Arts & Culture

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.

Jayna Elise, who auditioned on "Idol" in both Season 21 in 2023 and Season 22 the past spring, recently was chosen for the role of Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which performs at Easton's State Theatre on Oct. 1-2.

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.

Here is a list of Mass and church services in the Lehigh Valley in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.

For those watching the premiere of the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel film "Miracle in Bethlehem, PA," Thursday night was an exercise in catching all those familiar details.

Lehigh University Choral Arts presented its free Christmas Vespers service at Packer Memorial Church on Sunday, Dec. 10. PBS39 was there to record it for a special hourlong program.

Frontline workers and waste collectors made Santa's nice list this year, while the Hallmark Channel made it on the "check twice" pile.

Horse around this holiday with a carriage ride through Bethlehem, known as the Christmas City.

Patricia Huber co-founded WBPH TV 60 in Bethlehem and hosted the long-running Bible show “Bethlehem Glory.”

The wait is over! The Lehigh Valley Mall has finally opened the doors for The Cheesecake Factory, with the new location offering 250 dishes and dozens of delectable desserts.

About 100 people continued the zany tradition of Bethlehem's annual Christmas tree toss Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. The event raised nearly $2,300 for Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley.

Three Kings Day is returning to the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.Also known as Dia de los Reyes, the observance is a Christian feast day that commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child.

The City of Bethlehem and the Celtic Cultural Alliance will hold a joint news conference on Monday, Dec. 18 to impart details of their new partnership for the Parade of Shamrocks in March.

Some shoppers and arts and crafts vendors were surprised to see Hallmark star Wes Brown at ArtsQuest's holiday market in Bethlehem on Thursday.