Arts & Culture

Next year marks 250 years since the colonists produced a bold declaration of freedom and self-governance that still echoes today. It will be an occasion celebrated and recognized across the land — and we at Lehigh Valley Public Media are no exception.

In addition to live music, there will be more than a dozen local vendors, businesses and crafters, as well as trail and outdoor demonstrations, and group walks.

Steel Panther, which has had five albums top Billboard's Comedy chart, will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, it was announced.

In the spirit of Shakespeare, Saturday's celebration will feature entertainment for all ages, including musical performances by the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, alpaca and ponies, and a student-led Latin band.

From 8 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Friday, June 27, you'll be able to buy tickets for five of Musikfest's 11 headline shows, two paid-ticket Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks shows and nine Musikfest Cafe shows without paying any service fees.

Howie Mandel, who since 2010 has been a judge on “America’s Got Talent,” will perform with fellow comedian Brad Garrett at 8 p.m. Aug. 24. And Alan Parsons Live Project, which continues the work of Alan Parsons Project, will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 2.

Now in its 14th year, the festival honors Puerto Rican culture in the city. The three-day celebration starts on Thursday with a documentary screening, a tribute to the women of salsa, and a flag-raising on Friday, and more Latin music and food on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley Dodgeball is building an inclusive, community-driven space for players of all skill levels in Easton. Open gyms are now underway every Monday night.

Shankweiler’s, renowned as the oldest continuously operating drive‑in theatre in the country since 1934, will soon be showcased to millions across the country on "Good Morning America."

Allentown Fair's first Mullet Contest will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Farmerama Theater.

The Celtic Classic returned to Bethlehem Sunday, overcoming financial strife organizers said last year could spell the end of the festival celebrating Celtic cultures and heritage.

The Doobie Brothers played Allentown's PPL Center on Saturday, Sept. 28. One of its biggest hits, the band tells everyone to "Listen to the Music." That song was sage suggestion for those who saw the band Saturday at PPL Center. The story of the show could be told in the song's lyrics.

Mike Darrell, haggis-eating runner-up who also placed third in the same event last year, had one word to describe Wagner, the back-to-back champion: “superhuman.”

Dorney Park has announced they will release a new horror short film "Tick Tick Tick" on October 1, just in time for Halloween and their beloved Halloween Haunt attraction.

The Doobie Brothers tour stops at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at Allentown's PPL Center. Tickets, at $39-$250, remain available at the PPL Center website.

A discussion was held at the Univest Public Media Center after a screening of "Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life" — a documentary about the community response to the deadly Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018.

It was a packed house at the Emmaus Theatre for a special early screening of the documentary film "War Game" starring former government officials Wednesday.

Alan Doyle, a singer-guitarist for Great Big Sea, will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 6 — a week before St. Patrick's Day — at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center. Tickets go on sale Friday.

An art exhibit and auction are set to raise funds for a program that teaches children and adults about mindfulness. The Shanthi Project aims to use the funds to expand their programming in Lehigh Valley schools.

College Hill PorchFest is back on Sunday, September 29, with its largest event yet, featuring around 70 performers across 35 porches, along with plenty of other community-based activities.

The Temptations, who from 1965-89 had 45 Top 10 R&B hits, will perform at 8 p.m. April 25. They will be joined by The Four Tops, who from 1965-72 had 15 Top 10 hits on the R&B chart.

The film "War Game," produced by an Emmaus High School graduate, simulates what it would be like if a full insurrection really came to pass.