Arts & Culture

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.

Recently retired Parkland art teacher Linda La Due said her students were her greatest masterpieces.

Alt-rock band Wheatus, known for its 2000 hit "Teenage Dirtbag, will play Musikfest's Americaplatz stage at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 11

Juneteenth festivities were held across the Lehigh Valley this past weekend. The now federal holiday marks what is often considered the end of slavery in the U.S.

For the first time in its nearly 200-year history, the Philadelphia Flower Show will be held outdoors at a South Philly park beginning June 5 and running through June 13.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says more people are taking to fishing and boating during the pandemic. The agency is getting ready for another busy summer season.

Musikfest, which claims to be the largest free concert festival in the country, is set to return this summer.

One of The Lehigh Valley’s largest and longest running events is returning. The Great Allentown Fair is slated to come back in September. 

The 105th annual Pennsylvania Farm Show is going virtual this year.

Lehigh County will now officially recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for workers. But the move to give employees the day off to honor African American independence from slavery was met with some opposition

The Allentown Art Museum announced that Max Weintraub is to be the museum's next President and CEO.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey will hold a rally organized by the Northampton County Republican Committee.

Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theatre is kicking off this year’s Festival UnBound Tonight with a Latinx Block Party on the city’s south side.

Gov. Tom Wolf says he wants to spend $1.3 billion in CARES Act money on things ranging from small business assistance to paid parental leave.

ArtsQuest officials in Bethlehem say they’ve lost nearly $19 million dollars in revenue since mid-March. With Musikfest being mostly virtual this year because of the pandemic, the nonprofit is now working to make next year’s festival possible.