Arts & Culture

A capella group Straight No Chaser, with members Walter Chase of Forks and Jerome Collins of Allentown (front, third from left) play two shows at Easton's State Theatre today, Dec 7.

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites on Saturday night recognized Historic Hotel Bethlehem for its historical preservation efforts. The group held its annual Benefactor’s Reception & Awards ceremony at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

Organized by the SouthSide Arts District, First Friday is a monthly community celebration across South Bethlehem, featuring art, live music, cultural experiences and historical attractions.

A popular retro stylist band that was among the bigger-named acts to play an early show at Allentown's new Archer Music Hall will return to the area to play Wind Creek Event Center. So will a top comedian who has been a favorite of the Lehigh Valley.

Doogie Horner will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday during the fourth annual Winter WonderJam show presented by the "Your Next Favorite Band" podcast at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem.

Dogs in festive sweaters and antlers stole the show at Lights & Leashes, the dog-friendly night at Illumination at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. The event will return Dec. 17 and Dec. 30 for more tail-wagging family fun.

The zoo held a ribbon-cutting at the Fred & Anne Jaindl Family Barnyard and St. Luke's Children's Hospital Playground Wednesday, marking the completion of phase one of its Children's Activity Area project. The two spaces now are officially open to the public.

Pure Prairie League will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. It helped bring mainstream success to the country-rock and Southern Rock genres with its 1972 album "Bustin' Out," and its Top 30 hit "Aimie."

Scotty McCreery, who won “American Idol” in 2011 and since has released three No. 1 Country chart albums and two other Top 10 discs, will perform at 7 p.m. April 26, it was announced.

"Saint Nick of Bethlehem" is available to rent on Amazon Prime starting at $2.99. The holiday movie, which was filmed in the Christmas City, features recognizable scenes in downtown Bethlehem, Nazareth, Bath and Northampton.

Willson's studio is at 1321 N. 15th St. The final open house will occur Friday, May 2, through Sunday, May 3.

Augustana, best known for its Top 10 hit "Boston" in 2006 and Top 5 hit "Sweet and Low" in 2008, will play a free show at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at the downtown and South Side Bethlehem music festival. The group is among a list of 323 musical acts Musikfest announced Wednesday will perform more than 500 concerts on its 15 free stages during the July 31-Aug. 10 festival.

Black Violin, Dark Star Orchestra, Sam Bush all set shows for Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center art SteelStacks.

An underutilized roller hockey rink at Jordan Meadows Park has been transformed into the Queen City’s first Mini-Pitch modular sports system focused on soccer.

Jamey Johnson, whose song "In Color" won Song of the Year from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association in 2008, will perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 as part of the venue's Sounds of Summer concert series.

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks announced a 2025 season of 48 concerts (two more than last year) in the venue's 15th year at a season reveal event at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

Citizen Soldier, whose songs "Heavy" and "Burden" made the charts last year, will perform on Aug. 16. Opening the show will be 10 Years and Adelitas Way.

Maren Morris, whose debut single "My Church" sold double platinum and hit Top 5 on the Country chart, then had a six-times platinum pop hit with "The Middle," and four-times-platinum "The Bones," and will play Wind Creek Event Center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16.

Turning the Tide, a Nazareth-based band that has played festivals and nightclubs from Killington, Vermont, to Key West, Florida — including in Boston and Atlantic City — will open the May 8 show.

Five choral ensembles from Bangor to Emmaus will perform at Carnegie Hall in May and June.

Nominations for the Tribute of the Arts will be accepted through May 15, and winners will be notified in June.

Said Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites President LoriAnn Wukitsch, “We’re just starting with this preservation here in Bethlehem, and hopefully this is going to kickstart the importance of continuing this work today, tomorrow and for years to come."