Arts & Culture

Drum bands, motorcycles, inspiring speeches and more helped Easton celebrate the anniversary of emancipation.

Looking for fireworks celebrations for the Independence Day holiday? Several displays and events are scheduled in the Lehigh Valley.

The first Juneteenth Parade in the Lehigh Valley happens Monday in Easton, bringing together Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. There were a week of festivities to celebrate Juneteenth this year.

NAACP Bethlehem came together at the Sculpture Garden outside City Hall for a Juneteenth presentation regarding Black history, reparations, farming and the future of a sovereign community Saturday.

Juneteenth Lehigh Valley took over SteelStacks on Saturday, offering up a full roster of music, culture and more to honor the history of Black America. Festivities are planned throughout the weekend into Monday.

The Museum Pass program offered by Allentown Public Library has grown to include partnerships with close to 20 museums, gardens and historic sites in Eastern Pennsylvania. It's exclusive to adult residents in Allentown.

William Henry Moorman was 22 when he volunteered to carry a flag in the Union Army. As Juneteenth approaches, his great-grandson shares more about his legacy.

Jason Zulli, a professor at Northampton Area Community College, said he hopes his mural outside People First will help “bring the community together.”

The deadline to submit work is Sunday, June 25.

The late William Jacob Heller founded The American Flag Manufacturing Co. in Easton in 1887, helping popularize the U.S. flag nationally. Heller is credited as being instrumental in having flags hung at schoolhouses throughout the nation.

The 7th iteration of the Nazareth Adult Soap Box race brought many celebrating the legacy of racing in the borough, while others came to celebrate the childlike silliness of the event and the creative cars.

June is Pride Month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community. There are many Pride events in and around the Lehigh Valley this year.

The Bayou, a southern food restaurant in Easton and Bethlehem, features food flights twice a week. The restaurant embraces Fat Tuesday each week with its mac and cheese flight, and celebrates Waffle Wednesday with chicken and waffle flights.

It's hard to miss the new mural on Third Street in South Bethlehem. The artists, William Nieves and Jermel Fountain, painted and designed the mural with help from seven fifth-graders from Donegal Elementary School.

Chris Nee’s Comedy to Break the Stigma will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St.

Allentown businesses and high school students were honored at the Allentown Chamber of Commerce annual awards reception at the Renaissance Allentown Hotel on Thursday.

Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail has returned for its 7th year, taking Pennsylvanians on a tasty tour of the Keystone State.

The sale, which will be offered in person only, will be noon to 1 p.m. for ArtsQuest Circle donors and ArtsQuest members. It will open to the general public from 2-5 p.m.

Leaders in the arts discussed the cultural and economic impacts of the industry at the Lehigh Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance's 2024 conference at Lafayette College.

ArtsQuest's annual TacoFest is returning again this year. It will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 2, on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem.

Visitors can sample a wide variety of local craft brews while enjoying barbecue and a Grateful Dead tribute band this 2:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1. Samples are included in ticket prices: $40 in advance; $45 at the entrance.

"The Play That Goes Wrong," will begin on Wednesday, May 29 through June 16 as part of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University. The season also includes productions of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Winnie the Pooh and Friends," and "The Color Purple."