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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ShopRite at Madison Farms in Bethlehem Township has deployed smart carts that let customers pay for and bag groceries all at once as they walk through the aisles. -
The quaint shop on North New Street sells stones from South America, Mexico and the Middle East, as well as locally themed artwork.
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Sigal Museum held a screening of Mariska Hargitay's movie about her famous mother for staff and volunteers on Tuesday. Hargitay filmed at the museum while tracing her family tree for the film.
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George Gray was the founder of the U.S. Coast Guard Art Program and a combat artist during World War II and in Vietnam. Gray painted 233 murals for hotels across the country. Historic Hotel Bethlehem is the only hotel that still retains Gray's work, and has gained national recognition.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Alumni celebrated the PBS39 quiz show's 50-year run at the Iacocca Conference Center at Lehigh University on Friday. The celebration continued Saturday with a screening of a documentary at the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem.
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On Juneteenth, Allentown rapper and producer Red Mcfly and Pas Simpson presented "Hip Hop on the Wall" a new exhibition featuring pieces by local talent and well-known creatives at Art Haus. The exhibition will run through July 11.
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Celebrate the start of summer with traditional folk dance and son jarocho music at the Charles A. Brown Ice House on Saturday, June 21.
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The festival is now in its 16th year and will feature close to 20 blues acts, including Nikki Hill, Ghost Town Blues Band, Craig Thatcher Band and Dustin Douglas.
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Cheer on the U.S. Men's Team at SteelStacks when they play Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia during the 48th Copa América games. For young soccer fans, there will also be soccer clinics and an all-day youth tournament in July.
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Batch Creamery in Upper Saucon Township, Klein Dairy Farms in Forks Township and Crystal Spring Dairy Farm in North Whitehall Township are among the 41 stops on the Pennsylvania Ice Cream Trail. We checked out those and a bunch of others.
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The series, slated to debut in spring of 2025, stars actor Mark Ruffalo and was created by Chester County native Brad Ingelsby.
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The mural, by artist Mercedes Salazar, is a collaboration with Lehigh Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance, Community Action of Development of Allentown, The Chamber Foundation and Allentown Mural Arts.
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The Bethlehem film festival will feature close to 70 shorts and indie films ranging from documentaries to comedy and horror. The screenings begin Tuesday at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity and close on Saturday, June 15.
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The "Orange is the New Black" actress was among the guest speakers at the Lehigh Valley Women's Summit. The event drew a crowd of 750 attendees and was held at Wind Creek Event Center on Thursday, June 6.
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The bookstore will open its doors after renovating its original location on Wednesday, June 12. Celebrated author James McBride will be among the guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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Tacos, burgers and pizza: Here's where you can find some of the best food trucks in the Lehigh Valley.
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It's hard to miss the new mural on Third Street in South Bethlehem. The artists, William Nieves and Jermel Fountain, painted and designed the mural with help from seven fifth-graders from Donegal Elementary School.
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Leaders in the arts discussed the cultural and economic impacts of the industry at the Lehigh Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance's 2024 conference at Lafayette College.
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ArtsQuest's annual TacoFest is returning again this year. It will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 2, on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem.
