Arts & Culture

The 40th Musikfest drew to a successful close on Sunday night in Bethlehem. The nation's largest open-gate free music festival delivered more than 500 free performances, plus paid-ticket headliners. Organizers believe a record of roughly 1.25 million attended the 11-day event. An official count is expected to be announced Tuesday.

The Grammy-winning band closed out the 11-day spread with a 90-minute set of their biggest hits and covers of The Eagles and Journey.

Giuseppe Iatarola, 11, of Hellertown, is a widely known gearhead looking to make a mark on the automotive industry with his YouTube channel and MotorWeek segment.

In a stripped down production that felt custom-made for the Musikfest stage, Morris capped a 17-song set with three songs that put a rush of energy into the crowd as the skies opened up over Bethlehem.

Musikfest attracts tens of thousands of people to the city each day during its 10-day run. Officials said they’re continuously working to lessen the event’s impact on the environment.

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 are the Musikfest acts and more you should see today, Saturday, Aug. 12.

The final weekend of Musikfest is upon us, and while the festival is perhaps its best-know attractions, its "spectacles" — as Musikfest calls them — and street performers have become important to the environment of the ‘Fest.

Recently retired Parkland art teacher Linda La Due said her students were her greatest masterpieces.

Alt-rock band Wheatus, known for its 2000 hit "Teenage Dirtbag, will play Musikfest's Americaplatz stage at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 11

This week, the LehighValleyNews.com digital desk has handpicked three events for you to enjoy, including the play "Odysseus" by Touchstone Theatre, Bacon Fest and "All Hands Hold" at the Bradbury-Sullivan Center.

The museum is set to use the funds towards key updates in the Kress Gallery, which houses the museum's renaissance works, and throughout the building.

The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center is featuring a new exhibit, "All Hands Hold," by Philadelphia-based interdisciplinary artist Kara Mshinda. Mshinda said she came up with the idea of the exhibit while watching the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol unfold, and she was also inspired by the TV show "Pose."

Weekly neighborhood West Ward Market sees success and shares plans to return in 2023. Organizers value inclusivity with ideas for every age group from tots to seniors.

The Lehigh Valley ranked first in hotel occupancy rates across the state, according to 2021-2022 Smith Travel Research. The news was shared during Discover Lehigh Valley’s Board of Directors Breakfast and Annual Report on Tuesday.

Beer is a year-round reward but in the fall, special flavors make for heartier nectar at Shangy's in Emmaus.

State Senator Pat Browne has secured funding from PA's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program for three local projects — including $1 million for the new downtown Allentown Da Vinci Science Center project.

The new work by Bill George tackles a work close and impactful to him takes stage Wednesday at the Bethlehem theatre.

Thousands gathered for Allentown’s revamped Halloween parade Saturday, and many said they liked the new format.

State Senator Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) has helped bring a $100,000 grant to the Lehigh County Historical Society in an effort to support historic property renovations and new programming.

Paired with the return of the borough's Fall Festival, a local councilman took the lead on bringing the vision of a new, bigger Halloween parade to life. The weekend will include food trucks, floats, festivities and, of course, candy.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs held their annual Suites N Treats event Thursday, providing a safe and inclusive environment for at-risk children and children with disabilities to enjoy the Halloween tradition of trick or treating.