Arts & Culture

On Thursday, ArtsQuest and public officials gathered for a ceremonial "brick-breaking" marking the start of construction work at the former Bethlehem Steel Turn and Grind Shop at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

Straight No Chaser will perform at the theater at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5. And the stage play "Waitress" at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16.

Friday's show, which started this year's lineup of 48 concerts, gave the audience its first exposure to a new state-of-the-art sound system that replaces a public address system developed 25 years ago.

Two-thirds of the way through construction, the new Creativity Center is ahead of schedule, below budget, growing in size and adding new elements of creativity, opportunity and community, officials said.

WWE will return to the Lehigh Valley this summer, bringing its 2026 Summer Tour to the PPL Center on Thursday, July 16, marking the company’s first live event in Allentown in roughly three years.

The Freddy Awards is now in its 24th year. The ceremony will take place on May 21 at State Theatre.

Country music star Martina McBride and Justin Hayward, who led The Moody Blues for more than 50 years, are among four new shows announced for the theater's 100th season.

Musikfest announced 331 music acts announced for about 500 concerts on the festival's 15 free stages during its July 31-Aug. 9 run, with a July 30 preview night.

The season will offer 48 shows and open May 15.

Hard rock band The Used will perform at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on July 22. Tickets are available at the venue website or box office.

Everclear, the Portland, Oregon, band best known for its Alt-chart-topping hits "Santa Monica" and "Everything to Everyone," will perform Thursday, June 18, in Musikfest Cafe.

Unlike last year, when she won Best Pop Solo Performance for "Espresso," and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Short n' Sweet," Sabrina Carpenter went home empty-handed on Sunday.

Lehigh Valley native Sabrina Carpenter (shown performing at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center in 2024), is nominated in six categories at Sunday's Grammy Awards. She has a chance to tie or break five Grammy records.

Femi J. Johnson's "Like It Is" will be on display through May 9. The exhibition is open to the public noon to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays. Admission is free. An artist reception will be Feb. 4.

Modest Mouse, whose 2007 album “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” topped the chart and went gold, will perform at 7 p.m. June 6.

Wonder, a fast-growing food and delivery concept that blends elements of a food hall, restaurant and delivery service, is coming to the Promenade this summer, it was announced Tuesday.

Toad The Wet Sprocket, who from 1989-97 had eight Top 25 hits on various charts, will perform at 7 p.m. July 12, ArtsQuest announced Monday.

Alton Brown, who started the Food Network’s “Good Eats” show, will perform An Evening of Alton Brown at 7:30 p.m. April 16, the theater announced. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30.

Cameron Whitcomb, whose songs "Medusa," "Options" and "Hundred Mile High" have hit that chart, has been added to the show by country-rock star Hardy at 7 p.m. March 26.

Just Born and its Peeps are bringing out some unique store exclusives for Easter 2026, including strawberry Pop-Tarts, SunnyD and mango chili lime.

ArtsQuest will offer its fourth annual Winter Winefest & Market on Feb. 15 in Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

On view through May at the Allentown Art Museum are solo exhibitions "The Clouds are Luminous" by Ellen Berkenblit and "Aftertouch" by Amanda Valdez, curated by Elaine Mehalakes and Claire McRee, respectively.