Arts & Culture

Pennsylvania Music Preservation Society will present Music Alive at the Ritz, a series of shows on Sundays through October.

Sponge, whose biggest hit, “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain),” hit No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock charts in 1994, will perform at The Gin Mill and Grill in Northampton. Sponge will top a five-act show at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13 in what the venue calls a "customer appreciation pre-Xmas bash."

The Party Animals traveling circus of Banana Ball couldn’t run without its many unsung heroes — from an umpire with a background in parkour to a player director with a degree in entertainment design.

The Knauss Homestead Preservation Society is coming back for its fourth year this summer at the Knauss Homestead Farmhouse in Emmaus. The late July event is free, but registration for attendance is required.

The quaint shop on North New Street sells stones from South America, Mexico and the Middle East, as well as locally themed artwork.

Coca-Cola Park will be hosting the Party Animals for two games of Banana Ball as part of the Banana Ball World Tour this weekend.

Foreigner, which ruled the charts from 1977 to 1987 with songs such as “Feels Like the First Time," "Hot Blooded" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You," will perform at Wind Creek Event Center on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Thomas Riddle of Bethlehem, founder and chairman of Valley National Financial Advisors, will be recipient of the Linny Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Linny Awards ceremony on Oct. 23, ArtsQuest announced.

Drake Bell, best known for his starring roles on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” with Amanda Bynes from 1999-02, and “Drake & Josh” from 2004-07, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at Gin Mill and Grille, at 1750 Main St., Northampton.

George Gray was the founder of the U.S. Coast Guard Art Program and a combat artist during World War II and in Vietnam. Gray painted 233 murals for hotels across the country. Historic Hotel Bethlehem is the only hotel that still retains Gray's work, and has gained national recognition.

Sangriafest, which includes food, vendors, lawn games, live music and — of course — that namesake wine-and-fruit beverage, will be 4-7 p.m. June 15 at Grange Park in Upper Macungie Township.

Greta Van Fleet, who have been widely compared to Zeppelin with its his rock hit "Highway Tune," "Safari Song" and "You're the One," will headline the festival’s main Steel Stage on a preview night Aug. 1, the festival announced.

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.