happening

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhæpɪnɪŋ/ / /ˈhæpənɪŋ/ / [ˈhæpnɪŋ]

Etymology: From Middle English *happenynge, *happnynge. By surface analysis, happen + -ing.

Busy, lively; vibrant, dynamic; fashionable.
““[…]San Francisco is not exactly the most happening place, you know.””
“When the show ends, the circular, sunken floor is one of the more happening dance clubs in town.”
Trendy, up-to-the-minute.
“Every show has its hottest, most happening trends. If I were to isolate just one for hardware and one for software, this year's hot hardware would be the 386 machines, and the happening software would be desktop publishing.”
“Going strong since 2006, this ephemeral nightclub (it's open only for 50 nights each year, in July and August) has become the hottest ticket in DJ land, a combination of the most happening names in music and its spectacular setting at the heart of the Palais des Festivals.”

Etymology: From Middle English happenyng, equivalent to happen + -ing. As term used in performance art popularized by Allan Kaprow.

Something that happens.
“Three follow-up singles, all ecological or religious in theme, did chart in the lower reaches of the Hot 100. Thereafter, Ocean remained a Canadian happening.”
A spontaneous or improvised event, especially one that involves audience participation.
“And it was some kind of happening / Some kind of happening / Salvador Dali's garden party”

Etymology: From Middle English *happenynge, *happnynge. By surface analysis, happen + -ing.

present participle and gerund of happen
“From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much.[…] But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip.”