Arts & Culture

The Allentown Film Festival is now in its second year and will feature short films and Q&A sessions with filmmakers.

The event's theme this year is "All Jazzed Up," and students shared what they're excited — or jazzed up — about in their own lives.

Actor/comedian Patrick Roach, who plays the character Randy on “Trailer Park Boys,” will bring Randy's Cheeseburger Picnic to Maingate Nightclub on Saturday, June 1.

Violinist Diane Monroe and New Jersey-based dance group Nimbus are among the scheduled performers set for April at Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University.

Megan Campbell and her son Finley have just released their first storybook, "Home is Where the Heart is," which features some of the young man's favorite spots in Easton.

Blues Traveler, which also in the 1990s had five gold and platinum albums and whose 1990 hit "Run-Around" spent 49 weeks on the Top 100, will perform Aug. 24. Also on the show will be Big Head Todd and The Monsters, who had the Top 15 hits “Bittersweet,” “Broken Hearted Savior” and “Resignation Superman.”

A $900,000 grant to ArtsQuest and the City of Bethlehem will improve pedestrian infrastructure around the nonprofit's Banana Factory complex on Third Street.

A new event, Steel City Smokeout, will be held Saturday, July 20, on PNC Plaza on the SteelStacks campus in conjunction with Bethlehem restaurant Nick’s BBQ.

Moravian University students wrote and directed the productions as part of their Master of Fine Arts thesis projects. Their performances at Touchstone Theatre — spread out through April and starting this week — will explore disability, self-worth and creativity.

Heavyweight developer City Center plans to open its new music venue, The Archer, in the 900 block of Hamilton Street in Allentown later this fall. Construction is underway.

The series of 10 Wednesday night movies will begin May 21. Families are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the Levitt lawn for the films, which start at 6:30 p.m.

Submissions for the singing competition will be accepted until June, but organizers say early applicants have the competitive edge. The winner will take home $2,000.

"The Book of Mormon," which has grossed nearly $1billion, making it one of the most successful musicals of all time, will return to the theater for three performances Sept. 27-28.

Jose Garces, an award-winning "Iron Chef," opened the Hamilton Street restaurant and rum bar in March.

The exhibit, which calls itself North America’s most popular interactive dinosaur event, will return to Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex from June 13-15.

The 3rd Annual No Planet B Jamboree will be at 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 19. For the first time, it will be at the ArtsQuest Town Square Stage on the SteelStacks campus.

Visitors can find rare records and artwork at the free flea market that will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Charles A. Smith Ice House in Bethlehem. Later in the day, four punk bands will take the stage.

Archer Music Hall, the new downtown concert venue, has announced a concert series that will showcase Pennsylvania acts. The series, called Pennsylvania’s Own, will start May 9 with Motionless in White.

Locals making up the Downtown Bethlehem Association helped market the Main Street’s successful campaign, offering a QR code for voting, social media content, printed postcards and word of mouth to draw voters.

The Struts, whose style recalls bands such as The Rolling Stones and Queen and who has had the hits “Could Have Been Me” and “Kiss This,” will perform at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 20.

Z.Z. Top, which had the hits “Tush” in the 1970s and “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man” in the 1980s, will perform at Wind Creek Event Center at 8 p.m. Sept. 21, it was announced Tuesday.

Three Dog Night, which from 1975-83 had 19 Top 30 hits on the Billboard Singles chart, and Little River Band, which had 11 Top 30 hits from 1977-83, will perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 15.