Arts & Culture

Looking for a fun way to ring in the New Year? We've got you covered with some local events that are fun for the whole family.

The Lehigh Valley tradition started in 2009. The family-friendly New Year's celebration returns this Saturday and Sunday at the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem. Fireworks are set for both nights.

The flagship store for Dave Phillips Music & Sound will close in the coming days, owner Joe DiMarco wrote on Facebook. On Wednesday, customers who flooded the store lamented the loss.

The second annual Allentown Film Festival will be from April 6-14 at the Civic Theatre of Allentown and its boutique Theatre514 across the street.

Ashley Cooke, best known for her song "Never Til Now," her gold single with Brett Young, will perform at Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Longswamp Township, Berks County, on Jan. 26.

The Barcelona-based singer performed a mix of classic, flamenco, Valencia and Catalan music at a concert and fundraiser for child literacy at Lehigh Valley Public Media.

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 is a list of Mass and church services in the Lehigh Valley in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.

For those watching the premiere of the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel film "Miracle in Bethlehem, PA," Thursday night was an exercise in catching all those familiar details.

Lehigh University Choral Arts presented its free Christmas Vespers service at Packer Memorial Church on Sunday, Dec. 10. PBS39 was there to record it for a special hourlong program.

The owner of Smartivities Showcase has opened a second location at the Promenade Saucon Valley.

The restaurant changed hands and its name around two years ago. Now, it's set to soon return to what the community last knew it as: Spiros Restaurant.

The event is organized by Interlace Cultural y Desarrollo Integral de Lehigh Valley in partnership with the Baum Art School and the City of Allentown.

Drake Bell, who is best known for his starring roles on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” with Amanda Bynes from 1999-02, and “Drake & Josh” from 2004-07, will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at Signature Event Center, 137 Erin Lane, Brodheadsville.

11Fest will be from 5-11 p.m. Nov. 11 (11/11) inside the Main Library at 11 W. Church St., Bethlehem.

A four-man crew has been making haste since Oct. 1 in putting up the decorations, with most of the wreaths, ribbons, light wraps, trees and stars currently hanging on light poles above streets in South Bethlehem and along the city’s bridges.

The Indoor Auto Racing Series, in which the cars compete on the concrete floor, will drive into the area Jan. 3-4 for the ninth running of the Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Races.

The festival, which features which retailers, artisans and food in heated tents on the SteelStacks campus, will open for its 32nd year on the weekend of Nov. 15.

Easton's Frank Pintabone announced Wednesday that a Hispanic Resource Day, catering to the needs of the city's Hispanic population, will be hosted at the Easton Area Community Center in November.

About 48,000 people attended the two-weekend Oktoberfest festival Oct. 4-6 and 11-13, ArtsQuest said.

The book festival will feature workshops, poetry, lectures by authors and discussions on the environment, LGBTQ rights, diversity and the steel industry. It runs through Sunday at various locations in the city.

Tribute shows to the music of Taylor Swift, Whitney Houston and Michael Bublé have been announced for the event center. So is rising comedian Sam Morril.