Arts & Culture

Allentown native Walt Groller learned to play the accordion at age 4 and became one of the premier polka musicians in the world.

The festival will feature an array of entertainers, artwork, games for all ages and food vendors on Saturday, July 22.

If you’re the kind of fan of brother-trio indie-pop band AJR seeking more of an experience than just seeing the guys in concert at Musikfest on Aug. 3, the Bethlehem festival has an event for you.

Dieruff High School junior Faith Gross competed against other aspiring actors at talent auditions in Orlando. Gross said she got three callbacks, including from a music producer.

Walk The Moon, best known for its 2014 hit "Shut Up and Dance," on Friday announced it will take an indefinite hiatus after playing the four remaining shows it has scheduled — the next of which is Musikfest.

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.

Bethlehem's Craig Larimer will head a team brewing up some old-fashioned ale at the Bethlehem Blueberry Festival this July 15 and 16, utilizing the classic copper pot technique.

Participating restaurants are offering prix fixe menus and other deals on meals starting Sunday, July 16.

Indie-pop trio AJR, which will headline the main stage at Bethlehem's Musikfest festival's opening night Aug. 3, as of Wednesday was showing no seats available on the festival's ticket buying site.

"American Idol" winner David Cook, who after the show had a platinum album and two platinum singles, will perform at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem.

Daryl Hall, who with John Oates made up Hall and Oates, a vocal duo that had 19 songs hit the Top 10 on various charts, will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 19.

Alan Doyle's music is heavily influenced by his Irish heritage and the Celtic sea shanties, filled with the sounds of accordions, whistles, fiddles and barons. He will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

Partnering with Moravian University, ArtsQuest will hold summer art camps on the south campus of the college.

Bethlehem’s Central Moravian Church will hold a free screening of the 2023 documentary on March 10 at Frank Banko Alehouse Theatre.

Cake, known for its 1996 double-platinum hit “The Distance” and platinum hit "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," will perform a paid-ticket show at the venue at 7 p.m. Sept. 28, ArtsQuest announced.

Heart, famed for hits including “Alone,” “Barracuda,” “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You,” will perform the fair's opening night, as it would have last year, at 7 p.m. Aug. 27, the fair announced.

A Lehigh Valley student has taken the top spot for a Pennsylvania poetry competition. In May, Isavel Mendoza will move on to the national finals in Washington, D.C., to represent Pennsylvania.

A week after Jahan Dotson's homecoming celebrations, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will be recognized by the City of Allentown on Sunday, March 2, at the PPL Center. Ticket purchases will benefit his charity, the Michael Ann & Saquon Barkley Hope Foundation.

The Sam Houseal Band, Highest Bidder and Sakura Ryoko will perform at a previously announced preview night for the new venue at a previously announced paid-ticket preview night.

Third Eye Blind, best known for the hits “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “How It’s Going To Be,” “Jumper” and “Graduate,” will play the festival's main Steel Stage at 7 p.m. Aug. 9.

From his days as a Nazareth Blue Eagle to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, Jahan Dotson never forget where he came from. On Saturday night, he was hailed a hometown hero at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms game.

At the Allentown Art Museum on Saturday, Dr. James Nangeroni was gifted a painting he entered into a Crayola children's arts contest when he was a third-grade student at Dodd Elementary in 1992.