Arts & Culture

The Christmas City tree lighting took place at Payrow Plaza on Friday, with Mayor J. William Reynolds and a group of children coming together to flip the switch around 5:30 p.m. following an enthusiastic countdown from the crowd.

Lehigh Valley Health Network is providing free parking in Downtown Bethlehem for the fourth consecutive year.

Construction started on the ice rink at SteelStacks just after Halloween. Workers are now putting the finishing touches on the venue, which opens Nov. 22. We captured the process, featured in a time lapse video.

With visitors set to weave through the open-air stalls of Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt, many will be looking for seasonal items to purchase for friends and family. But not all are aware of the history and symbolism of the objects they’ll purchase.

This week, the LehighValleyNews.com digital desk handpicked three events for you to enjoy, including Easton Winter Village, Christkindlmarkt and Steelworkers’ Archives Walking Tours.

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center met its funding goal to build a new Pride Café through donations and state budget funding.

The Office of Attorney General is now encouraging frustrated Swifties—Taylor Swift fans—to file complaints to the office.

Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.

A songwriting workshop at Broughal Middle School stems from a partnership between the Any Given Child program and Icehouse Tonight.

To CEO Russell Fletcher, starting out as a small hyper-local business gave Mishka Premium Vodka a leg up to evolve at the rate it is right now. Soon, the vodka, which is distilled in Allentown, will be carried by yet another national chain.

The new eatery, Okatshe, will open at 947 W. Hamilton St., connected to The Moxy Allentown Downtown Hotel in mid-September, Garces announced in a release.

Cheap Trick, which had its first hit with “Surrender” in 1978 and 10 years later had its biggest hit with “The Flame,” will perform Oct. 22. And Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, with his Led Zeppelin Evening will perform Nov. 15.

The Struts stop at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks for a paid-ticket show in which it will play the entire album, as well as other songs.

The Great Allentown Fair returns Wednesday, Aug. 27, and so does the competition for fair royalty. Here are the four Lehigh Valley finalists hoping to be crowned the next Great Allentown Fair queen.

St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church held a festival for the community to raise money for families and victims of the deadly attack at Prophet Elias Church (Mar Elisa) in Damascus, Syria.

The Route 22 Filmworks Film Festival returns to Bethlehem’s Charles A. Brown Ice House for its third year on Saturday. The nine-hour event will feature 39 short films, including student work from several Pennsylvania universities.

A new documentary focusing on income and wealth disparity in America will premiere at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem. It was produced by Richard Master, founder and CEO of MCS Industries in Palmer Township.

Emblem3, best known for the 2013 song "Chloe (You're the One I Want)," will perform in Archer's Arrow room at 7 p.m. Nov. 14, it was announced.

Allentown Fair announced it will hold its first Inclusive Day on Friday, Aug. 29 to welcoming guests of all abilities "to enjoy a few hours of fun, entertainment and community connection in a sensory-aware and accessible environment."

Neko Case, who has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and also is a member of the high-charting Canadian power pop super group The New Pornographers, will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 17.

Historic Hotel Bethlehem was celebrated Wednesday for being chosen by USA Today as one of the nation’s 10 Best Historic Hotels/Resorts for the fifth consecutive year.