Arts & Culture

Hawaiian singer Camile Velasco, who came in ninth place on the third season of "American Idol" in 2004 and now performs under the name Eli-Mac, says she'll perform at ReggaeFest at SteelStacks on July 5.

The Kutztown University junior, from Bethlehem, talks about her role as station treasurer, why she does it, and how it fits into her studies in animation, television and film.

Boston band Guster, who has had nearly a dozen songs hit the Top 40 in the Adult Alternative chart, will perform at 6 p.m. July 29. Opening the show will be The Mountain Goats, which from 2015-19 had three Top 10 albums on Indie chart.

This year's Greater Lehigh Valley Film Festival will feature 27 short films by some of the areas greatest talent, as well as student pieces from The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts.

311, which blends rock, reggae, hip hop and funk, is making a stop in Bethlehem in June. The Decemberists also are slated to perform at the venue in late July.

Judy Collins, best known for her 1968 hit "Both Sides Now" and 1975's "Send in the Clowns," will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 20.

Fiesta on Hamilton will take over Hamilton Street from 9th Street to 11th Street 1 to 7 p.m. May 18, the Chamber announced.

O.A.R., which most recently played Musikfest in a co-headline show with Goo Goo Dolls in 2023, will perform at the event center at 8 a.m. Aug. 21.

The Black Keys, best known for its double-platinum hits "Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling," will headline Musikfest's Steel Stage on Aug. 10.

WWE was once a near-annual staple in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley. But the company has not returned since a holiday tour stop in 2023.

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.

Municipalities across the Lehigh Valley hosted National Night Out events, which are meant to bring police and community members together.

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.

The Lower Macungie Township Historical Society is set to raise money for and produce a historical docudrama film focused on the 1799 Fries Rebellion, which led to a federal crackdown in the Macungie area during the John Adams administration.

ArtsQuest announced Monday that the Old World Wine Dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Fowler Blast Furnace Room on the second floor of the ArtsQuest Center. And the two-session Fall Winefest & Market will be on Oct. 29 at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem.

As Musikfest kicks off next week, some notable figures in its history shared their perspectives on the humble beginnings and what it's become. Join in the action in Bethlehem from Aug. 3-13.