Arts & Culture

Check out a roundup of activities, places, and times to see the fireworks as the Lehigh Valley celebrates Independence Day.

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."

After helping to secure the first collective bargaining agreement for Minor League Baseball players, catcher William Simoneit is hoping to earn a promotion to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this season.

Godfrey Daniels, the venerable folk music club in South Bethlehem, will offer its first headline comedy show in its 48-year history at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30, according to organizers of the just-announced show.

The Jeff Parks Founders Society was inaugurated last week with a ribbon-cutting for a permanent display on the exterior of the ArtsQuest Center, to the right of the entrance, that will honor Parks and donors by creating a collage around the current year’s official Musikfest poster.

Professional cyclists and amateurs alike participated in races on a 0.8-mile circuit winding through Easton’s Downtown throughout the day and into the evening.

“From ice cream-making to ketchup-surveying to flower-picking and nature walks, ‘Saturdays at Burnside’ promises to delight and educate guests of all ages,” said HBMS CEO LoriAnn Wukitsch.

Food Flights took the Lehigh Valley by storm three years ago, and the trend is still going strong. Find out which restaurants continue to embrace the food flight trend — and its success — today.

MayFair Festival of the Arts is Friday through Sunday and will feature performances by 17 musicians, as well as arts and crafts activities for kids.

Hundreds of talented high school students from 29 schools across the Lehigh Valley and Warren County, New Jersey, were honored at the Freddy Awards on May 23, 2024.

The 2024 Easton Twilight Criterium will be held Saturday in Downtown Easton. Festivities are planned throughout the day and several streets and traffic patterns will be affected.

The eighth annual Good Neighbor Awards honored Jamie Musselman, Grover Silcox and Philip Jackson. The ceremony was held on Wednesday night at the Delta Hotels Allentown Lehigh Valley.

It's a rite of summer. Three styles of Musikfest mugs, illustrated by local artist Lauren Beck, are now on sale online and at three locations in Bethlehem.

The Da Vinci Science Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony before opening its doors to the public on Wednesday. The brand-new facility is located at 815 Hamilton St. in Allentown.