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

Lilly Moss, from Bethlehem, is among four country music artists performing at The Gin Mill and Grille in April. It's the first time an act in the country music genre is performing there.

The state-of-the-art St. Luke's SportsPlex, which offers everything from pickleball memberships to sports performance training, will soon offer something specifically for the 21-and-over crowd: beer.

Billy Corgan, who led The Smashing Pumpkin to chart-topping hits such as "1979," will bring his new band, Billy Corgan and The Machines of God, to The Archer on June 17.

Tom Segura, who has had five Netflix specials and co-hosts two popular podcasts, will perform his stand-up comedy tour "Tom Segura: Come Together" on Sept. 26 at Allentown's PPL Center.

A 20-something eighth-generation farmer a few states away bestows the Lehigh Valley with a meaningful, restored artifact.

Local actor and director Adam Newborn talks about the production of August Wilson's award-winning "Fences," a play about family, love, betrayal and self-acceptance. It will run through April 13 at the Pennsylvania Playhouse in Bethlehem.

The fifth annual Be My Neighbor Day was held Saturday at Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem. Children participated in crafts and gardening activities, interactive musical performances, and meet-ups with Daniel Tiger.

TacoFest, the annual event that pays homage to that Mexican dish that fills a fried tortilla with fresh, flavorful ingredients, will return to SteelStacks from 1-6 p.m. June 1, ArtsQuest announced.

The free annual spring and summer events that monthly motors onto the SteelStacks campus to let cars be admired by thousands of auto enthusiasts will return for a 10th year, ArtsQuest said.

Chevelle, whose 2002 album “Wonder What’s Next” went double platinum, will perform Aug. 27 at Wind Creek Event Center. And Big Country, whose 1983 debut album "The Crossing" went gold, will headline on June 20.

Promising outfield prospect Justin Crawford will be key to the fortunes of the 2025 Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who open their season on Friday at home.

Students from Arts Academy Elementary Charter School will visit the Allentown Art Museum this week as part of a new program to get students to engage with artwork in person.