Arts & Culture

A group of entertainers held their first-ever AfroBeats celebration with dance classes, DJ sets and West African and Caribbean eats on Saturday, June 28 at the Wooden Match.

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.

The mission of this community group is simple: Find a rock, hide a rock. Locals are having fun painting their own treasures and passing them on for the next person to find.

Soranyi Benavides, of Allentown, creates handmade crochet designs and custom-made dresses. It's a fashion trend that is gaining in popularity.

Danny Roebuck and Dan Lauria were part of a writing workshop held at DeSales University on Friday.

As food trucks gain traction throughout the region, more days dedicated to hosting the mobile restaurants in community locations are popping up. Find out when and where.

The 2nd Annual No Planet B Jamboree, featuring regional music acts Moustapha Noumbissi, Clover and Galen Deery & The Reason Why (formerly Mystik Fool), will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 21, in The Sun Inn Courtyard, 564 Main St., Bethlehem.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for Iron Menace, the Northeast's first-ever "dive" roller coaster that features a 95-degree, 152-foot drop.

“AEW Collision,” a professional wrestling show by All Elite Wrestling that airs Saturday nights on TNT, is coming to Allentown’s PPL Center on June 20.

The rap legend and activist closed out the college's 50 Years of Hip Hop series.

Philadelphia Eagles Safety Reed Blankenship will visit the park as part of its Iron Menace Ride for a Cause event this Friday, which benefits the Eagles Autism Foundation.

Singer and pianist Jim Brickman, who had two No. 1 Adult Contemporary singles in the early 2000s and is among the best-selling pianists of recent times, will perform a holiday concert at Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall

Bethlehem native Glen Larimer has authored a book to honor his late father — local sports journalist Terry Larimer.

Old Crow Medicine Show made a stop at Easton's State Theatre Saturday for their Jubilee Tour, playing 25 years of American roots hits with an energy all their own.