Arts & Culture

Check out a roundup of activities, places, and times to see the fireworks as the Lehigh Valley celebrates Independence Day.

Next year marks 250 years since the colonists produced a bold declaration of freedom and self-governance that still echoes today. It will be an occasion celebrated and recognized across the land — and we at Lehigh Valley Public Media are no exception.

In addition to live music, there will be more than a dozen local vendors, businesses and crafters, as well as trail and outdoor demonstrations, and group walks.

Steel Panther, which has had five albums top Billboard's Comedy chart, will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, it was announced.

In the spirit of Shakespeare, Saturday's celebration will feature entertainment for all ages, including musical performances by the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, alpaca and ponies, and a student-led Latin band.

From 8 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Friday, June 27, you'll be able to buy tickets for five of Musikfest's 11 headline shows, two paid-ticket Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks shows and nine Musikfest Cafe shows without paying any service fees.

Howie Mandel, who since 2010 has been a judge on “America’s Got Talent,” will perform with fellow comedian Brad Garrett at 8 p.m. Aug. 24. And Alan Parsons Live Project, which continues the work of Alan Parsons Project, will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 2.

Now in its 14th year, the festival honors Puerto Rican culture in the city. The three-day celebration starts on Thursday with a documentary screening, a tribute to the women of salsa, and a flag-raising on Friday, and more Latin music and food on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley Dodgeball is building an inclusive, community-driven space for players of all skill levels in Easton. Open gyms are now underway every Monday night.

Shankweiler’s, renowned as the oldest continuously operating drive‑in theatre in the country since 1934, will soon be showcased to millions across the country on "Good Morning America."

Mayfair Festival of the Arts, the Memorial Day weekend festival, will return to Cedar Crest College for a sixth year May 24-26.

Lehigh University's Dr. Larry Snyder has taken a lifelong love of word puzzles to the next level by becoming a New York Times-grade crossword constructor.

“Corteo,” which premiered in Montreal in April 2005, has performed before 10 million spectators in 20 countries on four continents. It will perform six shows March 28-31 at the PPL Center in Allentown.

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.

Coca-Cola Park has implemented new safety features for fans, requiring them to pass through a metal detector prior to entering the facility.

Plush, which has had the Top 40 Mainstream Rock chart hits “Hate” and “Left Behind,” will perform at Maingate nightclub, it was announced.

Local nonprofit Lehigh Valley Girls Rock's adult camp is set to return this year, finally returning the full slate of programming since the pandemic began.

Devon Koch, a 2022 Liberty High School graduate, is a sophomore at Kutztown University and helped student broadcasters win gold for an on-air pledge drive.

The event, which will feature at least 17 local, national and international distillers and distributors, will be 1-4 p.m. (11 a.m. for premium access) June 9 in Musikfest Café at the ArtsQuest Center.

An art show centered around mental health and disabilities is opening in an unlikely place. Midnight Gallery is in the showroom of Vollux Autowerks, a car repair and diagnostics shop in Lehigh County.

Iron Menace made its first successful test run on Wednesday at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, making a slow ascent before the ride plummeted 95-degrees from 160 feet.

The three-hour festival highlights 12 short films by students from the university's film and television department.