Arts & Culture

Lehigh Valley indie-rockers Slingshot Dakota are kicking off Musikfest at the Air Products Americaplatz at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks stage at 5 p.m. Thursday, bringing their unique and creatively energetic punk rock sans guitar.

Welcome to LehighValleyNews.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the stages of Musikfest.

Musikfest, a 10-day festival of music, food, refreshments and more, celebrates its 40th year beginning on Thursday.

The classic & antique car festival is expected to bring thousands of visitors and hundreds of cars to the park, dating back to the early 1900s.

The Musikfest show will be the first day — and second stop — in Allman’s See It All American Tour with Donovan Frankenreiter. The tour will be an attempt by Allman and Frankenreiter to set the official world record by playing 50 shows in 50 states in 49 days.

Philadelphia psyche-pop master Kurt Vile and The Violators, who topped the Adult Album Alternative charts with the 2015 song “Pretty Pimpin’” and have had three albums in the overall Top 50, will headline a concert with the late jazz great Sun Ra’s band The Sun Ra Arkestra at Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall.

The opening acts for Musikfest's main stage headliners have been announced. They include several Lehigh Valley favorites.

A completely dry stretch of weather is almost unheard of this time of year, said meteorologist Bobby Martrich of EPAWA Weather Consulting, the official forecaster of Musikfest.

The first celebration featured an array of talent with an emphasis on local artists.

With around 1 million people expected to attend Musikfest this year, health and safety take top priority for organizers. Everything from cooling misters to medical tents will be on site.

Dr. Lee Riley treats cancers at St. Luke’s University Health Network, but in his free time, he sculpts. He is the recipient of ArtsQuest’s Linny Award for Visual Artist of the Year.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will host the Bacon and Brews Festival at Coca-Cola Park on Sept. 30. There will be brewers, ciders, distilleries, wineries and bacon items from IronPigs Concessions and select food vendors.

The Weight Band, featuring former The Band guitarist Jim Weider, will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

Several theaters in the Lehigh Valley will offer discounted tickets on Sunday, Aug. 27. Close to 20 films will be shown throughout the region, including summer hits "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," and "Little Mermaid."

The Hooters, who combined ska and folk-rock on 1980s hits such as “Day By Day” and “And We Danced,” will perform at 8 p.m. at Univest Performance Center, 301 W. Mill St. Gates open at 6, and an opening act will go on at 6:30 p.m.

Starting Wednesday, gates at the Allentown Fairgrounds will close between Liberty and Chew Streets, the north and south borders of the grounds.

The Macungie family has other notable works around the Lehigh Valley and tri-state area, including the artwork for the most recent Musikfest.

While the Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ stadium again will have music emanating from its baseball diamond — and will look to do more — it doesn’t mean the park is likely to become a steady stop on the concert circuit, General Manager Kurt Landes said.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

At its 30th anniversary, the Lehigh Valley's Magic: The Gathering scene is going strong say local players and game store owners. Some events have seen a downturn in players following the pandemic and expansion of online play, while others have seen a strong resurgence of new and returning players.

Caputo brings her live show to the Wind Creek Event Center on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20

This weekend is the 43rd annual Roasting Ears of Corn Festival, hosted by the Museum of Indian Culture. The two-day event will feature performances, cultural heritage demonstrations, artifact displays and more.