Music

College Hill PorchFest, a celebration of music and community across the Easton neighborhood, will return in September, with applications for performers and porches being accepted until July 31.

Tickets for the 50 shows in the new season go on sale to theater members at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 and to the public at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 at www.statetheatre.org, or at the box office at 453 Northampton St., Easton.

Erica Silver, a music teacher with the Allentown School District, is the youth chorale's newest conductor and Alaina Swartz is the new director of education and community engagement.

Diana Ross, who with The Supremes had a dozen No. 1 hits in the 1960s, then a half dozen more as a solo artist in the 1970s and ’80s, will perform at the center at 8 p.m. Oct. 18.

ArtsQuest, in partnership with Trans-Bridge Lines and Penn State University, on Monday announced a new satellite parking lot will be established at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

The opening night (the fest continues 2-11 p.m. today) offered New York gospel-blues trio The Harlem Gospel Travelers as headliners, and they offered an enthusiastic set. But it was some of the supporting acts that elevated the experience.

Cheap Trick, which was to be the opener for a show by rock band Heart, was announced Friday as the replacement for Heart as grandstand opening-night headliner at 7 p.m. Aug. 28. It will be joined for the show by another 1970s hit rock group — Blue Oyster Cult, best known for its 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper."

It's been two weeks since rock band Heart canceled its opening-night headline concert at Allentown Fair, and it looks like the fair is set to announce a replacement.

For the first time, the two-day festival will feature a barbecue competition, along with 11 blues performers. It will take place Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20 at SteelStacks.

Through this month, the symphony is offering a 10% discount on tickets to its popular Holiday Pops concert on Dec. 21 and Repertory Dance Theatre's "Nutcracker" on Dec. 7-8, both at Miller Symphony Hall at 23 S. 6th St., Allentown.

Highlights among the nearly 50 concerts in the Levitt Pavillion's 13th season include gold-selling punk rockers The Ataris, top blues singer/saxophone player Vanessa Collier, jazz-pop singer Morgan James, Cincinnati indie-rockers Motherfolk and Grammy Award-winning Latin rock-fusion band La Santa Cecelia.

The outdoor block party has been put off this year due to the rain and cold temperatures.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. has announced a set of pop-up festivals and other outdoor events scheduled throughout the city during spring and summer. The free events will feature free food, drinks and entertainment for all.

Irish singer and comedian Seamus Kennedy and singer Gerry Timlin will perform in the same show at 7 p.m. on June 22 in Moravian College’s Foy Hall.

Local musicians submitted videos from their new singles in hopes of winning the contest.

The festival features free outdoor concerts on Fridays and a special presentation of Bach's Mass in B Minor on Saturdays.

Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown is introducing a new "Young Professionals Circle" hoping to connect a younger audience to the symphony and provide networking opportunities and break down barriers

The groups will perform in August at the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy the natural features of the Lehigh Valley this spring.

Hawk Music co-owners Phil Hawk and his sister, Pat Hawk Paulus, recalled the relationships made with customers at the store their late father founded 50 years ago.

La Santa Cecilia, which in 2014 won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album and has been nominated twice, will perform at Levitt SteelStacks at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26.

The 1982 hit includes the lyrics, “Well, we’re livin’ here in Allentown/And they’re closin’ all the factories down” – marking the city a symbol of the American rust belt. Some people who live in Allentown say it's not fair and not true.