Micaela Hood
Arts & Culture ReporterI’m LehighValleyNews.com’s arts and cultures reporter covering the best in music, theater, food and lifestyles. I have covered entertainment and features for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, New York Daily News, the Pocono Record and USA Today Network. As a proud Latina, I look forward to showcasing the diverse and vibrant communities in the Lehigh Valley. A fashionista and foodie, when I’m not working you can find me shopping or dining at my favorite Colombian and Italian restaurants and local coffee shops. Contact me at micaelah@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8217.
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After a three-year hiatus, chick hatching is back at the Allentown Fair. The exhibition will be open daily at the Lehigh County 4-Club Livestock Experience tent. -
The 173rd Great Allentown Fair opens Wednesday, Aug. 27, through Labor Day, Sept. 1. The fair features rides, food, concerts, and family fun at one of Pennsylvania’s oldest fairs.
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The 2025-26 season will feature innovative performances, including a modern "Alice in Wonderland" and an adaptation of "Medea." Part of the new UnBound Year-Round series, the season will run from Oct. 8 through June 30 in Bethlehem.
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This year's honorees are abstract artist Michael Freeman, Lehigh University producer Steven Lichak, museum accessibility advocate Elise Schaffer, and members of the IceHouse Performing Arts Collaborative. The group will be honored at an awards ceremony in September.
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The backpacks, filled with supplies, were distributed to students from kindergarten through 12th grade, along with free haircuts, face painting, and community support from sponsors like Unity Bank and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.
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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church held a festival for the community to raise money for families and victims of the deadly attack at Prophet Elias Church (Mar Elisa) in Damascus, Syria.
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The Route 22 Filmworks Film Festival returns to Bethlehem’s Charles A. Brown Ice House for its third year on Saturday. The nine-hour event will feature 39 short films, including student work from several Pennsylvania universities.
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The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs has appointed 27 commissioners for its 2025-27 board, including several leaders from Lehigh and Northampton counties.
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Historic Hotel Bethlehem was celebrated Wednesday for being chosen by USA Today as one of the nation’s 10 Best Historic Hotels/Resorts for the fifth consecutive year.
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At his headlining Saturday show, Jordan Davis shared his love for family, faith, and country music heroes, while delivering hits and Nashville-style collaborations.
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The ninth annual Good Neighbor Awards recipients were Darian Colbert and Yolanda Colbert, Ilene Hochberg Wood and Judith A. Harris. The ceremony was held at the Univest Public Media Center, home to Lehigh Valley Public Media, which consists of PBS39, 91.3 WLVR Radio and LehighValleyNews.com.
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Polling places across the Lehigh Valley faced mainly light turnout throughout Primary Election Day, with early morning turnout lagging.
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The massive street party and cultural celebration featured music from Rumba Caliente, Los Adolescentes Orquesta and Oro Solido.
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The celebration will take over Hamilton Street from 9th Street to 11th Street from 1 to 7 p.m., Sunday, May 18.
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Isavel Mendoza will study theater at Pace University in the fall. He began writing poetry in first grade and comes from a family of artists in the Dominican Republic.
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The fifth location in Pennsylvania, on West Broad Street, is owned by a longtime business owner and mom of four. The eatery’s menu includes coffee, cakes, tarts, donuts, and sandwiches.
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A handful of bands scheduled to perform on the free Plaza Tropical Stage during Musikfest were chosen by high schoolers from Bethlehem Area School District.
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The awards show is now in its 23rd year and will take place on May 22 at the State Theatre.
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More than 50 local landmarks, restaurants, and shops are featured in a new TV and streaming platform commercial. The ad will air in households in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
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Latino leaders spoke about a proposed budget bill that would cut funding for Medicaid and SNAP programs while urging residents to vote in the upcoming May election. The leaders from UnidosUS and the Lehigh Valley also touched on immigration fears.
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Mothers brought photos of their sons and daughters as they shared fond memories at the bereavement gathering held on May 4 at Third and Ferry Fish Market.
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The youth group's spring production of "Mary Poppins" begins on Friday, May 9, at the Charles A. Brown Ice House in Bethlehem.
