Entertainment News

It's still more than a month before the 37th annual Celtic Classic takes over downtown with kilts and kegs, but contests for the festival that celebrates all things Irish, Scottish and Welsh already are starting.

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.

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.

Over 80 comics signed up for the first round of a new competition at the Emmaus Theatre that looks to seek the funniest in the Lehigh Valley.

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.

Michael W. Smith, who has won three Grammy Awards and 45 Dove Awards and has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

The Linny Awards, presented to individuals from the region for longtime commitment and dedication to the arts, will be held later this year in Musikfest Cafe at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

The celebrity chef was a headliner at Northampton Community College's Food and Wine Gala.

Sugaray Rayford, who in 2020 won the Blues Music Awards for B.B King Entertainer of the Year and Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year, will perform at the festival, which will be held noon-10 p.m. June 24 along Hamilton Street.

This roundup includes some swim pools and spray parks set to open soon, hoping to bring you some entertainment ideas for the Memorial Day weekend and the summer.

Over a 19-song, hour-and-40-minute show, Live’s performance in the summer's first paid-ticket show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks ranged from acceptably perfunctory to positively stunning, but not with the consistency the band had with its former members.

ArtsQuest and Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center are collaborating to put on a new monthly film series called the Lehigh Valley LGBTQ+ Film Series.

Hall will perform new solo music from his album "BeforeAfter" at the Wind Creek Event Center on Friday, June 2.

Remember Hess's Strawberry Pie? As part of its City Series night on July 1, the IronPigs will honor Allentown and serve the famous pie during the game.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, a popular Puerto Rican salsa band widely known as El Gran Combo, will headline the main Steel Stage at the massive music festival in downtown and South Side Bethlehem on Aug. 11, it was announced Tuesday.

Walk The Moon, best known for its 2014 hit "Shut Up and Dance," will headline the main Steel Stage at the massive music festival in downtown and South Side Bethlehem at 7 p.m. Aug. 4, it was announced Tuesday.

ArtsQuest concluded its Memorial Day Commemoration with a "Time to Remember" ceremony and a rock concert.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Have a vegan friend or family member coming over this Memorial Day for your cookout? Accommodate their appetites with these mains, sides and desserts, and inspire your omnivorous guests to try something new.