Arts & Culture

At the Allentown Fair grandstand on Thursday, the hyperactivity was dialed back a measure for Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, and the kids — who made up about half the audience of perhaps 3,000 — were at least exposed to learning.

The crowd at Allentown Fair for Cheap Trick and Blue Oyster Cult was there to hear the hits of their youth and — for the most part — got what they wanted.

For the first time, Robbie Furman will showcase his work at the Allentown Fair.

The oppressive heat did not deter folks from making their way to the 172nd Great Allentown Fair at the Allentown Fairgrounds on Wednesday. Great food and drinks, amusement park rides and a variety of events will take place at the fair through Monday, Sept. 2.

Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour hits the grandstand stage at Allentown Fair at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Tickets, at $30 each, remain available at the fair website.

Nearly 50 years later, Blue Öyster Cult still is performing, and this year even released "Ghost Stories," its first album of new material in four years and only second in 23 years. The group also will open for fellow 1970s rockers Cheap Trick as the grandstand feature for opening night at Allentown Fair at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.

The wartime lost portrait by German artist Lucas Cranach the Elder, entitled "Portrait of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony," has hung at the Allentown Art Museum since 1961.

Bethlehem's SouthSide Arts District has joined with the city and Wawa stores to create what it calls a "Gateway sign" — "a vibrant public art piece that enhances the entrance between Route 412 and SouthSide downtown."

The 2024 Great Allentown Fair runs Wednesday, Aug. 28 through Monday, Sept. 2. We've got a rundown on what you can expect, from the grandstand headliners to the Iron Chef competition and more.

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is hosting its annual Brew at the Zoo again in 2024. This year, it falls on Saturday, Sept. 14, and will feature more than three dozen craft beers and ciders.

Doogie Horner, who had a successful run on "America's Got Talent," then wrote successful books, will perform Saturday, Dec. 6, at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. Horner will headline the fourth annual Winter WonderJam, presented by the "Your Next Favorite Band" podcast.

Comedians Daniel Tosh, Bill Engvall and Jim Breuer all have dates next year for shows at Wind Creek Event Center. Tickets for all three go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at the event center website, or at the box office at 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem.

Wednesday’s art show reception also doubled as a ribbon-cutting for the new NeighborMade Community Art Gallery & Workshop, housed inside the center at 1335 West Linden St.

Central Elementary STREAM Academy students premiered a teaser of “Passport to Puerto Rico” at the Univest Public Media Center, celebrating Puerto Rican culture with food, Bomba music and dance. The student-made film debuts on PBS39 Dec. 13.

Trevor Noah, who in 2015 succeeded Jon Stewart as anchor of Comedy Central's “The Daily Show” and continued until 2022, will perform Saturday, Feb. 14, at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem.

Let Freedom Sing, to be held at 7 p.m. May 27 at Allentown’s Coca-Cola Park, seeks to unite more than 5,000 voices from across the region for “a choral experience to the community, uniting in celebration.”

John Mulaney, who for six years was a writer on “Saturday Night Live” and starred in the short-lived FOX-TV series “Mulaney,” will perform at 7 p.m., it was announced by ArtsQuest, the nonprofit that produces Musikfest.

Jeff Foxworthy, whose catchphrase is “You just might be a redneck,” will perform Thursday, April 9, it was announced.

“Weird Al” Yankovic, best known for turning Michael Jackson’s 1984 hit “Beat It” into the parody “Eat It” for a Top 15 hit that was certified gold, will perform at Musikfest 2026, it was announced.

Bailey Zimmerman, best known for his multi-platinum hits "Fall in Love," "Rock and a Hard Place" and "Religiously," will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 6, ArtsQuest revealed Monday.

Next month, Wind Creek Event Center owner Jeff Trainer plans to open The Broken Record, a restaurant in Lower Macungie Township that will combine a broad range of food offerings with a music theme — and perhaps more.

Crayola has announced the lineup for Crayola Creativity Week 2026, with special guests like Kate Micucci — a Nazareth native — and Questlove.