day program is free and open to the campus community, and lunch will be provided following the program. Dale Derr, the recently retired director of the Berks County Department of Veterans Affairs, will deliver a keynote address. Attendees should RSVP to Paula Adams at pla2@psu.edu by Nov. 5.

Nov. 14 — “Field to Front: Nittany Lions at War, 1917-1919” exhibit at Penn State Scranton: From Oct. 20 to Dec. 13, Penn State Scranton’s library will host a traveling exhibit from the Penn State All-Sports Museum that pays homage to University athletes who bravely served their country during World War I. On Nov. 14, Ken Hickman, director of the All-Sports Museum, will deliver two free lectures open to the public. Learn more.

To help support events organized by the Penn State Military Appreciation Committee, visit http://c-fund.us/mz2. Visit the Penn State Military Appreciation website for more information about Military Appreciation Week events.