Arts & Culture

The 2024 Great Allentown Fair runs Wednesday, Aug. 28 through Monday, Sept. 2. We've got a rundown on what you can expect, from the grandstand headliners to the Iron Chef competition and more.

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is hosting its annual Brew at the Zoo again in 2024. This year, it falls on Saturday, Sept. 14, and will feature more than three dozen craft beers and ciders.

Jayna Elise, who auditioned on "Idol" in both Season 21 in 2023 and Season 22 the past spring, recently was chosen for the role of Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which performs at Easton's State Theatre on Oct. 1-2.

Allentown Fair’s main Grandstand stage is inarguably one of its biggest draws — offering top music, performances and other acts in the Lehigh Valley’s largest-capacity arena. Here's how we rank this year's headliners.

Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte and accompanying pumpkin-flavor coffee customizations are set to return Thursday. Local coffee shops plan to bring back — or already have — seasonal favorites, too.

The Hooters play Univest Performing Center in Quakertown at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. The group performed to a nearly sold-out crowd in Quakertown last year.

Characters from Disney’s "Moana," "Frozen," "Coco," "Beauty and the Beast" and more will perform with Disney On Ice at Allentown's PPL Center. There will be seven performances over four days.

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts conducted a brainstorming seminar in Allentown on Monday to advance a statewide arts and culture plan.

The free exhibit, “America’s Beautiful,” at Lehigh Gap Nature Center runs from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29. It includes 50 watercolor paintings of Smokey Bear.

The 16th Lehigh River Blues Jam will be 2-10 p.m. Feb. 1 at The Charles A. Brown Ice House, 56 River St., Bethlehem.

The 7th iteration of the Nazareth Adult Soap Box race brought many celebrating the legacy of racing in the borough, while others came to celebrate the childlike silliness of the event and the creative cars.

June is Pride Month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community. There are many Pride events in and around the Lehigh Valley this year.

The Bayou, a southern food restaurant in Easton and Bethlehem, features food flights twice a week. The restaurant embraces Fat Tuesday each week with its mac and cheese flight, and celebrates Waffle Wednesday with chicken and waffle flights.

It's hard to miss the new mural on Third Street in South Bethlehem. The artists, William Nieves and Jermel Fountain, painted and designed the mural with help from seven fifth-graders from Donegal Elementary School.

Chris Nee’s Comedy to Break the Stigma will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St.

Allentown businesses and high school students were honored at the Allentown Chamber of Commerce annual awards reception at the Renaissance Allentown Hotel on Thursday.

Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail has returned for its 7th year, taking Pennsylvanians on a tasty tour of the Keystone State.

The sale, which will be offered in person only, will be noon to 1 p.m. for ArtsQuest Circle donors and ArtsQuest members. It will open to the general public from 2-5 p.m.

Leaders in the arts discussed the cultural and economic impacts of the industry at the Lehigh Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance's 2024 conference at Lafayette College.

ArtsQuest's annual TacoFest is returning again this year. It will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 2, on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem.

Visitors can sample a wide variety of local craft brews while enjoying barbecue and a Grateful Dead tribute band this 2:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1. Samples are included in ticket prices: $40 in advance; $45 at the entrance.

"The Play That Goes Wrong," will begin on Wednesday, May 29 through June 16 as part of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University. The season also includes productions of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Winnie the Pooh and Friends," and "The Color Purple."