Arts & Culture

Organizers had hinted that this year's crowds were expected to break records. On Tuesday, ArtsQuest confirmed it. More than 1.3 million visited Bethlehem during the 11 nights of Musikfest 2023.

The opening line of The Band's song "The Weight" — “I pulled into Nazareth/Was feelin' about half past dead” — has again put the spotlight on the Northampton County borough with the death of its writer, Robbie Robertson.

The time-lapse was shot from the weather camera atop the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus.

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.

Kameron Marlow, best known for his 2021 platinum hit "Giving You Up" and 2022's gold "Steady Heart," will open the show at 7 p.m. Aug. 29, it was announced.

The celebration will take over Hamilton Street from 9th Street to 11th Street from 1 to 7 p.m., Sunday, May 18.

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks will open the 2025 season — its 15th at the foot of the blast furnaces — with Boston indie pop-funk band Couch.

Old Dominion, best known for its multi-platinum hits “Break Up With Him,” “Snapback” and “Written in the Sand," will perform Sept. 4 at PPL Center. Supporting acts on the show will be singer-songwriters Ernest and Redferrin.

The stage show "Sesame Street Live: Elmo and Friends Say Hello" will be performed at 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at Easton's State Theatre.

A mural reflecting the dreams of young Allentown teenagers was unveiled at the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown on Wednesday.

Couch will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 16, at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem — kicking off the venue's 15th year of free summer concerts.

A drone show that will have guests look to the city sky as the illuminated aircrafts create "bold, high-impact visuals," will highlight Mayfair Festival of the Arts this year.

Isavel Mendoza will study theater at Pace University in the fall. He began writing poetry in first grade and comes from a family of artists in the Dominican Republic.

Tyler Rothrock is coming to Godfrey Daniels to film his first-ever comedy special, which he said he plans to distribute on YouTube.

The area's first Insomnia Cookies store will plant its roots in Bethlehem, becoming an anchor store to the Six10 Flats apartment building on East Third Street. A spokesperson confirmed in an email to LehighValleyNews.com that the store is expected to open this summer.

The fifth location in Pennsylvania, on West Broad Street, is owned by a longtime business owner and mom of four. The eatery’s menu includes coffee, cakes, tarts, donuts, and sandwiches.