Arts & Culture

The fair on Monday announced the free-with-admission lineup for its 173rd edition, which will run Aug. 27 through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 1, at Allentown Fairgrounds.

Kameron Marlow, best known for his 2021 platinum hit "Giving You Up" and 2022's gold "Steady Heart," will open the show at 7 p.m. Aug. 29, it was announced.

The celebration will take over Hamilton Street from 9th Street to 11th Street from 1 to 7 p.m., Sunday, May 18.

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks will open the 2025 season — its 15th at the foot of the blast furnaces — with Boston indie pop-funk band Couch.

Old Dominion, best known for its multi-platinum hits “Break Up With Him,” “Snapback” and “Written in the Sand," will perform Sept. 4 at PPL Center. Supporting acts on the show will be singer-songwriters Ernest and Redferrin.

The stage show "Sesame Street Live: Elmo and Friends Say Hello" will be performed at 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at Easton's State Theatre.

A mural reflecting the dreams of young Allentown teenagers was unveiled at the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown on Wednesday.

Couch will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 16, at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem — kicking off the venue's 15th year of free summer concerts.

A drone show that will have guests look to the city sky as the illuminated aircrafts create "bold, high-impact visuals," will highlight Mayfair Festival of the Arts this year.

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.

Now that Musikfest has completed the announcements of the headliners on its main Steel Stage, the festival still has to reveal the wide offerings on the festival's 15 free stages.

The Struts, whose style recalls bands such as The Rolling Stones and Queen and who has had the hits “Could Have Been Me” and “Kiss This,” will perform at 7 p.m. June 28 at Archer Music Hall, it was announced Monday.

Jesse Royal, a Jamaican who blends traditional roots reggae with modern influences and socially conscious lyrics, will perform at the July 11 festival on the SteelStacks campus. Royal will be among more than a dozen acts across three stages scheduled for the festival, set for noon-1:30 a.m.

Brian Regan, who has starred in several Comedy Central specials and refrains from profanity and off-color humor, will play State Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25, the venue announced. And Lewis Black, known for his cantankerous comedic style and also as an author, playwright, social critic and actor, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9.

Jessica Simpson, known for her 1999 platinum single "I Wanna Love You Forever," as well as for starring in the MTV reality show "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica" with her husband, singer Nick Lachey, will perform at 8 p.m. June 11.

The Major Arena Soccer League announced Thursday that league owners have approved a team for Allentown.

Zach Top, who in just two years has had four gold or platinum songs and is best known for his 2024 double-platinum hit "I Never Lie," will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 21, the venue announced.

The May 22 show will kick off five monthly concerts in the second year of free, family-friendly series "with an expanded and diverse lineup designed to bring the community together through live music, culture and shared experiences in the heart of Allentown," presenter ArtsQuest said in a release.

Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival will return, reimagined as Red, White & Blues for 2026, from noon-8 p.m. June 13 in downtown Allentown.

The festival, returning to the college campus for an eighth year, will be held 4-10 p.m. Friday, May 22, and noon-10 p.m. Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24.

Night Ranger, best known for its hits “Sister Christian” and “When You Close Your Eyes,” will perform at 8 p.m. May 22.

Comedian Bobby Collins, known for his appearances on "The Tonight Show" and VH1 and Showtime comedy specials, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16. And The Fab Faux, which for more than 25 years has recreated iconic Beatles tunes and solo songs of its members behind guitarist and former "Conan" bandleader Jimmy Vivino, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30.