Arts & Culture

Ditch the Chinese food and the sweatpants: Here are some fun ideas to help you and yours ring in the New Year in the Lehigh Valley.

The Esther M. Lee African American Heritage Center hosted a Kwanzaa celebration, which included the lighting of the kinara and a discussion of the Seven Principles, at PBS39 in Bethlehem Saturday evening.

Lower Saucon Township approved a decade-long funding agreement with Hellertown Area Library, ensuring broader access to library services for residents starting next year.

Bethlehem's menorah lighting on Thursday, drew a crowd of about 70 people to the upper area of Payrow Plaza near City Hall. One visitor even said she drove from the Poconos.

ArtsQuest in November at a gala news conference announced a renewed push to renovate the 26,000-square-foot brick structure that would open in 2027 or 2028.

"A Complete Unknown" — a biopic on Bob Dylan, portrayed by actor Timothée Chalamet — opens in area theaters today, Dec. 25.

Christkindlmarkt brought out 128,384 visitors from 40 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert said.

The Freddy Awards aren't until May, but several theater departments have already announced their spring productions to be held in April and May.

The annual Trees of Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites exhibit is now on display through Jan. 12.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Brittany Sweeney takes her place with environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski and arts and culture reporter Micaela Hood.

Kay Haring will read from her children's book, "Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing," at the Sigal Museum on Saturday, April 12.

Swan Lake, written 150 years ago by Russian composer Tchaikovsky and one of the most popular ballets of all time, will return to the theater at 2 p.m. Oct. 26. And Let’s Sing Taylor — A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift, which calls itself “the ultimate tribute to the music of Taylor Swift,” will perform at the center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20. And it will include a tribute to an even more recent hitmaker — Olivia Rodrigo.

Dylan Scott will perform Sept. 12 as the final show for the Sounds of Summer concert series. And Led Zeppelin tribute band Get the Led Out is set to perform Aug. 29.

Gilberto Santa Rosa, nicknamed "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa)," will perform on the festival's main Steel Stage at 7 p.m. Aug. 7.

Hundreds of students attending the event aimed to give students a chance to connect with ArtsQuest’s employees in the music programming, production, and other arts nonprofit sectors.

J&J Demolition Derby, a Labor Day mainstay at Allentown Fairgrounds, will return for its closing-night grandstand entertainment offering at 5 p.m. Sept. 1, the fair announced Monday.

The projects were among 81 community projects across Pennsylvania for which Gov. Josh Shapiro announced grants through the Main Street Matters program.

Chris Cagle, who had the No. 1 hit "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out" in 2001, and topped the Country Albums chart with his self-titled disc in 2003, will perform at 8 p.m. June 20.

The Mexican nonprofit dance company, founded in New York City in 2003, offers educational cultural programming for audiences of all ages and puts on dance performances globally.

Pretty Poison plays a free show from 7-11 p.m. today, April 4, at Wind Creek Casino's Molten Lounge.

The Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley has been providing programs for the community since 1968. Wednesday, the group announced its new partnership with the Latino Leadership Alliance.

If Mother Nature has anything to say about it, this could be an abbreviated peak bloom for the cherry blossoms in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.