BETHLEHEM, Pa. — We’re told to cherish the moment with what we enjoy, as some good things never last.
But as Bethlehem’s hallmark Musikfest festival enters its 40th year starting with a preview night Thursday, it seems to be thriving — an evaluation gleaned from some who were associated with its humble beginnings and its current role in Lehigh Valley tourism.
- With Musikfest's 40th year starting this week, the festival's pioneers and city leaders shared more on the journey
- Eleven days of music, memories and more are coming to Bethlehem on Aug. 3-13
- The national staple annually brings more than 1 million visitors from far and wide to the Christmas City
As Musikfest prepares to open its 40th year, here's a look back at the origins and evolution of Musikfest by those directly involved:
A falling giant
Musikfest founder Jeff Parks said Bethlehem in the late 1970s and '80s was in dire need of something to provide an economic jumpstart to the community, as its powerhouse of a company, Bethlehem Steel Corp., was on the decline.
“It looked like the town really wasn’t aware of the fact that tragedy was about to befall its Rock of Gibraltar economic engine for over 100 years,” Parks said.
“It really counterbalanced the vibe, the negativity of losing your major employer, and allowed people to have something to kind of hang on to and brag about, even when the economy and the community was in transition."Jeff Parks, Musikfest founder
Once the steel plant closed in 1995 and the company filed for bankruptcy in 2001, Musikfest had been on the ups for years.
“It really counterbalanced the vibe, the negativity of losing your major employer, and allowed people to have something to kind of hang on to and brag about, even when the economy and the community was in transition,” Parks said.
As for the entire history of the festival, you could write a whole book on it — which Parks did.
A brief history of Musikfest
While serving as the chairman of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Committee in 1982, Parks was asked to come up with an event to drive people to the city during August — a notably slow part of the year.
The city also was in need of motivation with the decline of the steel company.
For a motivational spark, Parks reflected on his time spent at festivals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Unlike Oktoberfest featuring beer galore across the pond, the Keystone State at that time wouldn’t allow festival-goers to meander the streets with a brew in hand.
So that took some work, Parks said, but he was up for the challenge.
He paid homage by using German themes throughout the event, as the heritage of Bethlehem's Moravian founders was primarily German.
After a journey of advertising, fundraising and wading through some doubt from the community, Parks and his team made Musikfest happen for the first time in 1984.
Parks pitched for nine days of festivities, as planners involved figured the first event would be primarily attended through word of mouth.
A modest number of folks came out the first weekend, but Parks said that, come the second weekend, it was “mobbed.”
Robert Oster
Robert "Bob" Oster served as the original accountant for the event.
During a phone call initially involving businesses other than Musikfest, Parks took the opportunity to ask Oster whether he was looking for clients.
Parks described the situation, Oster accepted and in a short time, there were processes established for tickets and petty cash, as well as security measures.
Corporate and individual sponsorships were coming in all the while, Oster said.
And for its first year involving nine days of festivities, an estimated 180,000 people showed up — a fraction of attendance now.
“That’s kind of interesting because it’s well over a million that show up from all over the country,” Oster said. “But in the first couple of years, it was kind of hand-to-mouth.”
“I also saw the revitalization of the city, some of which, and a lot of which is a result of Musikfest and all of the things that have taken place since then. It’s a real economic boom for the city, the retailers.”Robert "Bob" Oster, original Musikfest accountant
The charm of Musikfest goes beyond just the lights, music and entertainment, Oster said.
He said he came to the Lehigh Valley to help conduct the audit of Bethlehem Steel Corp., which involved the company's “Black Friday” in 1977, as well as some closings of facilities and initial layoffs.
“I also saw the revitalization of the city ... a lot of which is a result of Musikfest and all of the things that have taken place since then,” Oster said. “It’s a real economic boom for the city, the retailers.”
He said that among his favorite Musikfest performances over the year include Chicago; Santana; Steve Miller; Peter, Paul and Mary; and Sheryl Crow. Seeing Dan and Shay this year is on his to-do list, he said.
He suggested festival first-timers to get their grub on at Karl Ehmer’s, Theo’s Gyros and Aw Shucks! Roasted Corn.
Roland Kushner
Roland Kushner, managing director of Bethlehem Musikfest Association from 1984-87, played a key role in booking the festival’s performances.
“We filled every hour,” Kushner said. “So my work was to book all that, through my knowledge of people in the music industry and developing contacts with booking agencies, making Musikfest a known entity — and that worked pretty well.”
Kushner said he's made an “enduring connection” among local musicians through his wife, who’s a Bethlehem native, and their assistance in that programming process over those years.
He recalled the diversity of music featured at the first Musikfests, citing Walt Groller and his contributions to the polka scene.
“To me, it was a success if somebody was sitting listening to a brass band, and then they kept their seats and a bluegrass band came up and then a string quartet."Roland Kushner, Bethlehem Musikfest Association managing director
“To me, it was a success if somebody was sitting listening to a brass band, and then they kept their seats and a bluegrass band came up and then a string quartet,” Kushner said.
Kushner said she of his favorite acts over the years have included Don McLean, Pete Seeger, Ray Charles, Judy Collins and Joan Baez.
His favorite Musikfest munch includes a bratwurst from Karl Ehmer’s and a glass of beer, he said.
He noted contributions from Marlene Gilley, the organization’s director of administration, as she was “much loved in the festival community.” Gilley, the second person to be hired by Bethlehem Musikfest Association, died in 2020.
Jamie Musselman
Jamie Musselman of Musselman Advertising said the company was doing some work with First National Bank of Allentown, an organization helping with some of the Musikfest finances, back in its early days.
Musselman said she was asked to sit on the festival board, joining in 1983.
Her company went on to design posters, mugs, program books and more for a decade. The team also went out during every festival and painted murals.
“When Musikfest started, Downtown Bethlehem was nothing like it is today — and there were a lot of boarded-up buildings,” Musselman said. “We all had the idea that, 'Why not take the beautiful poster we designed and paint it onto one of the boarded-up buildings?'
“And that was the beginning of MuralPlatz.”
“That’s why we went with the beer stein idea, because we figured if there’s beer and a party, people would come. Oh, yes, and they might discover the music.”Jamie Musselman, on the design of the Musikfest 1984 program art
As for the inspiration behind the original Musikfest art, she said her company had to implement some “trickery,” as the festival was unheard of at that time. Linda LaDue was the illustrator for that piece of art.
“That’s why we went with the beer stein idea, because we figured if there’s beer and a party, people would come,” Musselman said. “Oh, yes, and they might discover the music.”
She said her favorite Musikfest had to be the inaugural year, as everyone’s uncertainty about the future of the event made it all the more fun in the moment.
Musselman’s notable concert experiences include Pete Seeger, The Beach Boys, Hootie & the Blowfish, Trisha Yearwood and the Clancy Brothers.
She reflected on the original Musikfest food offerings, including funnel cakes and perogies. But she said the diverse spread of modern festivals is important and said she loves eating at Karl Ehmer’s.
Kassie Hilgert
Prior to taking the reins as chief executive officer of ArtsQuest eight years ago, Kassie Hilgert worked in sponsorship, marketing and advancement for the nonprofit.
But her past with the festival goes back to her teenage years, enjoying Musikfest live at Main Street, while her later roles with ArtsQuest provided an in-depth look into the operations side of things.
“Seeing everything from behind the scenes is 10 times more exciting than just going to the events,” Hilgert said. “To watch the energy and the planning and the creativity and the excitement and the number of people that come together to do it is still mind-blowing to me.
“And to me, Musikfest is my second Christmas each year.”
“And to me, Musikfest is my second Christmas each year.”Kassie Hilgert, ArtsQuest president and CEO
Hilgert said that every year, she gets a kick out of watching the vendors and volunteers during setup, as a “palpable, pregnant bubble of excitement” floats among the workers.
During the event, she said, there’s always a couple of parents wheeling their child around in a stroller while taking in the festivities around them.
“Mom’s got Goldfish in a plastic bag, dad’s got a mug, mom’s got a mug, they’re having some beer and they’re just sitting there listening to music and everyone’s smiling,” she said.
“And that, to me, is pure magic.”
Notable past performances for Hilgert include Brother and OneRepublic.
She said her favorite things to eat at the festival include Take a Taco and Theo’s Gyros. After the festival shuts down for the day, she said, you’ll find her with a Yuengling Flight in hand.
Mayor J. William Reynolds
Bethlehem’s current mayor, J. William Reynolds, said Musikfest is one of the city’s calling cards and a showcase of Bethlehem’s progress as a whole.
“It is a reflection of the energy, activity and vibrancy that has come to define our city in recent years,” Reynolds said. “Every year seems to welcome new artists, vendors and visitors as we build on the successful Musikfest formula.”
While he said hanging out with his friends at the festival over the years currently takes the cake for his favorite memory, he looks forward to Musikfest 2024, when he’ll be able to enjoy the event alongside his wife, Natalie, and their baby boy to be born soon.
“It is a reflection of the energy, activity and vibrancy that has come to define our city in recent years. Every year seems to welcome new artists, vendors and visitors as we build on the successful Musikfest formula.”Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
As for his favorite concerts, Reynolds said groups Dr. Dog and Low Cut Connie both stole the show when he saw them perform. But discovering a group with great energy that you’d never heard of can lead to new favorites, he said.
When it comes to festival food, Reynolds said he isn’t picky or partial. He just wants to fuel up and keep going.
“I generally like to eat quickly — so I can get back to festing,” he said.
Kenneth Smith
Kenneth Smith, Bethlehem mayor from 1988-97, said that during the festival’s humble beginnings, you’d likely know everybody you came across on a walk from Church Street to Broad Street on the city’s North Side.
But as Musikfest became more popular in the years following, so did the other city attractions as more people came to the Lehigh Valley to take part, Smith said.
“To visit us at Musikfest was — like at Christmastime or at the time of the Bach festivals — an exercise in discovery,” Smith said. “Lucky for all of us, the charm of Historic Bethlehem in so many ways sells itself.”
“To visit us at Musikfest was — like at Christmastime or at the time of the Bach festivals — an exercise in discovery. Lucky for all of us, the charm of Historic Bethlehem in so many ways sells itself.”Former Bethlehem Mayor Kenneth Smith
Smith commended the event’s “generational” volunteer support, saying “they will never let it die.”
He said his favorite musical moments over the years include Ray Charles and the show’s crazy crowd and traffic; the huge turnout for Joan Baez; dedicated fans who stayed in the rain to see Jethro Tull; big crowds to see Crosby, Stills & Nash; and the venerable Beach Boys.
Don Cunningham
Born and raised in Bethlehem, former mayor Don Cunningham is no stranger to Musikfest.
He said he was graduating from high school as the festival was coming onto the scene. And after experiencing it for the first time, Cunningham said, he and others saw that the event was on to something great.
“We didn’t really know what it was, but you could tell right away it was going to be something really cool, both for people living in the city — at that time, it was very Bethlehem-centric — and then also to bring in visitors to show off Bethlehem,” he said.
“We didn’t really know what it was, but you could tell right away it was going to be something really cool, both for people living in the city — at that time, it was very Bethlehem centric — and then also to bring in visitors to show off Bethlehem."Former Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham
Cunningham said he’s played music at the festival for nearly 25 years.
With John Bloys on lead guitar, John Sproat on drums, Mark Buschi on the bass, John Harkins on the keyboard and Cunningham playing guitar and doing some singing, the bunch makes up Cunningham and Associates. The group plays classic rock radio hits from the '60s, '70s and '80s.
The band’s upcoming shows at Musikfest 2023 will take place on Friday and Wednesday.
Cunningham recalled two memorable moments out of many for him: the Dixie Chicks, now known as The Chicks, and one other notable act bringing out an estimated 300,000 people to Downtown Bethlehem one night; as well as a 2021 on-stage moment of celebration in memory of a longtime guitar player in his band, Mike Fritz, who died from cancer that year.
John Callahan
John Callahan was elected as the city’s mayor in 2003, and served in that role for more than a decade.
Before that time, Callahan said he viewed Musikfest as a “giant Lehigh Valley block party” going down live in the Christmas City — one where friends united to share wholesome moments together.
He said his experience at the head of the festival as mayor was a period of growing to appreciate the task at hand, as the logistical and security challenges that come with a 10-day festival bringing out more than a million people is quite the learning experience.
He said his favorite year of the festival was 2011, as residents and visitors were able to experience the newly opened SteelStacks campus for the first time. It had opened that spring.
“Some of my favorite moments of Musikfest were unplanned, where you just stumbled on a Platz and heard a band playing music you didn’t even know you liked."Former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan
Looking back on his Musikfest experiences, he said there’s many things that make the occasion great — some of those obvious. But it’s important to keep in mind that even for locals that have attended from the beginning, the event “always surprises and never disappoints.”
“Some of my favorite moments of Musikfest were unplanned, where you just stumbled on a Platz and heard a band playing music you didn’t even know you liked,” Callahan said.
For him, Stone Temple Pilots live at the old River Place stage on Sand Island was a show to remember.
There’s also “no substitute” for the famous Aw Shucks! roasted corn from Allentown, he said.
Robert Donchez
Assuming his role as mayor in 2014, Robert "Bob" Donchez said maintaining public safety during Musikfest was among his top concerns when planning for the event.
“When you bring in about 120,000 people on a weekend, that has to be a priority,” Donchez said. “And the fact that it’s all two parts, two sides of town, makes it very challenging.”
With the festival seeing a larger audience year after year, he added that he’d love to see it grow even bigger.
With a bigger festival comes the call for all hands on deck — more hands, that is. And he said Musikfest is no stranger to some great help from its dedicated followers.
“So despite everything the city does and ArtsQuest and Musikfest does, the volunteers — and some of them have been here all 40 years — make Musikfest a success.”Former Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez
“If you didn’t have 1,000 volunteers, the festival would not be possible,” Donchez said. “So despite everything the city does and ArtsQuest and Musikfest does, the volunteers — and some of them have been here all 40 years — make Musikfest a success.”
He said he’s hoping for no rain during the festival, nice weather and a safe environment for folks to let loose and enjoy themselves.
Donchez recalled Jerry Seinfeld during a previous year packing the house as Musikfest's first non-music main stage headliner. For music, he enjoyed Chicago as well as Crosby, Stills & Nash.
As for grub, he gravitates to the tacos, hamburgers and the corn from Aw Shucks.
