Arts & Culture

It's in our coffee, our baked goods, our savory dishes, our beer... It's everywhere! Pumpkin spice season is in full swing, and we're here for the haters to hear why it's so awful.

The 13th Oktoberfest opened Friday night at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. The German-inspired festival will be held Friday, Oct. 6 through Sunday, Oct. 8, and Friday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 15. It features polka and other music, a variety of beer, food and entertainment.

LehighValleyNews.com gathers a list of local Halloween events this year, ranging from ghost tours and parades to trick or treat.

NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet will hold auditions for children ages six to 17 this Friday, Oct. 6 at the Pennsylvania Classical Ballet Academy.

The Large Flowerheads will perform on a stage erected near home plate on the field at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. General-admission seating will be in the stadium bowl, on blankets on the field or in lawn chairs in designated areas.

Easton's Garlic Fest is coming back for its 20th year, offering up savory and sweet garlic dishes, drinks, memorabilia and more.

Hip hop, widely believed to have started in the Bronx borough of New York City, quickly spread to the nearby Lehigh Valley, says organizer Michael A. Frassetto.

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center is holding its first annual Ghouls & Glitter Pride Night at Dorney Park.

The East Penn area is getting a multitude of Halloween festivals in events in October. New festivals return and set off, while traditional events return.

The free tribute concert honoring two prominent members of the Lehigh Valley's music scene takes place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8 at Central Moravian Church.

With a new name and a new focus, the former Vineyard di Norma will reopen on Feb. 6 as 'Something Different.' It will feature a completely new concept at 605 North Fiot Street.

Famed chef Jose Garces announced Tuesday he will open two restaurants downtown this spring.

Rich Rudolph and son, Rich, opened Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls at The Promenade Center Valley this month. The Lehigh Valley natives are the first franchise owners of the chain in Pennsylvania.

The Musical Box, a Canadian band that says it recreates "historic Genesis concerts of the past," will perform the 1973 album "Genesis Live" at 7 p.m. June 15.

A staged reading of "Spit Out the Poison" will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29. at Touchstone Theatre.

ArtsQuest has announced three new shows for Musikfest Cafe.

Join Sarah White and Tim Betz on a virtual Zoom call at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Archer Music Hall developers City Center and operators Live Nation gave the media an early look at the venue before its scheduled March 8 opening by gold-selling Brazilian metal band Cavalera.

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, best known for his Comedy Central channel specials “I’m Not Fat … I’m Fluffy,” will headline Allentown Fair's grandstand stage at 7 p.m. Sept. 1, it was announced Monday.

Tickets, at $119, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31 at the fair's website or at its box office on Allentown Fairgrounds at 17th and Liberty streets.

The USA Luge Challenge is coming back to Blue Mountain Resort on Jan. 25-26. The competition previously scouted out talent at Blue Mountain and is looking to do so again, while also encouraging public participation in the sport.

The boutique hotel in Downtown Allentown opened on Jan. 15 and is already booking dates for when the Archer Music Hall opens in March.