“The sermon was about the circumcision of Baby Jesus.” That’s how Lisa VanArsdale describes a recent trip to a mega-church in Phoenix, and it is exactly the kind of unexpected, funny, and slightly unsettling real-world moment that fuels her live show, Lisa Joins a Cult, coming back to Bethlehem this month.
It’s the 50th year of a Lehigh Valley absolute treasure, and this is the year you go if you haven’t been.
Since opening on March 19, 1976, Godfrey Daniels has built a national reputation with great artists, a quiet room, and an audience that prioritizes listening.
The club began as a coffeehouse in a former doughnut shop on Bethlehem’s Southside, founded by Dave Fry and Cindy Dinsmore, and it has been nurturing live music ever since. It became a nonprofit soon after, helping keep the focus where it belongs, on the performers and the shared experience in the room.
There is nothing quite like this intimate Southside Bethlehem listening room, where the whole point is to show up, listen closely, and leave with a new favorite artist.
Every year we make big promises, and every year the Lehigh Valley humbles us just enough to keep things interesting. These are our very important, extremely serious New Year’s resolutions for 2026, inspired by traffic, trails, warehouses, feasibility studies, and the quiet optimism that somehow survives all of it.
A TikToker is detailing his reconstruction of an old Nazareth fire truck he found in the desert.
The creator is @tatortrotter, and the premise is simple: he came across a retired ladder truck near the Anza-Borrego area, asked the owner what they were doing with it, and got the straightest possible deal.
The Peter Kearns Memorial Christmas Tree Toss raised $3,277 for Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley during its 2025 event, held on December 20 at More Miles Automotive in Bethlehem.
Easton Farmers Market is inviting the community to help stock local pantry shelves with a Community Food Drive on Saturday, December 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The collection tent will be set up at Scott Park along the Riverfront in downtown Easton, near the Larry Holmes statue, making it easy for marketgoers to drop off donations while they shop.
Every holiday season, the same question resurfaces in Pennsylvania history circles, Easton and Bethlehem tourism meetings, social media posts, and probably a few living rooms: where was the first Christmas tree displayed in America?
And if you are not asking yourself that question, why not?
Bethlehem’s midwinter party season will stretch a little longer when Hearthsong Folk Arts and Celtic musical troupe The Chivalrous Crickets & Friends host the Third Annual Bethlehem Twelfth Night Celebration, themed for Scottish Hogmanay, on Saturday, January 3, 2026 at the Charles A. Brown Ice House.
ArtsQuest is bringing back the SteelStacks Improv Comedy Festival for its 13th year, turning Bethlehem’s SteelStacks campus into two packed days of fast, unscripted comedy. The festival runs Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24, 2026, featuring improvisational teams from across the region and around the country.
Sophia and Noah topped Jefferson Health’s list of 2025 baby names, leading the charge among thousands of babies born across the system’s 10 hospitals that deliver babies. For girls, Sophia was the most popular choice with 60 babies given the name, followed closely by Emma (53) and Isabella (52). For boys, Noah claimed the top spot with 103 babies, with Liam next at 91.
We are partnering with Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites for a special holiday giveaway tied to the Trees of Historic Bethlehem exhibition, one of the Christmas City’s must-see traditions.
Lehigh Valley with Love made a national appearance this morning on Fox & Friends First, as one of our photos from Bethlehem’s annual tree lighting was featured during a segment on “Christmas City, USA.”
Pennsylvania is home to more than 86,000 miles of streams, and Penn State Extension is inviting residents to help care for them through its Master Watershed Steward Program. Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 training class serving Lehigh and Northampton counties.
ArtsQuest and Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA have opened a call for artists to create the signature artwork for the 2026 free concert season. The selected piece will become the visual identity for one of the Lehigh Valley’s largest community music series.
The Lehigh Valley Holiday Lights Map is back for 2025, and this year it comes with its own soundtrack. To go with your nighttime tour of neighborhood displays, we have put together a Spotify playlist that runs from movie classics to soul, rock and jazz favorites.
