Entertainment News

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

Parliament-Funkadelic dominated R&B music during the 1970s, with more than 40 R&B hit singles, including three No. 1s, and three platinum albums.

Crews checked off another milestone on Tuesday when they finished connecting the tilted loop on Dorney Park's new Iron Menace roller coaster. The loop is the first of its kind on a dive coaster.

Shinedown, best known for its 2000s songs "Second Chance," "Sound of Madness" and "If You Only Knew," will headline Musikfest's Steel Stage on Aug. 3, it was announced.

Sublime with Rome, the version of the ska band Sublime that reformed with new lead Rome Ramirez in 2009, on Friday night posted a list of locations for its "Farewell Tour," including Bethlehem, Pa.

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.

The Clap will play an album-release show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at The Gas House Dance Hall, 311 Front St., Catasauqua, with supporting acts The Lunch Trucks, Pol Pot, Edgar Gore and The Nevermore's and Rotting Fruit. Tickets, at $10, will be available at the door.

Dorney Park is hosting a special preview event in anticipation of Iron Menace's premier, with proceeds from ticket sales benefitting Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital.

The annual festival features live music, horse carriage rides, ice sculpting, discounts on shopping and scenic train excursions.

Spring Beer Fest, which had a sold-out debut last year on the SteelStacks campus, will again serve up the suds for a second year March 30, ArtsQuest announced.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival will return to Allentown on Sunday, July 28. It kicks off at noon at North Fifth and Hamilton streets.

Tickets for the 50 shows in the new season go on sale to theater members at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 and to the public at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 at www.statetheatre.org, or at the box office at 453 Northampton St., Easton.

Coca-Cola Park will host 'Illumination,' a walk-through holiday lights experience beginning November 15, Lehigh Valley IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes announced at a press conference Wednesday.

Dr. Jana Houser specializes in radar analysis of tornadoes and the supercell thunderstorms that produce them. She recently served as a consultant on "Twisters."

Erica Silver, a music teacher with the Allentown School District, is the youth chorale's newest conductor and Alaina Swartz is the new director of education and community engagement.

It's still more than a month before the 37th annual Celtic Classic takes over downtown with kilts and kegs, but contests for the festival that celebrates all things Irish, Scottish and Welsh already are starting.

Diana Ross, who with The Supremes had a dozen No. 1 hits in the 1960s, then a half dozen more as a solo artist in the 1970s and ’80s, will perform at the center at 8 p.m. Oct. 18.

ArtsQuest, in partnership with Trans-Bridge Lines and Penn State University, on Monday announced a new satellite parking lot will be established at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

The opening night (the fest continues 2-11 p.m. today) offered New York gospel-blues trio The Harlem Gospel Travelers as headliners, and they offered an enthusiastic set. But it was some of the supporting acts that elevated the experience.

Cheap Trick, which was to be the opener for a show by rock band Heart, was announced Friday as the replacement for Heart as grandstand opening-night headliner at 7 p.m. Aug. 28. It will be joined for the show by another 1970s hit rock group — Blue Oyster Cult, best known for its 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper."

It's been two weeks since rock band Heart canceled its opening-night headline concert at Allentown Fair, and it looks like the fair is set to announce a replacement.

Over 80 comics signed up for the first round of a new competition at the Emmaus Theatre that looks to seek the funniest in the Lehigh Valley.