Arts & Culture

Drum bands, motorcycles, inspiring speeches and more helped Easton celebrate the anniversary of emancipation.

Looking for fireworks celebrations for the Independence Day holiday? Several displays and events are scheduled in the Lehigh Valley.

The first Juneteenth Parade in the Lehigh Valley happens Monday in Easton, bringing together Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. There were a week of festivities to celebrate Juneteenth this year.

NAACP Bethlehem came together at the Sculpture Garden outside City Hall for a Juneteenth presentation regarding Black history, reparations, farming and the future of a sovereign community Saturday.

Juneteenth Lehigh Valley took over SteelStacks on Saturday, offering up a full roster of music, culture and more to honor the history of Black America. Festivities are planned throughout the weekend into Monday.

The Museum Pass program offered by Allentown Public Library has grown to include partnerships with close to 20 museums, gardens and historic sites in Eastern Pennsylvania. It's exclusive to adult residents in Allentown.

William Henry Moorman was 22 when he volunteered to carry a flag in the Union Army. As Juneteenth approaches, his great-grandson shares more about his legacy.

Jason Zulli, a professor at Northampton Area Community College, said he hopes his mural outside People First will help “bring the community together.”

The deadline to submit work is Sunday, June 25.

The late William Jacob Heller founded The American Flag Manufacturing Co. in Easton in 1887, helping popularize the U.S. flag nationally. Heller is credited as being instrumental in having flags hung at schoolhouses throughout the nation.

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.

Local police departments are celebrating National Night Out Tuesday, a nationwide initiative to bring cops and community members together.