Allentown Rescue Mission’s “Thanks for Giving” Drive Returns Nov. 8, with Meal Match Challenge

The Allentown Rescue Mission will host its annual Thanks for Giving Food & Supplies Drive on Saturday, November 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., marking the nonprofit’s 125th year of service. Donations of non-perishable food and essential supplies will be accepted at both Josh Early Candies locations in Allentown and Bethlehem.

L.L.Bean’s Witch, Warlock, and Zombie Paddle Returns to Lake Nockamixon

L.L.Bean is bringing some spooky outdoor fun to Lake Nockamixon this weekend with its Witch, Warlock, and Zombie Stand-Up Paddleboard or Kayak Outing and Food Drive in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

Participants are encouraged to dress in their best Halloween costumes and paddle alongside L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery instructors, who will be wearing their own witch, warlock, and zombie attire for a fun fall adventure on the water.

Mostly Lehigh Valley Basketball Stars

The Lehigh Valley’s got a pretty wild basketball history. Some of the names on this list were born here, others showed up for college or to play with the Allentown Jets, but they all helped put local hoops on the map.

We rounded up a few who stood out the most:

Basketball runs deep in the Lehigh Valley. Some of these players were born and raised here. Others came through for college, for a few pro seasons, or to coach local teams like the Allentown Jets or the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs. Together, they helped build a basketball legacy that stretches from packed high school gyms to NBA courts and overseas leagues.

Here are a few names that tell the story.

The End Bookstore Expands with New Titles, Romantasy Celebration, and Community Spaces

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.”

Peeps Collab Deep Dive

At Lehigh Valley with Love, we love a good deep dive—especially when it involves something as iconic (and sugary) as Peeps! These fluffy marshmallow treats, made right here in Bethlehem, PA, have taken their brand way beyond the Easter basket with some of the wildest collaborations we’ve ever seen.

From Hello Kitty to Pepsi, Oreos to nail polish, Peeps has managed to hop into some truly unexpected places. Some of these collabs make perfect sense (Peeps-flavored coffee creamer? Sure!), while others left us absolutely shocked (Cauliflower Peeps?! Thankfully, that one was an April Fool’s joke).

In our latest Peeps Collab Deep Dive, we break down: 🐥 The strangest Peeps products we could find
🎨 Limited-edition Peeps fashion, beauty, and accessories
🏃‍♂️ The official Peeps 5K (because why not?)
🏨 And even a Peeps-themed hotel room right here in the Lehigh Valley

 

 

 

Lehigh Valley with Love Media at The Greater Lehigh Valley Young Professionals Council’s Leadership Summit

We’re excited to announce that George Wacker, founder of Lehigh Valley with Love Media, will be a panelist at the Young Professionals Council’s Leadership Summit on February 21, 2025, at DeSales University!

As part of the “Building Your Personal Brand” breakout session, George will share insights from over a decade of experience in media and storytelling. With more than 15 million video views and 8 million podcast downloads, Lehigh Valley with Love Media has been recognized regionally and nationally for creative and impactful work that connects businesses, nonprofits, and communities with their audiences.

This is an amazing opportunity to learn how to leverage storytelling, build a personal brand, and make an impact. We’re proud to contribute to this event and share some of the strategies and lessons we’ve learned along the way.

Click to learn more about the event and secure your spot: 📅 2025 Leadership Summit Details: https://bit.ly/3O1D1TR

2024 in Review: Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast Hits 2.7 Million Downloads!

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate an incredible year for the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast. This year, we reached an extraordinary milestone: 2.7 million hits across all of our episodes, showcasing the power of community storytelling and local connections.

With 47 episodes in 2025, we’ve shared countless stories that celebrate the heart of the Lehigh Valley and beyond. From exclusive celebrity interviews like Tony Danza, to exploring local landmarks such as The Sayre Mansion and The Dery House, to diving into community-focused initiatives like New Bethany Ministries’ Turkey Drive and Festival Unbound, our podcast covered an incredible breadth of topics this year.

Thanks to your support, we connected with people from all walks of life, sharing the stories that make the Lehigh Valley truly special.

Be sure to visit www.lvwithlove.com for updates throughout 2025!

Highlights from 2024

We’re proud of every episode we released this year, but here are a few that truly stood out:

  • Tony Danza: Standards & Stories – Tony joined us to share insights from his career and his one-man show at SteelStacks, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at his life in entertainment. Listen / Watch here.
  • New Bethany Ministries Turkey Drive – We highlighted the incredible work of New Bethany Ministries in supporting our community during the holiday season. Listen / Watch here.
  • Festival Unbound with Touchstone Theatre – A deep dive into this vibrant annual festival celebrating creativity and community. Listen / Watch here.
  • Lafayette College Arts Tour – Exploring the rich arts culture on campus with exclusive insights. Listen / Watch here.
  • Toured The Sayre Mansion – An exclusive look at this historic gem in Bethlehem. Listen / Watch here.
  • Learned to Swim with Goldfish Swim School – A fun and educational episode about fostering water safety. Listen / Watch here.
  • Toured The Dery House in Catasauqua – Discovering the history and beauty of this iconic property. Listen / Watch here.
  • Celebrated 90 Years at Shankweilers Drive-In – A nostalgic dive into America’s oldest drive-in theater. Listen / Watch here.

These episodes, among many others, exemplify the diversity and richness of stories we’re privileged to share with our listeners. Your engagement—from sharing episodes to leaving comments—helped make this possible.

Monthly Highlights

  • Social Media Reach: 500K+ monthly average.
  • Podcast Listenership: 225K+ monthly hits average.

We use S3Stat to verify our numbers. 

Thank You to Our Partners

Our achievements this year wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our amazing partners:

  • WDIY – Supporting local radio! Link
  • Wind Creek Event Center – Hosting incredible events! Link
  • Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate – Connecting us to our community. Link.
  • Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub – Fueling our team with great food and energy. Link
  • The Coop Sports Bar & Kitchen – Fueling our team with Dinosaur Eggs. Link
  • Banko Beverage Company – Helping us keep the conversation flowing. Link
  • Lehigh Valley Health Network – Keeping us healthy! Link

Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us bring these stories to life.

Looking Ahead to 2025

For more updates, episodes, and ways to connect with us, visit our website: www.lvwithlove.com.

We’re already planning for an even bigger and better year ahead, and we want YOU to be part of it! Whether you have a story to share, a business to spotlight, or an idea for collaboration, we’d love to hear from you. Fill out this form to get involved: https://forms.gle/3AXv59fdXrVirXke9.

Are you interested in being a guest on our podcast? Share your story with us by filling out our guest form here: https://forms.gle/V6czQLymPp1B31GW8.

Join the Conversation

Stay tuned for more incredible stories in 2025, and thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to another amazing year of connecting, sharing, and loving the Lehigh Valley!

Spotlighting Pale Fang with Tape Swap Radio

It’s always a thrill to contribute to local creative projects, and we were excited to provide drone footage for Tape Swap Radio’s feature on Pale Fang. The footage captures the unique energy and atmosphere that complements the band’s vibe perfectly.

Tape Swap Radio continues to elevate the Lehigh Valley music scene with projects like this, and being part of their work is an honor. If you’re into discovering new music and creative visuals, don’t miss this one!

🎥 Check out the feature here:
https://www.tapeswapradio.com/news/pale-fang

On The Jokes by Jo Podcast

Recently, I had the opportunity to join Jo on the Jokes by Jo Show podcast, where we dove into the humor and heart of the Lehigh Valley. We talked about everything from running a local media company to what makes the Valley such a vibrant place to live and laugh.

The conversation was full of funny moments, genuine insights, and a lot of love for the local community. Being a guest on Jo’s show was an absolute blast, and I’m excited to share this collaboration with you!

🎧 Listen to the full episode here:
https://jokesbyjo.com/jokes-by-jo-show/joking-our-way-through-the-lehigh-valley-with-love

Lehigh Valley with Love Featured in The Keystone Newsroom as a Top Pennsylvania Instagram Account

At Lehigh Valley with Love, we’re all about celebrating the best of our community—from quirky events and local businesses to mouthwatering food and those little moments that make the Lehigh Valley so unique. That’s why we’re thrilled to share some exciting news: we’ve been featured in The Keystone Newsroom’s article, “Pennsylvania Instagram Accounts to Help You Ditch the Doomscrolling”!

Here’s what they had to say about us:

“If something cool and/or quirky happens in the Lehigh Valley, or even if it’s just Lehigh Valley adjacent—like comedian Pete Davidson rocking a Lehigh Athletics sweatshirt courtside at a basketball game—you’ll find it on Lehigh Valley With Love. Their coverage of Lehigh University students throwing the goal post in a river after the Mountain Hawks’ recent win over Lafayette was award-worthy. ”

Being recognized as a source of positivity and connection in our community means the world to us. It’s a reflection of the amazing people, places, and stories that make the Lehigh Valley such a vibrant and fun place to live. We’re grateful to all of you—our readers, followers, and supporters—for letting us share these moments with you every day.

Check Out the Full Article

 

12-Foot-Tall Skeleton Crawl 2023

Do you have a Halloween decoration display and/or a 12-foot-tall skeleton in the greater Lehigh Valley area?

Would you like to place it on our public map?
Can you send us a photo / video of it?
OR are you an advertiser who wants to get in on the map that received more than 100K hits last year?

If you’re any of the above, please use the form below to get in touch with us!

**Please don’t submit information for someone else; only your personal information. We’ll verify someone wants their address used.**

💀 ENTER YOUR DECORATIONS HERE 💀

DIRECT MAP LINK or View the Map Below! 

Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast Featured on Rover’s Morning Glory

A snippet of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast episode on fan collectors with Robbie Lawrence and Steve Osdene (original episode here) was played and discussed on an episode of the nationally syndicated Rover’s Morning Glory program. They talk Musikfest, the upcoming 12th Annual Lehigh Valley Fan Meet and other fun stuff. The episode comes in at about 2:30.

This is the original podcast episode that was featured.

Harry Potter Pub Crawl | October 8, 4 p.m. | Downtown Bethlehem

Welcome back to the official and 3rd Annual Harry Potter Pub Crawl! With well over hundreds of attendees last time, we are more than excited to move forward with this year’s event with the official partnership of none other than, Lehigh Valley with Love! ✉️

FACEBOOK EVENT TO RSVP / INFO / DISCUSSION

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Letters have been sent out by owl with the official term date of October 8th.

We expect you to be present for the first day of class! 🦉

This is a “shotgun” style pub crawl. Ideally, we would like you to report to your designated house first.

Then afterwards, you will be free to roam the grounds. We cannot guarantee your protection from Death Eaters nor Dementors. So, please do remember your wands and protective enchantments! And remember.. “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” ― Albus Dumbledore.

See you all on October 8th! 🧙🏼‍♀️ (4PM-10PM)

The Official Houses/Destinations:
– Fegley’s Bethlehem Brew Works (Gryffindor)
– McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar (Ravenclaw)
– Edge Restaurant (Hufflepuff)
– Ripper’s Pub (Slytherin)
– Joe’s Tavern (Slytherin)
– The Wooden Match (Platform 9 3/4)
– Lost Tavern Brewing (The Leaky Cauldron)
✨(More destinations TBA)✨

Be sure to RSVP TO THIS EVENT, and SHARE accordingly! 🧙🏻‍♀️

Stay tuned for future announcements! All inquiries can be made to ⚡️👉🏼 LVHPpubcrawl@gmail.com

*FRIENDLY REMINDER!* This Pub Crawl is in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. This is a FREE Pub Crawl for Patrons with a common interest. This crawl generates absolutely no revenue for its hosts, or for any other participating parties or establishments under said disclaimer.