Arts & Culture

The opening line of The Band's song "The Weight" — “I pulled into Nazareth/Was feelin' about half past dead” — has again put the spotlight on the Northampton County borough with the death of its writer, Robbie Robertson.

The time-lapse was shot from the weather camera atop the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus.

The 40th Musikfest drew to a successful close on Sunday night in Bethlehem. The nation's largest open-gate free music festival delivered more than 500 free performances, plus paid-ticket headliners. Organizers believe a record of roughly 1.25 million attended the 11-day event. An official count is expected to be announced Tuesday.

The Grammy-winning band closed out the 11-day spread with a 90-minute set of their biggest hits and covers of The Eagles and Journey.

Giuseppe Iatarola, 11, of Hellertown, is a widely known gearhead looking to make a mark on the automotive industry with his YouTube channel and MotorWeek segment.

In a stripped down production that felt custom-made for the Musikfest stage, Morris capped a 17-song set with three songs that put a rush of energy into the crowd as the skies opened up over Bethlehem.

Musikfest attracts tens of thousands of people to the city each day during its 10-day run. Officials said they’re continuously working to lessen the event’s impact on the environment.

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.

Here are the Musikfest acts and more you should see today, Saturday, Aug. 12.

The final weekend of Musikfest is upon us, and while the festival is perhaps its best-know attractions, its "spectacles" — as Musikfest calls them — and street performers have become important to the environment of the ‘Fest.

The My Generation Tour, led by The Lovin' Spoonful, will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Easton's State Theatre. Also on the bill are Gary Lewis and The Playboys — best known for its 1965 chart-topping hit "This Diamond Ring" — and The Hollies Greatest Hits starring Hollies guitarist Terry Sylvester.

Tickets for the 17th PeepsFest, at $5 per person, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7 at the ArtsQuest website or the box office at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founder Way, Bethlehem.

Country singer Dylan Gossett will perform at Wind Creek Event Center on Thursday, March 5. The Temptations, who from 1965-89 had 45 Top 10 R&B hits, will perform with The Four Tops, who from 1965-72 had 15 Top 10 hits on the R&B chart, on Friday, April 10. Tickets are on sale at the event center website and its box office at 77 Wind Creek Blvd.

Biohazard plays Allentown's Archer Music Hall, with Swollen Teeth, Bayway and Onyx, at 5:30 p.m. today, Oct. 31. Tickets, at $59.50 for general admission standing, remain available at the Archer website and at the box office at 939 Hamilton St.

Leadership, mentorship and empowerment were themes at the 2025 ATHENA Awards held Oct. 30 at ArtsQuest. This year's honorees included Susan Wild, Veronica Gonzalez and MKSD Architects.

Theresa Caputo, known as the Long Island Medium, is making two appearances in the Lehigh Valley this weekend. The television personality described the show saying it's "probably the most amazing and touching show you will probably ever attend."

Charley Crockett, whose 2022 album "The Man From Waco," 2024's "$10 Cowboy," and this year's "Lonesome Drifter" and "Dollar a Day" all hit the Top 200, will perform Saturday, March 7.

The five-story, 78,500-square-foot facility will replace the Banana Factory as a hub for creativity and learning. The construction is expected to be completed in late 2026.

"Cut Loose," an exhibition by local artists Anthony Smith Jr. and Marie Belle, will be on display through Thursday at Eagle Nest Gallery. The two creatives also will be among the 31 artists participating in the Allentown Art Museum's annual fall fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 8, and free-to-attend art fair on Sunday, Nov. 9.

The Korean-born, French-inspired Paris Baguette franchise is looking to expand its footprint in the Lehigh Valley as it chips away toward its goal of opening more than 1,000 cafes across the country before 2030. The bakery-cafe chain is specifically taking interest in the Allentown-area market.

Daniel Seddiqui told LehighValleyNews.com on Thursday the region’s two biggest cities aren’t short of charm, friendly residents or traffic.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, best known for its 1970 Top 10 hit "Mr. Bojangles" and its 1987 platinum Country chart hit "Fishin' in the Dark," will perform Friday, April 10.