Arts & Culture

While headliners make headlines, Musikfest continues to give big opportunities to local musicians from the greater Lehigh Valley, fueling about a third of the festival's performances.

A whole lot of fans of the Nickelodeon show came to see Big Time Rush in its new era as the weather finally broke at Musikfest.

Welcome to LehighValleyNews.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.

Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, Jason Benning never thought he'd find himself in the Lehigh Valley, let alone at a "music festival he's never heard of." Yet, it would lead to him meeting the love of his life

The six-time Grammy winners performed a medley of their hits at the main Steel Stage as the rain poured down on Thursday, August 8.

Chicago, which is among the Top 30 bestselling music acts of all time, with more than 120 million copies of its 46 albums sold worldwide, will play at 8 p.m. Oct. 25. And Engelbert Humperdinck, known for his hits "Release Me," "There Goes My Everything" and "A Man Without Love," will perform at 8 p.m. Dec. 7.

Welcome to LehighValleyNews.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.

Performances of eVenti Verticali SPHERE will take place at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, and 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, on Lehigh Valley Public Media's plaza and ArtsQuest's Town Square.

In an hour-and 22-minute set at Musikfest's main Steel Stage on Wednesday, Lynyrd Skynyrd played 13 songs — all the hits, but also deeper tunes — spanning the band's career.

Bethlehem's Austin Shaffer downed five ears of corn in just over four and half minutes to win the Aw Shucks Corn Eating Contest at Musikfest on Wednesday night.

This year's Greater Lehigh Valley Film Festival will feature 27 short films by some of the areas greatest talent, as well as student pieces from The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts.

311, which blends rock, reggae, hip hop and funk, is making a stop in Bethlehem in June. The Decemberists also are slated to perform at the venue in late July.

Brian Krajewski, who a release described as a live entertainment industry veteran, has replaced Gunnar Fox, who had been the venue's general manager since it opened.

Judy Collins, best known for her 1968 hit "Both Sides Now" and 1975's "Send in the Clowns," will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 20.

Fiesta on Hamilton will take over Hamilton Street from 9th Street to 11th Street 1 to 7 p.m. May 18, the Chamber announced.

O.A.R., which most recently played Musikfest in a co-headline show with Goo Goo Dolls in 2023, will perform at the event center at 8 a.m. Aug. 21.

The Black Keys, best known for its double-platinum hits "Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling," will headline Musikfest's Steel Stage on Aug. 10.

WWE was once a near-annual staple in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley. But the company has not returned since a holiday tour stop in 2023.

Celtic Thunder, known for its eclectic, theatrical show, backed by the Celtic Thunder Band, will bring a brand-new show, "An Intimate Evening with Celtic Thunder," to Easton's State Theatre. The group will perform at Saturday, Sept. 13.

The former reality star was the first DJ to spin at the new upscale lounge on the lower level of the historic hotel.

SangriaFest, which includes food, vendors, lawn games, live music and, of course, the namesake wine-and-fruit beverage, will be 2 p.m. June 21 on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem.

From pizza to dessert, here's where to find the best food deals on Pi Day in the Lehigh Valley.