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.

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.

At Putt U's 25th anniversary on July 22, players are encouraged to be creative with their one-of-a-kind putting devices. No regular putters are allowed, according to the company.

Come out to Easton to celebrate the 247 anniversary of the reading of the Declaration of Independence and the city's rich history at Heritage Day, set for Sunday, July 9.

Throughout the five weeks, participating museums, libraries and special exhibitions provide free admission, guided tours, activities and programs suitable for visitors of all ages.

Bring an appetite to these food related events happening this weekend in the Valley.

Easton's Karl Stirner Arts Trail is an ever-popular destination for locals and travelers seeking a quaint and quick trip through a museum set along a strip of wilderness in the city.

Bethlehem's annual Fourth of July fireworks were fired from Sand Island and drew a crowd to several points across the city, including the SteelStacks campus.

Switchfoot on Saturday, July 8, will perform at Quakertown's Univest Performance Center.

The Freedom high school alum was sent home after a kissing challenge went amiss.

The new carousel, built in 1928, is the latest milestone in Bushkill Park's resurrection, after a series of floods closed the Easton-area attraction for more than a decade.

A cappella singing group Straight No Chaser will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. 6th St., Allentown. Tickets, at $49.50-$69.50, are available at www.millersymphonyhall.org or 610-432-6715.

Hundreds attended the festival, which featured ska, reggae and dancehall performances, on Saturday, July 1.