BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Had the calendar read differently — say, 30 years earlier — Mary Ann Beryl would have been among them.
Beryl, of Allentown, would have been one of the young girls strolling about the Musikfest grounds Thursday night, clip-clopping about in various styles and shades of cowboy boots and straw cowboy hats.
Today’s boots-wearing girls were there on Musikfest's Preview Night to attend a concert by country music sensation Megan Moroney at the festival's main Steel Stage.
And Beryl?
“I would’ve been here in my boots to see Shania Twain, if she was in town,” Beryl, 45, said. “Megan Maroney isn’t for me. As Shania might say, that don’t impress me much.”
Beryl laughed.
“Just kidding,” she said. “I’m just at a different stage of life to be a fan of Megan’s music.”
What drew Beryl and thousands of others to SteelStacks on Thursday night was Musikfest itself, the country’s largest free music festival, which celebrates its 42nd year.
The 10-day festival weaves together live music on 15 free stages throughout Bethlehem’s historic district and SteelStacks and with 11 ticketed headliner shows on the Steel Stage.
Musikfest also features artisans and crafters, offering a variety of attractions for every age and taste.
'A great time'
Mother Nature threatened to bring rain Thursday, as she has throughout Musikfest’s history. The forecast forced music performances to be switched from the outdoor free stages to inside ArtsQuest Center.
ArtsQuest is the festival organizer.
However, the rains failed to come, much to the delight of those who enjoyed a variety of foods and beverages from many of the 60 vendors.
Visitors filled the food tables outside ArtsQuest Center, taking full advantage of the vendor options, and also perused the adjacent corridor where vendors as diverse as gyros and popcorn were positioned.
Cataleya McKinney of Allentown couldn’t say how much fun she was having at Musikfest for two reasons.
One, she was munching a mouthful of poutine from The Flying V food truck.
And two, Cataleya is just 2 years old.
“I think she’s having a great time,” her father, Oliver, said, smiling at her as she sat in her stroller.
“I was here at Musikfest last summer after we moved up here from Houston. It’s such a great time.”
"But it feels like a great time here, so we’ll be back.”Jeff Staller, of Pottsville, a first-time visitor to Musikfest
Jeff Staller and his family didn’t have to travel as far as the McKinneys to enjoy Musikfest.
“We’re from Pottsville and it’s our first time here,” said Staller, who sat beside his daughter, Trinity, 14, and wife, Heather Downey.
“Trinity turned 14 in June and we got her tickets to Megan Moroney’s concert. That’s why we’re here tonight. But it feels like a great time here, so we’ll be back.”
Full 'Fest kicks off today
The full festival opens today, Friday, Aug. 1, with opening ceremonies scheduled for Festplatz on the North Side at 5:30 p.m.
The long-range forecast shows temperatures in the low-80s with no chance of precipitation through Thursday.
That comes as welcome news to Yianni Kyziridis, owner of Pat’s Pizza & Bistro, who has operated a stand at Musikfest since 2022.
“Rain makes life here disappointing,” Kyziridis said as he stood under his food tent just across from Festplatz making last-minute preparations on Thursday afternoon.
“Last year, business was very bad because of all the rain. We just had so much rain. Hopefully, it stays away.”
Musikfest organizers would echo that sentiment. The rainy festival last year — due in part to remnants of Hurricane Debbie — was responsible for a 300,000 decrease in attendance from 1.3 million in 2023.
