Arts & Culture

The Slate Belt LGBTQ+ Community Association and the LGBTQ Business Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted the second annual Slate Belt Pride Saturday in Bangor.

Lehigh Valley Woodworker's Guild members make time to craft safe, quality wooden toys for children in the VNA St. Luke's Nurse-Family Partnership and area children's hospitals.

Says the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the event marks “a celebration of our local culinary talent and a testament to the strong community spirit that makes our area special.”

ArtsQuest is holding a one-day sale that eliminates those pesky price-pumping fees on eight of the 11 headline shows at the SteelStage venue. But the sale ends at 11:59 p.m. today, July 12.

The 37th Annual Blueberry Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, with live music, food, kids activities, outdoor games, and of course, blueberries. New this year is the Blueberry Tavern Tent, serving centuries-old tipples for tasting and taking.

The beer was flowing, the staff was polished and prepared, and food and drinks came with just the right cushion between appetizers and entrees at a soft opening event at the brand new Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Whitehall.

South African rockers Seether, who had the chart-topping songs “Broken (with Amy Lee),” “Remedy,” “Fake It” and “Country Song,” will team up with Skillet, which has had 25 Top 10 Christian chart singles, 12 of which went gold or platinum, to play the event center at 6 p.m. Sept. 21.

Beep Boop Beep Boop: A Sci-Fi Film Festival will be back for its second year July 25-28 in Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

Brett Scallions, the original singer of 1990s hit band Fuel, will perform an acoustic solo show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13, at Signature Event Center, 137 Erin Lane, Brodheadsville. Tickets, at $30, remain available at www.TicketWeb.com.

Duran Duran, which was among the best-selling acts of the 1980s, with five gold and platinum albums, will play Allentown's PPL Center on Oct. 21.

The free festival, now in its fifth year at Cedar Crest College, features a diverse group of bands and local vendors selling food and artisan goods.

The new show features the work of 22 regional artists and is modeled after the "Odyssey" by Homer.

Dorney Park's Wildwater Kingdom will open on Saturday, May 27. The water park will feature two new bars and deluxe cabanas this year.

Trischka leads a bluegrass quintet in a program he calls, EarlJam, another homage to Earl Scruggs.

Several Lehigh Valley high school performing arts students took home Freddy Awards at the ceremony held Thursday, May 25 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton.

Jay Pharoah, who spent seven seasons on "Saturday Night Live," will perform at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks at 8 p.m. Sept. 28.

The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 25 at the State Theater.

ArtsQuest's expansion includes a newly renovated first-floor and a mixed-use space that will help plan events like Musikfest.

Across Pennsylvania, hundreds of students are representing their schools in gaming competitions. While not sanctioned by the PIAA, students are making a name for themselves, gaining college scholarships and acquiring skills beyond just hand-eye coordination.

A new workshop for protective hairstyles is coming to Allentown. It will be hosted by Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center on May 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

The family-friendly festival will take place over Memoral Day weekend, Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28 at Cedar Crest College.

The festival, which runs May 31 - Aug. 6, features free performances of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and ticketed classical and contemporary shows.