Arts & Culture

This week Watching the Skies explores the ice giant, Uranus.

Hot temperatures and Jamaican-centric food teamed with cool music at the third annual OneEarth ReggaeFest at SteelStacks in Bethlehem on Saturday.

Scott Tournet will open for rock group The Record Company at Musikfest Cafe July 12.

Easton is set to extend the patriotic holiday season throughout the weekend with Heritage Day scheduled for Sunday, July 7, featuring historical reenactments, musical performances, food and fireworks.

Bethlehem native Ariel Torres became the first drag queen to perform at the Governor's Residence for its Pride Month Celebration Reception on June 26. Torres performed “I Was Here” by Beyoncé as his drag persona, Elektra Fierce St. James.

Duran Duran, which has 14 Top 25 hit songs including the No. 1 hits “Hungry Like the Wolf” in 1982, “The Reflex” in 1984 and “A View to a Kill” in 1985, on its Facebook page lists Allentown among seven cities in which it will announce shows "early next week."

One Earth ReggaeFest will take place at ArtsQuest's SteelStacks beginning at noon on Saturday, July 6.

For two decades, borough officials have celebrated Independence Day by handing out hundreds of kazoos and American flags to residents before parading through the streets, blaring patriotic songs the entire time. It almost didn't happen this year.

Mayor J. William Reynolds says turning the lights on at SteelStacks' blast furnaces would be costly for land owner Wind Creek, running up to as much as $1 million. But one city councilman says they need to be illuminated by the time Musikfest begins.

Childish Major, who rose to fame as the producer of the 2013 Rocko single “U.O.E.N.O,” which peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, will join the show by Ludacris at 7 p.m. Aug. 10, Musikfest’s penultimate night. Also, opening the show will be a Philadelphia rapper LG (Team Genius), best known for her song “YBM,” which also has 10 million views on Instagram.

Commissioners from the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs held a meet-and-greet on the SteelStacks campus on Tuesday night.

Bruce Hornsby, best known for his hits chart-topping hits "The Way It Is," "Mandolin Rain" and "The Valley Road" in 1986-87, will perform at 7 p.m. July 2 at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center.

Sublime With Rome, the version of the ska band Sublime that reformed with new lead Rome Ramirez in 2009, will perform 8 p.m. Aug. 22 at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem.

Black Eyed Peas, best known for their hits "Let's Get It Started," "Where is the Love" and "I Got a Feeling," will headline the festival’s main Steel Stage on Aug. 8, the festival announced.

Scotty McCreery, who won “American Idol” in 2011 and since has released three No. 1 Country chart albums and two other Top 10 discs, will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, June 21.

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.

Singer-songwriter Lisa Bodnar and Whistlegrass will present OM (original music) from the Garden, which it calls an all-ages “pop-up event,” from noon to 5 p.m. at The Icehouse, 56 River St., Bethlehem.

Andria Zaia, joined NMIH as curator of collections in 2016, was appointed to the top position by the museum's Board of Directors, according to a release.

Summer Nights, to be held select nights July 12-Aug. 18, will “celebrate the best of summer at Dorney Park,” according to a news release.

As part of Black History Month, we celebrate the contributions of local artists, dancers, actors and community leaders whose achievements stand out year-round.

Justin Hayward, who led The Moody Blues for more than 50 years and Christopher Cross, who topped the charts with “Sailing” in 1980 and “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” in 1981, will perform July 14 at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem.

Singer Joan Osborne, who had the 1995 hit 'One of Us,' will perform at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem