Arts & Culture

Skateboarders and rollerbladers were enjoying the skatepark at Jordan Park on Wednesday, just before the Allentown City Council approved funding for the second phase of the park's construction.

Lehigh Valley Pride will be free this year. It will be on Sunday, August 20, from 2 to 8:30 p.m. at the SteelStacks campus.

Vanessa Collier, a saxophonist/singer, will open this year's season of free concerts at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem with a performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19.

The students will present their original scripts for the first time at a performance at Zoellner Arts Center on Friday, May 19.

Get ready for a mouthwatering fiesta at the annual Taco Fest in Easton, featuring delicious tacos from local food trucks, and refreshing beverages from breweries and bars.

A new ArtsQuest festival that will bring three days of family-friendly music, games, food and amusements to Upper Macungie Township, announced in February as a paid-ticket event, now will be free, organizers announced.

Three exhibits examine the impact of silk in the Lehigh Valley, from its early years to its end in the mid-1900s.

Artists at the 58th annual Fine Art & Craft Show took some time to share their stories, passions and inspirations behind their efforts. The two-day show organized by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission continues Sunday.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Local bands will perform at a series of concerts scheduled Sunday from May 21 through June 11 at the Harmony Pavilion on the South Bethlehem Greenway.

The free expo is now in its seventh year and will occur from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Jon Gosselin will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 14 art the grand opening of Americus Nights, a posh nightclub at the Americus Hotel in downtown Allentown.

The Black Crowes, best known for its No. 1 hits "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" will perform on the festival's main Steel Stage at 7 p.m. Aug. 4.

Alabama, which has sold more than 75 million albums and charted 43 No.1 hits to become the most successful band in the history of country music, will headline the Allentown Fair's Grandstand stage on Thursday, Aug. 28.

William Donner, an anthropology professor at Kutztown University, led a presentation over the weekend on the history of what was once known as the country's oldest folk festival. He lectured at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum.

Surrounded by family, friends and fans, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley addressed an enthusiastic and raucous crowd at the PPL Center. It came a month after winning the Super Bowl and days after signing a contract extension that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.

Cavalera is taking its music with Sepultura back to fans in a tour that stops tonight, March 8, at Allentown's new Archer music hall — the first national act to perform at the venue.

Friday evening welcomed the reopening of The Gap Theatre in Wind Gap, where Harry Guerro launched the event with a showing of the first two Indiana Jones films.

Formed in 2008, local weekend event in May features separate day of beer and wine tastings, followed by a for-kids-only day of art and science fun.

Americus Nights will be on the lowest level of the Americus Hotel at Sixth and Hamilton streets. It will hold a grand opening at 8 p.m. March 14 with DJ Jon Gosselin, formerly a star of the reality TLC TV show, "Jon and Kate Plus 8."

Archer Music Hall, Allentown's downtown entertainment venue is brand new — so new, it had its official ribbon-cutting and first concert Thursday. But its roots in the city go extremely deep, officials said in a ceremony to open the venue.

Daryl Hall, who with John Oates made up Hall and Oates, a vocal duo that had 19 songs hit the Top 10 on various charts, will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 19.