Touchstone Theatre, in partnership with Lehigh University Libraries, will present Alice in Informationland on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lehigh’s historic Linderman Library. This original, interactive performance reimagines Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland for the digital age and invites audiences to navigate a world of misinformation, data ethics, and artificial intelligence.
Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University is bringing back its popular Family FUN-A-PALOOZA on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The day of festivities will feature free activities, treats, and giveaways from community partners including PBS39, Just Born, and Crayola, along with special appearances from Ziggy the Zoellner Zebra, a Halloween costume dance party, and wellness activities presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network.
The Hellertown Historical Society (HHS) has announced that the Heller-Wagner Grist Mill, located at 150 West Walnut Street in Hellertown, has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The recognition, confirmed by the National Park Service in August 2025, honors the site’s cultural, architectural, and historical significance dating back to the mid-1700s.
The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley will host its 2nd Annual Nonprofit Impact Conference on November 6, 2025, at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem. The event has already attracted more than 150 registrants representing over 50 nonprofit organizations.
This year’s conference opens with keynote speaker David W. Brown of the Civic Coalition to Save Lives, presenting “Strengthening Connections and Navigating Change.” Sierra McNeill will follow as plenary speaker, also leading a specialized workshop for direct service staff.
Attendees can choose from 18 breakout sessions across three learning tracks:
People Powered Impact: Engagement, Equity & Wellness with speakers including Laura Otten, Missy Wise, Cherryann Joseph, Tyrone Fisher, Jennifer Cunningham, and Robin Gow.
Systems & Strategy: Collaboration, Finance & Leadership featuring Jess Edris, Sean Ziller, Emily Henry, Louis Diez, Emilie Carlino, Alisa Baratta, and Gretchen Naso.
Mission Amplified: Storytelling, Advocacy & Creative Practice with presentations from Anne Gingerich, Mark Wilson, Rachel Moyer, Terry Knox Ramseur, and Mike Brady.
The conference is designed to help nonprofit professionals deepen connections, build strategies, and strengthen impact in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Registration is now open. Tickets can be purchased through the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley at www.volunteerlv.org.
The City of Allentown will once again host the Collegiate Marching Band Festival, now in its 29th year, on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at J. Birney Crum Stadium. The event begins at noon and is expected to draw more than 6,000 spectators.
This year’s festival will feature 20 college and university marching bands, bringing together over 3,000 student musicians. Ensembles will travel from eight states—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia—to perform on the Allentown field.
The lineup includes performances from Caldwell University, Lehigh University’s Marching 97, West Chester University, University of Delaware, Towson University, and many more. The schedule begins with the National Anthem at 11:55 a.m. and runs continuously until the final performance at 4:45 p.m. by the University of New Haven.
Tickets are available at the stadium or online at vivaceproductions.com.
ALLENTOWN, PA — September 23, 2025 — The Allentown Rescue Mission has recognized Joshua L. as September’s Clean Team Workforce Employee of the Month, honoring his resilience and commitment to learning new skills.
Joshua first came to the Allentown Rescue Mission as part of the Transformation Program, graduating in 2023. He joined the Clean Team Workforce shortly after and later transitioned into independent living, working for a sanitation company while living with his sister. His early success was interrupted when he suffered a seizure that ended his job, followed by his apartment building being condemned. Facing these setbacks, Joshua returned to the Mission and rejoined the Clean Team Workforce.
Starting once again with street cleaning, Joshua soon interviewed for a role in the Mission’s kitchen. He quickly adapted, showing dedication and enthusiasm for cooking. Under the guidance of Food Service Manager Harry Wilson, Joshua is gaining valuable culinary skills and building toward a future career in the restaurant industry.
“Josh is really stepping up and is learning a lot about cooking. He really cares about his job and is excited to learn something new every day,” said Wilson. Joshua himself shared, “I really like serving food to the men, and they tell me how good it is afterwards.”
Although his past restaurant experience was limited to dishwashing, Joshua’s determination and hard work have set him on a path toward becoming a cook. His story reflects the mission of the Clean Team Workforce, which provides men with employment, housing, and opportunities to rebuild their lives after hardship.
The Allentown Rescue Mission and Clean Team Workforce proudly congratulate Joshua on being named September Employee of the Month and applaud his perseverance in the face of adversity.
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ALLENTOWN, PA — September 23, 2025 — Cosmic Baseball is coming back to Coca-Cola Park in 2026, bringing fans another chance to experience glow-in-the-dark baseball under stadium-grade black lights. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs confirmed that the wildly popular event will return next season, with official dates to be announced.
Cosmic Baseball blends traditional baseball with a high-energy party atmosphere. Under black lights, players take the field in UV-reactive uniforms with glowing bats, balls, and bases. The games feature live music, special effects, and entertainment designed to turn the ballpark into an immersive neon spectacle.
The Cosmic Takeover Tour captivated the Lehigh Valley earlier this year, selling out Coca-Cola Park on May 16 and 17, 2025. Fans packed the stadium to see the Tri-City Chili Peppers and the Glow Mojis compete in an electrifying mix of sports and entertainment.
Created by the Tri-City Chili Peppers Baseball Organization of Colonial Heights, Virginia, Cosmic Baseball first launched in 2024 and quickly became a national sensation. With media coverage from outlets including CNN, FOX News, ABC, ESPN, and MLB Network, the demand has skyrocketed, with more than 50,000 fans joining waitlists for tickets.
The 2026 tour promises to be bigger than ever, and Allentown will once again be one of the featured stops. Fans eager to secure a spot are encouraged to register now for the ticket lottery, the only guaranteed way to gain access to this one-of-a-kind event.
Register for the ticket lottery at: chilipeppersbaseball.com/cosmic
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HELLERTOWN, PA — September 23, 2025 — The Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce is preparing for a day of food, drinks, and local experiences as the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Taste Trail returns for its second year on Saturday, September 27. Sponsored by Jim Gardener State Farm, the one-day event brings together 16 local businesses for a passport-style tasting adventure through Saucon Valley.
Building on last year’s sold-out debut, the 2025 Taste Trail has expanded from 11 to 16 participating businesses, showcasing the strength and creativity of the local food, beverage, and wellness scene. From savory bites and refreshing drinks to unique wellness activities and community experiences, attendees will have the chance to sample and explore the best of what Hellertown and Lower Saucon have to offer.
Participating businesses include Lost Tavern Brewing, La Maya, B Social, Yiannis Taverna, Frey’s Better Foods, Nick and Noah’s, Drip Flavor Lab, DiMaio’s Pizza, Plaza Azteca, Saylor’s & Co., Braveheart Highland Pub, Taste of Italy, Cross Pizza, Vassi’s Drive In, Saucon Valley Bikes, Limon Authentic Turkish Kebap House, and Main Street Gym. Each stop will offer an exclusive sample, tasting, or activity, giving visitors a well-rounded taste of Saucon Valley culture.
“The Hellertown-Lower Saucon Taste Trail is one of the most engaging and delicious ways to showcase the incredible variety of businesses in our community,” said Jessica O’Donnell Gower, Executive Vice President of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We’re proud to see this event grow from 11 businesses last year to 16 and counting in 2025. It’s proof of the energy and passion of our small businesses, and it’s a celebration that brings neighbors, families, and friends together.”
Guests may begin the trail at any participating business, collecting stamps on their event passport. Those who complete a short post-event survey will be entered to win gift card prizes, and attendees will also be able to cast votes for their favorite stop along the trail. The business with the most votes will earn the 2026 People’s Favorite Award, a recognition celebrating community choice and local excellence.
Event Details
What: Hellertown-Lower Saucon Taste Trail
When: Saturday, September 27, 2025, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Where: Participating businesses throughout Hellertown & Lower Saucon
Cost: $35 in advance, $40 day of
Passports are expected to sell out, following the overwhelming turnout at last year’s debut event. Community members are encouraged to secure tickets in advance to ensure a spot in this flavor-filled celebration.
The Hellertown-Lower Saucon Taste Trail is presented by the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber, a proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, with support from presenting sponsor Jim Gardener State Farm.
For tickets and full event details, visit the official Taste of Hellertown Trail 2025 page or contact Caitlin Hamlin at caitlinh@lehighvalleychamber.org.
ALLENTOWN, PA / September 23, 2025: The Allentown Rotary Club has awarded a $7,500 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown, providing funding for new tables and chairs to enhance the organization’s youth programming spaces. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration marked the installation of the furniture.
The event was attended by five Rotarians, including longtime member Don, who has served with Rotary for more than 38 years and once participated in the Boys & Girls Club as a child. His presence underscored the connections between the two organizations and the lasting impact they have on generations of Allentown families.
Children enjoyed pizza, cake, and story time before helping cut the ribbon on the new furniture. For the young members, the gift represents more than just tables and chairs. It creates an improved environment for homework, group activities, and meals.
Rosaria, Assistant District Governor for Rotary, described the moment as a reflection of Rotary’s principle of “Service Above Self.” She noted the children’s excitement and explained that the furniture will strengthen the Boys & Girls Club’s ability to provide safe, welcoming, and functional spaces for learning and growth.
The Boys & Girls Club of Allentown serves hundreds of children every year through after-school and summer programming that promotes academic achievement, character development, and healthy lifestyles. Many of the youth rely on the club as a safe and supportive environment during critical out-of-school hours.
This grant continues the Rotary Club’s legacy of community service. Members of the Allentown Rotary Club participate in hands-on projects, charitable giving, and international initiatives, and the club remains part of a global network dedicated to addressing humanitarian challenges.
For Don, the grant represented a full-circle moment. From receiving support as a young Boys & Girls Club participant to giving back as a Rotary leader, his story illustrates the power of community organizations working together to foster resilience, opportunity, and leadership in the next generation.
About Boys & Girls Club of Allentown
The Boys & Girls Club of Allentown (BGCA) is a nonprofit serving approximately 2,000 youth from inner-city Allentown. bgcallentown.org Their mission is to enable young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as caring, responsible citizens. bgcallentown.org The Club operates multiple clubhouses including a Teen Center and offers programs in academics, character development, health, wellness, and recreation. bgcallentown.org+1
BGCA Contact & Locations
Main Office: 720 N. Sixth Street, Allentown, PA 18102 bgcallentown.org+1
Phone: (610) 432-9944 bgcallentown.org
Website: bgcallentown.org bgcallentown.org
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The End Bookstore, a longtime community hub for readers in the Lehigh Valley, is unveiling its expanded design and layout on Tuesday, September 23 at 5 p.m. The renovation adds more than 1,000 new titles, fresh sections for trending genres, and new areas dedicated to families and young readers.
The independent bookstore, which has served readers for nearly 13 years, remains the only all-new, general interest bookstore in the region. Its expansion reflects both the resilience of indie bookstores nationwide and the surge in interest around genres such as romantasy, dark romance, fantasy, and horror.
To mark the occasion, The End will host a launch event for its new “Midnight Lair” section on September 23. The celebration includes appearances from a popular romantasy book blogger, themed swag, and exclusive promotions. The store has also lined up a series of author events, including an October 10 reading with science fiction luminary Martha Wells.
Beyond new genres, the bookstore is strengthening its role as a gathering space. Families can enjoy the redesigned “Let’s Play Books” area, which hosts weekly story times on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Readers can also explore curated audiobook picks through Libro.fm. Partnerships with local businesses will help fund books for children as part of the store’s Authors to Schools program.
Owner Kirsten Hess emphasized that adaptability is central to The End’s success. “We’ve been in business for almost 13 years, the only way to do that is by constantly changing. What does our community want? What does our community need? That’s our approach.”
The End Bookstore is a member of the American Booksellers Association and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. As the indie bookselling landscape grows nationally, Hess remains candid about the challenges: “We are always about two months away from closing – every book purchase matters.”
The Pocono Chamber of Commerce and George Roberts Productions hosted the 2025 Bizzy Awards: Casino Royale on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at Camelback Resort in Tannersville. The event highlighted Monroe County businesses for their leadership, service, and impact on the community, featuring cocktails, live entertainment, dinner, and the awards ceremony.
Best Social Media: YMI Insurance
Best Curbside Appeal: Kinsley’s ShopRite
Best Business Logo: The Gilded Prose
Best Non-Profit: Lehigh Valley Hospital Hospice House
Best Customer Service: Timbers Pub & Grill
Best Business Leader: Eileen and Trip Ruvane, Barley Creek Brewing Company
Best New Business: MMD Counseling
Best Small Business: Quantifi Media
Best Tiny, But Mighty Business: NEPA Business Technologies
Best Rockstar Employee: Jody Nearhoof, The Swiftwater
Best Overall Business: Northeast Site Contractors
A replay of the Bizzy Awards airs on Blue Ridge Cable TV13 on:
Saturday, September 20 at 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 21 at 10:00 PM
Monday, September 22 at 8:00 PM
The program is also available at BizzyAwards.com.
Allentown has been recognized as a national leader in tackling public sector hiring challenges, earning the title of “Spotlight City” from Work for America. The honor makes Allentown only the second city in the country to receive this distinction, according to a release.
The partnership aims to bring mission-driven talent to City Hall, improve hiring systems, and position Allentown as a model for local governments nationwide. Mayor Matt Tuerk will also serve on Work for America’s inaugural advisory board.
“When I took office, one of our biggest challenges was building capacity in city government,” said Mayor Tuerk. “Strong teams are what allow us to deliver for our residents. That’s why I’m proud for Allentown to be a Spotlight City.”
Work for America first partnered with the City in late 2025 through Civic Match, a national platform connecting laid-off federal employees and other mission-driven professionals with state and local public service roles. Civic Match now helps more than 11,000 displaced workers connect to over 1,000 hiring managers across state and local governments nationwide.
As part of the Spotlight City initiative, Work for America will:
Host a workshop with city employees to co-create an Employee Value Proposition for Allentown’s future recruitment efforts
Support innovative, sustainable recruitment strategies tailored to the City’s most critical staffing needs
Lead a walking tour with Mayor Tuerk to showcase what living and working in Allentown has to offer
Add Mayor Tuerk to the Work for America national Advisory Board, helping shape public workforce policy at a broader scale
Allentown will be the second of three Spotlight Cities launched in 2025, as Work for America expands its initiative to strengthen local public sector teams and improve service delivery.
BETHLEHEM, PA, September 22, 2025 – Moravian University School of Theology, in partnership with Bethlehem Area Moravians, will host “Art for Justice” on Sept. 30, featuring Daniel Gwynn, whose powerful paintings chronicle his 30-year journey on Pennsylvania’s death row for a crime he did not commit.
The evening will include an art exhibit and reception at 5 p.m. in the Bahnson Center Lobby, followed by Gwynn’s presentation at 6 p.m. in the Bahnson Center Saal. The Bahnson Center is located at 60 West Locust Street, Bethlehem.
The event is in person and available to follow via Zoom. While all are welcome to attend, registration is encouraged for both in person and online attendees. The Zoom link and recording of the event will be provided for those who register at moravianseminary.edu
Convicted in 1994 at age 24 for an arson murder in West Philadelphia, Gwynn spent three decades maintaining his innocence while facing execution. In 2024, at age 54, he finally walked free as an exonerated man.
“Art became my lifeline,” Gwynn explains of his time in what he describes as being “trapped in a box where the days just tick away.” Throughout his incarceration on death row, painting served as both personal therapy and a means of preserving his humanity in the face of profound injustice.
Born and raised in Philadelphia by his maternal grandmother after experiencing parental abandonment, Gwynn’s early life was marked by the city’s crack cocaine epidemic, violence, and urban decay. Despite attending school regularly and singing in his church choir, the challenging environment would later intersect with a justice system that failed him.
Now working with Art for Justice (artforjustice.org), Gwynn dedicates himself to exposing systemic flaws in the criminal justice system and advocating for more humane approaches to justice and rehabilitation. Learn more about Gwynn at danielgwynn197.com
The Sept. 30 event will provide attendees with a rare opportunity to view Gwynn’s powerful artwork while hearing firsthand about his remarkable journey from death row to freedom, including time for questions and dialogue about art, justice, and redemption.
Art for Justice is an organization dedicated to addressing systemic problems within the criminal justice system through artistic expression and advocacy, promoting solutions that emphasize rehabilitation, humanity, and true justice.
ART FOR JUSTICE EVENT DETAILS
When: Tuesday evening, Sept. 30, 2025
Where: Bahnson Center, 60 West Locust Street, Bethlehem (artist talk also available on Zoom)
Exhibit and reception: 5 p.m. in the Bahnson Center Lobby
Artist talk: 6 p.m. in the Bahnson Center Saal
The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society will open a new exhibition, Read This! The History of Media in Northampton County, on September 25, 2025, at the Sigal Museum in Easton. The exhibition will remain on view through July 11, 2026.
Timed with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Read This! examines the ways media has shaped public opinion and civic life for more than two centuries. Visitors will see how information traveled in the colonial era, how newspapers and pamphlets fueled revolutionary thought, and how modern technology continues to transform the way communities share ideas.
Highlights of the exhibition include a replica 18th-century printing press, rare newspapers and broadsides, and a special look at Easton’s July 8, 1776 public reading of the Declaration of Independence, one of the first in the nation. Later chapters feature original materials from World War II, including Nuremberg Trial broadcasts, as well as an exploration of digital media and misinformation, with a striking deepfake video of President Nixon about the moon landing.
The exhibition is part of the Lehigh Valley 250 initiative, a regional effort marking the nation’s semiquincentennial through museum exhibitions, programs, and cultural events.
An opening reception for NCHGS members will be held on September 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. Membership details are available on the museum’s website.
Exhibition Details
📍 Sigal Museum, 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA
📅 September 25, 2025 – July 11, 2026
🔗 Learn more at sigalmuseum.org
We set out to see if AI could help us create something that felt more real than a meme. The idea landed right in front of us: the Phillies “Karen” who took a home run ball from a young fan. Silver wig. Glasses. Phillies hoodie. She already looked like a Spirit Halloween costume. So we made one.
