Arts & Culture

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.

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.

About 900 feet above sea level, the nearly 100-foot-high beacon atop South Mountain sports 238 brand-new LEDs and a jump in wattage from 5.5 to 7 per lamp, according to Bethlehem Electrical Bureau Chief Greg Cryder.

Celebrate the start of summer with traditional folk dance and son jarocho music at the Charles A. Brown Ice House on Saturday, June 21.

ArtsQuest's new Movie Trivia Mayhem, a tournament-style movie trivia showdown, is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas in ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

The Smashing Pumpkins founder and frontman Billy Corgan played a two-hour, 22-song set with his new band The Machines of God before a near-sellout crowd of perhaps 1,500 at Allentown's Archer Music Hall.

A cappella group Straight No Chaser, best known for its viral internet video of “Twelve Days of Christmas” mashed with Toto’s “Africa,” will perform at the theater Dec. 7. And Wizards of Winter, the popular rock-music-holiday show, will return at 3 p.m. Dec. 21.

The five-story cultural hub, which will replace the Banana Factory, will house a recording studio, a 125-seat theater, STEAM classes, a glass studio and programming in English and Spanish.

Crumb has started a short tour that brings it later this week to Allentown's Archer Music Hall. Tickets, at $41.80 for general admission standing, with pop band Kassie Krut as opening, remain available for the Thursday show.

The fair said Monday that Ace Frehley, former guitarist for KISS, and 1980s hard rockers Quiet Riot and Great White will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 30.

"Rooted: A Story of Artists Embracing Place" debuted on Sunday at Zoellner Arts Center. It is produced by Doug Roysdon, Dave Fry, Bill George, and Bridget George. The riveting film features interviews with Bethlehem's community leaders, directors, and arts advocates.

Night at the Drive-In: On Tuesday, June 17, Shankweiler's will host Brad Klein and Marty McGuire for Watching the Skies' first live event. And they will screen (also for the first time) a presentation by Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomer" about his favorite planet, Mars.

Juneteenth Lehigh Valley celebrated its fifth year — a wet one — on the SteelStacks campus.

The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts graduate is reuniting with her fellow "The Voice" contestants and will release a new single in the fall.