Arts & Culture

There are plenty of free acts to enjoy at the unofficial last of summer celebration, including a comedian/juggler with a crown of Solo cups and a tent filled with multi-colored butterflies.

Heart's headline opening night of Allentown Fair's grandstand on Wednesday wasn't the typical 50th anniversary blowout, but seemed more an acknowledgement of the band's triumph.

Mac and cheese on a stick, barbecue-infused ice cream, and horseradish cheesesteaks are hoping to win over fairgoers in this year's food contest. Voting is done on-site, and the winners will be announced on Monday.

John Fogerty, who with the group Creedence Clearwater Revival sold 30 million albums — 13 of which sold gold or platinum — will perform his Legacy Tour at 8 p.m. Nov. 8.

After a three-year hiatus, chick hatching is back at the Allentown Fair. The exhibition will be open daily at the Lehigh County 4-Club Livestock Experience tent.

With Allentown Fair opening its 173rd year today, music critic John J. Moser has 25 years of reviewing grandstand shows behind him. These are the best he's seen, ranked in order.

Heart will perform a grandstand show at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 on the opening night of Allentown Fair. Tickets remain available.

The 173rd Great Allentown Fair opens Wednesday, Aug. 27, through Labor Day, Sept. 1. The fair features rides, food, concerts, and family fun at one of Pennsylvania’s oldest fairs.

The 2025-26 season will feature innovative performances, including a modern "Alice in Wonderland" and an adaptation of "Medea." Part of the new UnBound Year-Round series, the season will run from Oct. 8 through June 30 in Bethlehem.

A few authors have brought books into Moravian Book Shop with AI-generated covers or art. That was enough for the staff to formally announce online that the bookstore would not support the use of technology that may replace creative jobs.

As Lehigh Valley residents treated themselves at the Easton Farmers Market Strawberry Day on Saturday, they also reached into their pockets to help less fortunate neighbors displaced by a Memorial Day row homes fire in Easton.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The celebrity chef was a headliner at Northampton Community College's Food and Wine Gala.

Sugaray Rayford, who in 2020 won the Blues Music Awards for B.B King Entertainer of the Year and Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year, will perform at the festival, which will be held noon-10 p.m. June 24 along Hamilton Street.

Over a 19-song, hour-and-40-minute show, Live’s performance in the summer's first paid-ticket show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks ranged from acceptably perfunctory to positively stunning, but not with the consistency the band had with its former members.

The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.

The Lehigh Valley schools announced the change last week — a switch made to accommodate the bicentennial celebration of Lafayette College in 2025-26.

Easton held its inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Month flag-raising in Centre Square on Wednesday evening, celebrating the community and advocating for acceptance and love among more than 100 people.

The middle schoolers took the photos at a three-week class at the Easton Area Community Center.

The "You Point, We Pick" program will be back at Burnside Garden, 1461 Schoenersville Road, starting Saturday, June 3.

ArtsQuest and Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center are collaborating to put on a new monthly film series called the Lehigh Valley LGBTQ+ Film Series.

Hall will perform new solo music from his album "BeforeAfter" at the Wind Creek Event Center on Friday, June 2.