Arts & Culture

The 40th Musikfest drew to a successful close on Sunday night in Bethlehem. The nation's largest open-gate free music festival delivered more than 500 free performances, plus paid-ticket headliners. Organizers believe a record of roughly 1.25 million attended the 11-day event. An official count is expected to be announced Tuesday.

The Grammy-winning band closed out the 11-day spread with a 90-minute set of their biggest hits and covers of The Eagles and Journey.

Giuseppe Iatarola, 11, of Hellertown, is a widely known gearhead looking to make a mark on the automotive industry with his YouTube channel and MotorWeek segment.

In a stripped down production that felt custom-made for the Musikfest stage, Morris capped a 17-song set with three songs that put a rush of energy into the crowd as the skies opened up over Bethlehem.

Musikfest attracts tens of thousands of people to the city each day during its 10-day run. Officials said they’re continuously working to lessen the event’s impact on the environment.

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.

Here are the Musikfest acts and more you should see today, Saturday, Aug. 12.

The final weekend of Musikfest is upon us, and while the festival is perhaps its best-know attractions, its "spectacles" — as Musikfest calls them — and street performers have become important to the environment of the ‘Fest.

Recently retired Parkland art teacher Linda La Due said her students were her greatest masterpieces.

Alt-rock band Wheatus, known for its 2000 hit "Teenage Dirtbag, will play Musikfest's Americaplatz stage at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 11

Christkindlmarkt started off its 2023 season with balmy weather, but that didn't stop folks from feeling the holiday spirit. Organizers say opening day set a record and traffic was up significantly the first weekend.

Kurt Vile plays Saturday as headliner for 75th anniversary of Muhlenberg College's student radio station WMUH-FM at Allentown's Miller Symphony Hall.

The theatre, which opened in 1981, will hold its last production of “The Mad Ones.”

It took engineers and decorators more than 1,000 hours to plan, prepare and deck the halls at Hotel Bethlehem this holiday season.

The holiday market is back with a bigger ice skating rink, a visit from Santa and new food.

On display are Baez's guitars, artwork, personal letters and other items on loan from the singer.

The festival viewing event, which last year expanded to two days, will be April 27-28 in Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

The gallery is open at Palmer Park Mall in Easton, a business its owner says is the first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley.

Bethlehem native Danny Roebuck is filming his new Christmas movie, "Saint Nick of Bethlehem" in November and March 2024.

Over the next few weeks, the Musikfest poster will appear on all platforms, including ArtsQuest websites. It will be used as the official festival 2024 poster and mug, as well as incorporated into other official festival merchandise and apparel throughout the year.

Museum Store Sunday brings three local museums together to support local artisans and crafters.

Lehigh Valley restaurants are taking the traditional Thanksgiving spread — turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce — and mashing it up with other items.