Arts & Culture

Welcome to LehighValleyNew.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the free stages of Bethlehem's Musikfest festival.

After chatting through an online dating app, Lehigh Valley natives Stu Elsenbaumer and Jess Madzik had their first date at Musikfest 2021. Now, attending the festival will be a cherished tradition for the newlyweds for years to come.

With the growth of Musikfest comes an ever-growing number of parkers in Bethlehem during Musikfest, one parking official told LehighValleyNews.com. Here's a look at some of your options.

Welcome to LehighValleyNew.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the free stages of Bethlehem's Musikfest festival.

While mid-afternoon rain on Friday forced postponement of Musikfest opening ceremonies, it did not deter folks from attending the festival — just as many food vendors expected.

Billed as one of the country's largest antique and classic car shows, the festival is in its 61st season and will take place on Aug. 2-4 starting at 6 a.m. each day until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Lauren "Ren" Beck just finished her latest work of art — a mural inspired by this year’s Musikfest poster — painted inside the 1st Street bus shelter at the SteelStacks campus.

Greta Van Fleet's hour-and-52-minute show covered just 11 songs, as the group favored long, meandering guitar solos, and a drum solo, over the hard-hitting rock with which it started.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor and editor John Moser.

The Drum Corps International 47th Eastern Classic will feature 22 drum corps. It's set for Saturday and Sunday at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.

Call it sludge, stoner metal, heavy rock, whatever. Melvins, one of the most influential acts in the game, came out to Musikfest Cafe on Thursday and played an incredible set exploring its vast and varied four decades.

"Iron Chef" winner Jose Garces has opened Okatshe, a Japanese-inspired izakaya on Hamilton Street, with an eight-foot sushi roll instead of a ribbon-cutting. Located across from Rosa Blanca, Okatshe offers small plates, sushi, sake,and whiskey in a modern take on Japan’s traditional neighborhood bar.

Former Phillies Steve Carlton and Ricky Bottalico were at a meet-and-greet event at Coca-Cola Park on Thursday. The event was sponsored by St. Luke's University Health Network, of which Carlton is a community ambassador.

The 2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4 at Lehigh Country Club. The 54-hole tournament will feature a field of 78 PGA TOUR Champions players.

The festival spans two weekends of authentic German traditions, including stein holding competitions, bratwurst eating contests, live polka bands, schuhplattler dancers, dachshund races and new contests.

After three years of low attendance because of inclement weather, the 2025 Celtic Classic & U.S. Highland Games returned with crowds and a packed celebration of the Celtic regions: Ireland, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Brittany, Scotland, and Wales.

Comedian Michael Che, currently in his 11th season of "Saturday Night Live," will perform Dec. 10 at Easton's State Theatre, it was announced.

Gwynn spoke at Moravian University on Sept.30 about his 30-year wrongful imprisonment and death row exoneration, sharing his journey of faith, art and justice.

Blues star Kenny Wayne Shepherd will perform at Wind Creek Event Center on Friday, March 6, as part of a 30th anniversary tour for his 1995 chart-topping, platinum debut album "Ledbetter Heights."

Melvins perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

The PA Latino Convention in Pittsburgh drew leaders to discuss housing, education, and immigrant advocacy. Easton will host the 2026 convention, highlighting the Lehigh Valley’s growing Latino community.

Crews will begin laying steel for the Overlook on History exhibition and educational space in early October, with some material from the nearby Grist Miller’s House’s interim shoring even being repurposed for the project.