Arts & Culture

The staff at Bethlehem Area Public Library has taken out the time to tell us their favorite chapters of the entire year that has just passed.

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.

Mahogany Reynolds-Clarke, founder and executive director of Just Be You Academy & Performing Arts, held a presentation on Kwanzaa at Easton Area Public Library's Palmer Branch Thursday evening.

The Winter Light Spectacular features 1.2 million lights in holiday displays, fire pits for s’mores, hot chocolate and live performances by princesses Anna, Elsa, Belle and Cinderella.

Chuck D, one of the founders of seminal rap group Public Enemy, will present "A conversation with Hip Hop legend Chuck D of Public Enemy" at 7 p.m. April 16 in NCC's Spartan Center.

Looking for a fun way to ring in the New Year? We've got you covered with some local events that are fun for the whole family.

The Lehigh Valley tradition started in 2009. The family-friendly New Year's celebration returns this Saturday and Sunday at the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem. Fireworks are set for both nights.

The flagship store for Dave Phillips Music & Sound will close in the coming days, owner Joe DiMarco wrote on Facebook. On Wednesday, customers who flooded the store lamented the loss.

The second annual Allentown Film Festival will be from April 6-14 at the Civic Theatre of Allentown and its boutique Theatre514 across the street.

Ashley Cooke, best known for her song "Never Til Now," her gold single with Brett Young, will perform at Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Longswamp Township, Berks County, on Jan. 26.

Bailey Spinn, who has nearly 16 million followers on TikTok and nearly 5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel — and viral YouTube pop-punk songs, as well — will perform at 6 p.m. June 18. Party Iconic: Hot to Go — a dance party named after Chappell's 2023 double-platinum hit and featuring music by the Grammy Awards' Best New Artist — will be at 8 p.m. March 29. And Let’s Sing Taylor — A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift will perform at 2 and 6:30 p.m. p.m. April 5.

Citing its lease ending, south Bethlehem paint-your-own pottery shop will reopen in the lifestyle center where it first opened 15 years ago.

Local artists teamed up to dispense their artwork from a vending machine at the Easton Public Market.

Arrival From Sweden: The Music of ABBA will perform July 18 at the venue, 301 W. Mill St., Quakertown, as part of the Sounds of Summer Concert Series.

Hollywood Undead, best known for the 2008 hit "Undead" and 2009's "Everywhere I Go," will perform a paid-ticket concert at the venue at 7 p.m. May 13, it was announced. The show also will feature gold-selling rock band Set It Off and charting rap-rocker Zero 9:36.

Attendees will receive a piece of artwork during the benefit, which takes place Friday at the JuxtaHub.

The 26th annual Lehigh Valley Auto Show will be held March 20-23 at Lehigh University. More than 400 vehicles, domestic and imported, will be on display.

Sting, who topped the charts with such songs as "Every Breath You Take" as bassist and vocalist of The Police, then with "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" as a solo artist, will perform Nov. 20-21.

Live Nation head of club programming Molly Warren said the Archer is viewed as a resource being built where there's already a "thriving community" for music — the Lehigh Valley — that embraces artists of many genres.

A punk band that started at Nazareth Area High School will perform at 7 p.m. April 12 in the venue's The Arrow room. And Emo Night Brooklyn, which started as parties in the 2010s that captured the youthful, Do It Yourself milieu of the genre, will perform at 8 p.m. March 22, also in The Arrow.

Lisa VanArsdale, a local podcaster and comedian, will perform her one-woman show on Sunday, Feb. 23.

James Arthur, who won the ninth series of "The X Factor" in Britian 2012 and is best known for the 2016 hit "Say You Won't Let Go," will perform at the event center at 7:30 p.m. July 3.