Happenings

What Happenings does

Happenings is a privately held regional media company founded in June 1969 in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, publishing a monthly lifestyle magazine covering cultural events, education, outdoor recreation, dining, and local businesses across 10 counties in Northeast Pennsylvania. The company operates as Happenings Communications Group, Inc. and runs the flagship Happenings Magazine (30,000 copies per month, 360,000+ annually, 100,000 readers per issue) alongside a digital edition on HappeningsMagazinePA.com, the NEPA Events Calendar, a Pet of the Month contest, and the Happenings Insider email program. Distribution combines paid mail subscriptions ($25/year or $35 for two years) with complimentary copies placed at 800+ locations including hotels, libraries, banks, country clubs, PA Interstate Welcome Centers, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

The company monetizes principally through display advertising sold by account representatives to local businesses (restaurants, resorts, retailers, healthcare/finance professionals); subscriptions; non-profit publishing fees starting at $45; and an in-house full-service advertising agency, Happenings Communications Group, which provides brochures, billboards, newsletters, website design, video production, digital marketing, and social media management to regional and national clients. Under Publisher and President Paula Rochon Mackarey (since 1994), the publication transitioned from a 32-page black-and-white magazine to a full-color glossy and expanded circulation from 10,000 to 30,000 copies per month. The technology stack is conventional: a WordPress-based website, The Events Calendar plugin for community event submissions, and standard integrations with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCalendar subscription protocols. No AI/ML capabilities, no external funding, and no M&A activity are disclosed; the company is owned and operated by private individuals.

Name

Happenings

Legal name

Happenings Communications Group, Inc.

Website

https://happeningsmagazinepa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Happenings is a privately held regional media company founded in 1969 that publishes a monthly lifestyle magazine covering cultural events, dining, and attractions across 10 counties in Northeast Pennsylvania, reaching 100,000 readers per issue and operating an in-house advertising agency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Lifestyle Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH), Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Regional magazine publishing
• Lifestyle print magazine
• Local advertising sales
• Events calendar listings
• Community engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarks Summit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Local businesses purchase advertising space in the monthly magazine. The company offers complimentary ad design by Happenings Communications Group (up to three ad proofs per insertion).
2. Subscription Revenue: Readers pay $25 per year or $35 for two years for home delivery of the magazine.
3. Publishing Fees: Non-profit organizations pay publishing fees starting at $45 for editorial inclusion.
4. Happenings Communications Group - Ad Agency Services: The affiliated advertising agency provides marketing services including brochures, billboards, newsletters, website design, video production, digital marketing, and social media management to regional and national clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Happenings publishes a monthly regional lifestyle magazine (print and digital) covering cultural events, dining, attractions, shopping, outdoor recreation, weddings, and community features across 10 counties of Northeast Pennsylvania. It monetizes the magazine primarily through display and digital advertising sold to local businesses, supplemented by consumer subscriptions, non-profit publishing fees, event calendar listings, and a sister full-service advertising agency (Happenings Communications Group) offering design, video, web, and social media services.

Product overview

Happenings is a multi-platform regional media company operating a flagship monthly print magazine (published since 1969) alongside a digital platform (HappeningsMagazinePA.com) and a full-service advertising agency (Happenings Communications Group, Inc.). The portfolio includes the NEPA Events Calendar for community event discovery, the Pet of the Month Contest and Happenings Insider membership for reader engagement, and a comprehensive Best of NEPA directory. The company serves both consumers (100,000 readers per issue across 360,000 annual copies) and business clients seeking advertising and marketing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Happenings Magazine (Print) Monthly regional lifestyle magazine published since June 1969 showcasing cultural events, dining, attractions, shopping, outdoor recreation, weddings, history, and community features across 10 counties of Northeast Pennsylvania. Sold via $25/year and $35/two-year subscriptions and distributed free at 800+ NEPA locations.
• HappeningsMagazinePA.com (Digital Edition) Online platform companion to the print magazine featuring full digital editions of each monthly issue plus web-only content, available globally to readers at HappeningsMagazinePA.com.
• Happenings Insider (Free Email Membership) Free email membership program offering exclusive Insider-only contests, first look at each issue before print release, and weekly upcoming event emails to engaged Northeast PA readers.
• NEPA Events Calendar Comprehensive digital events calendar for Northeastern Pennsylvania where users can view, search, and subscribe to regional events, with options for local organizations to submit events for both digital and print publication. Supports Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, and Outlook Live subscription feeds.
• Best of NEPA Regional Directory Comprehensive regional directory covering annual events, dining, lodging, attractions, shopping, education, health, finance, and services across Northeast Pennsylvania's ten-county coverage area.
• Happenings Communications Group (Ad Agency Services) Full-service advertising agency offering marketing services including guide books, directories, brochures, billboards, maps, newsletters, website design, video production, digital marketing, and social media management to regional and national clients. Also provides complimentary ad design for Happenings Magazine advertisers (up to three ad proofs per insertion).

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000 readers per issue actively engaged with advertising content
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Baltimore Magazine: Long-established city/regional magazine covering greater Baltimore with similar editorial categories. Larger scale and broader advertiser base but operates on the same monthly-print-plus-digital regional lifestyle model.

Direct peers

• Hudson Valley Magazine: Established regional lifestyle magazine serving the Hudson Valley of New York. Comparable monthly cadence, mix of events, dining, home, and wedding content, and SMB advertiser base.
• Coastal Virginia Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine covering coastal Virginia with a similar mix of events, dining, attractions, home, and weddings. Comparable print circulation, advertising base, and digital edition strategy.
• Lancaster County Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine covering Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with comparable focus on local events, dining, culture, and SMB advertising. Closely mirrors Happenings' editorial structure and distribution approach.
• WV Living: Regional lifestyle magazine covering West Virginia with similar editorial mix (events, dining, outdoor recreation, people profiles) and print-plus-digital distribution model targeting a non-metro audience.
• Susquehanna Life Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine covering central Pennsylvania including the Susquehanna Valley. Similar editorial format (dining, arts, events, people profiles) and reliance on local display advertising and subscriptions.
• Pittsburgh Magazine: Established city/regional lifestyle magazine covering greater Pittsburgh. Similar product mix (events, dining, home, weddings, culture) and multi-revenue model spanning subscriptions, display advertising, and digital.
• Main Line Today: Regional lifestyle magazine covering Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs in Pennsylvania. Similar audience demographics, advertiser profile (local retail, hospitality, professional services), and print-plus-digital operating model.
• Lehigh Valley Style: Monthly regional lifestyle magazine covering the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, with similar mix of dining, events, home, and local business coverage. Comparable audience size, geographic scope, and advertising-driven business model.

Emerging players

• Edible NEPA: Regional food and beverage publication focused on Northeast Pennsylvania. Overlaps Happenings' dining and local-produce coverage and competes for the same NEPA advertiser pool with a digital-first model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HappeningsMag
• Facebookfacebook.com/HappeningsMagazinePA
• Instagraminstagram.com/happeningsmag
• Pinterestpinterest.com/happeningsmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/happening-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Happenings