Food & Drink

Oktoberfest at SteelStacks begins on Friday, Oct. 4. The two-weekend celebration will feature four biergartens, a bratwurst eating contest, weiner dog race, polka music and a drag show.

Howie Day, whose 2004 song "Collide" sold four times platinum and helped his album "Stop All the World Now" reach platinum sales, will perform at the free annual Harvest Fest street fair. The event will be noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 20 at Main and Broad streets.

Giacomo's owner Sal Famularo said it’s been a long road, but the new Giacomo’s Italian Market and Grille will open at 11 a.m. Saturday at 4041 William Penn Highway — in the old Miller’s Paint & Wallpaper building in Palmer Township.

Celebrate the stink this weekend, when Easton Garlic Fest returns to the city, featuring over 130 vendors, and a special performance by Tito Puente Jr.

Melani and Jason Hansche are aiming to open Tucker Garage & Grocery in Easton this October, providing the public with a community café and grocery store. They just need a little help, and they're more than willing to offer some fun rewards in order to get to the finish line.

The International Cultural Festival will he held at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22.

The foodie festival is now in its ninth year and will occur from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, showcasing "diverse options" of food, drinks and concerts.

The 2024-25 Pennsylvania State Budget introduced updates to the state's complex liquor laws, including extended happy hours and ready-to-drink cocktails. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board already received over a thousand RTDC applications and has begun permitting with the law effective Sept. 16.

Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 in Forks Township celebrated the grand opening of Colonial Cafe 71, a coffee shop which helps teach employment and life skills.

The Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market officially added The Brass Rail to its list of merchants Thursday morning — the first time the eatery has been in operation since it shuttered on Lehigh Street in June 2022.

After more than 30 years of business in Bethlehem Township, the 2722 Easton Ave. Johnny's Gyros building will operate under a new name. Real estate agents confirmed another Greek restaurant will lease the space.

Opening the shop is a dream come true for owner Gina Passerman, who said she got the idea during COVID-19 lockdowns. Her goal was to make a place where people can go to "spend time, enjoy each other's company, and smile and be happy."

Paranormal Pizza has a new home on Sundays, with Jay's Local in Allentown hosting the beloved vegan pizzeria until they open their new brick and mortar location.

The coffee chain has billed customers an extra charge for dairy replacements like soy and almond milk. That charge will cease in early November.

Thousands of guests swarmed downtown Easton for PA BaconFest 2024 on Saturday, Nov. 2, with all sorts of savory and sweet dining options, on top of plenty of bacon merchandise and entertainment.

"Owning a restaurant is hard and expensive, and lots of aspects of it are out of your control," said Rachael Prosseda of the Vineyard Di Norma. The restaurant will close Dec. 24.

PA BaconFest returns to Easton on Nov. 2 and 3, featuring tons of eateries, vendors, competitions and more, all featuring everyone's favorite crispy, salty, savory food.

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 state Gaming Control Board voted Wednesday to renew Wind Creek's casino license, granting them another five years of operation.

Wegmans hit customers with robocalls Wednesday after recalling several varieties of its store-brand frozen waffles and pancakes due to potential listeria contamination.

The manufacturer of Giant's store-brand waffles has issued a recall due to potential listeria contamination, the supplier announced on Oct. 18. 2024.

The Lehigh Valley Vegan s’MAC Down, which is designed to determine who has the best vegan mac and cheese in the region, will return to Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at 2 p.m. Nov. 10.