Arts & Culture

The broad range of shows coming to Allentown's new Archer Music Hall includes an all-star revue of New Orleans musicians that headlined Musikfest's main stage, an iconic original punk band and an early 2000s teen chart-topper.

The new exhibits feature artwork by well-known creatives and former residents of the New Arts Program, plus pieces by local artists Rain Black and Mallory Zondag.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers tribute band Damn the Torpedoes will perform Friday, Jan. 17, at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

A top-priced $99 ticket for country star Darius Rucker at Musikfest on Aug. 3 normally would come with a $10 service fee, a $8.50 Musikfest venue fee and a $1 ticket vendor fee. So normally, you'd pay $19.50 in fees (a 19.7% upcharge) per ticket. But not today.

The fledgling cultural center on Church Road in Martins Creek is at the former Good Shepherd Church, built in 1864. The center offers monthly lunches for seniors, free classes for children, monthly movie nights, book clubs and gardening.

The 109th PA Farm Show is in full swing and continues through Saturday in Harrisburg. Find out how Lehigh Valley competitors placed in the Family Living and Commodities competitions.

Ahead of the Civic Theatre's staging of "Jesus Christ Superstar," Ted Neeley, star of the 1973 film, will visit Allentown for a special appearance.

The Lehigh Valley Arts and Culture Alliance is offering grants to individual artists and nonprofits to help revamp parts of downtown Allentown. LVACA also seeks artists to paint a mural on the Spiral parking garage on Linden St.

ArtsQuest's annual celebration of Three Kings Day brought hundreds of families to SteelStacks Sunday. The festivities celebrate not only the holiday, but the cultures that observe it.

In the last year and a half, Allentown School District spent more than $1.4 million on new instruments and hired 34 educators to teach the related arts, which include band, choir and orchestra, among others.

"Saint Nick of Bethlehem" will be showing at local theaters starting Nov. 22. The cast of the holiday movie, filmed in the Lehigh Valley, stars homegrown actor Danny Roebuck and Cathy Moriarty.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus stops at Allentown's PPL Center on Friday, Nov. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 3. Its featured percussionist has ties to Allentown.

Residents at the Country Meadows Retirement Communities in Forks Township got to take a virtual tour of some spooky spots across the globe for Halloween this month.

The I Love the 90s Tour, which features Vanilla Ice, Rob Base, Tone Lōc and C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams, will perform at 8 p.m. March 15 at Wind Creek Event Center.

The Athena Awards were presented during a luncheon at ArtsQuest Center on Tuesday. The awards honor women who provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the Lehigh Valley and who actively assist other women in realizing their full leadership potential.

Actor/comedian Patrick Roach, who plays the character Randy on “Trailer Park Boys,” will bring Randy's Cheeseburger Picnic to The Gin Mill and Grille in Northampton on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Shye Roberts, a graduate of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, performed Monday night on "The Voice" and earned a chance to compete in the next round of competition on the NBC show.

PAW Patrol Live! “A Mighty Adventure,” a musical production based on the top-rated computer generate animated series, will perform shows at 6 p.m. April 29 and 30.

Crayola Creativity Week will include a wide array of special programming featuring actors, musicians, artists, scientists, and more, all aiming to promote utilizing a creative touch in every part of life.

Hundreds of costumed kids scrambled for candy at Halloween parades across the Lehigh Valley over the weekend.

Consignment and thrift stores in the Lehigh Valley carry clothes and accessories to DIY Halloween costumes on a budget.

Ruben Studdard, who won the second season of “American Idol” in 2003 and followed up with two chart-topping albums that went gold and platinum, will perform at Symphony Hall as the “Special Guest Star” of singer/pianist Jim Brickman’s Comfort and Joy Holiday Celebration, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23.