Arts & Culture

Easton is set to extend the patriotic holiday season throughout the weekend with Heritage Day scheduled for Sunday, July 7, featuring historical reenactments, musical performances, food and fireworks.

Bethlehem native Ariel Torres became the first drag queen to perform at the Governor's Residence for its Pride Month Celebration Reception on June 26. Torres performed “I Was Here” by Beyoncé as his drag persona, Elektra Fierce St. James.

Duran Duran, which has 14 Top 25 hit songs including the No. 1 hits “Hungry Like the Wolf” in 1982, “The Reflex” in 1984 and “A View to a Kill” in 1985, on its Facebook page lists Allentown among seven cities in which it will announce shows "early next week."

One Earth ReggaeFest will take place at ArtsQuest's SteelStacks beginning at noon on Saturday, July 6.

For two decades, borough officials have celebrated Independence Day by handing out hundreds of kazoos and American flags to residents before parading through the streets, blaring patriotic songs the entire time. It almost didn't happen this year.

Mayor J. William Reynolds says turning the lights on at SteelStacks' blast furnaces would be costly for land owner Wind Creek, running up to as much as $1 million. But one city councilman says they need to be illuminated by the time Musikfest begins.

Childish Major, who rose to fame as the producer of the 2013 Rocko single “U.O.E.N.O,” which peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, will join the show by Ludacris at 7 p.m. Aug. 10, Musikfest’s penultimate night. Also, opening the show will be a Philadelphia rapper LG (Team Genius), best known for her song “YBM,” which also has 10 million views on Instagram.

Enjoy an array of musical and theater performances, plus children's activities starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 6 at DeSales University.

Famed rockers Heart has canceled its headlining gig at Allentown Fair, and the rest of its recent tour, in light of singer Ann Wilson's cancer treatment.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs rolled out their Bethlehem City Connect merchandise Monday with a jersey, hat, and other offerings that take inspiration from the Bethlehem Star, along with nods to the history of Bethlehem Steel.

DBA manager says people aren't drinking as much anymore, so it's time to change things up.

Lehigh Valley Salsa Social meets monthly in the Lehigh Valley to practice salsa and bachata. The dances are making a comeback among younger people thanks to TikTok and artists like Bad Bunny.

Ashley Rodrigues, a Moravian University student, recently attended Super Bowl LIX with Living Sport, a sports experience company. As a communications major, with a dream to go into sports broadcasting, she said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Bailey Spinn, who has nearly 16 million followers on TikTok and nearly 5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel — and viral YouTube pop-punk songs, as well — will perform at 6 p.m. June 18. Party Iconic: Hot to Go — a dance party named after Chappell's 2023 double-platinum hit and featuring music by the Grammy Awards' Best New Artist — will be at 8 p.m. March 29. And Let’s Sing Taylor — A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift will perform at 2 and 6:30 p.m. p.m. April 5.

Citing its lease ending, south Bethlehem paint-your-own pottery shop will reopen in the lifestyle center where it first opened 15 years ago.

Local artists teamed up to dispense their artwork from a vending machine at the Easton Public Market.

Arrival From Sweden: The Music of ABBA will perform July 18 at the venue, 301 W. Mill St., Quakertown, as part of the Sounds of Summer Concert Series.

Hollywood Undead, best known for the 2008 hit "Undead" and 2009's "Everywhere I Go," will perform a paid-ticket concert at the venue at 7 p.m. May 13, it was announced. The show also will feature gold-selling rock band Set It Off and charting rap-rocker Zero 9:36.

Attendees will receive a piece of artwork during the benefit, which takes place Friday at the JuxtaHub.

The 26th annual Lehigh Valley Auto Show will be held March 20-23 at Lehigh University. More than 400 vehicles, domestic and imported, will be on display.

Sting, who topped the charts with such songs as "Every Breath You Take" as bassist and vocalist of The Police, then with "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" as a solo artist, will perform Nov. 20-21.

Live Nation head of club programming Molly Warren said the Archer is viewed as a resource being built where there's already a "thriving community" for music — the Lehigh Valley — that embraces artists of many genres.