610 Day, or June 10, is also known as “610 Day,” which is a nod to the 610 area code. For a lot of us, 610 still feels like the Lehigh Valley area code, even though it came after the 215 days and before 484 entered the chat.
A little phone-number history: 610 was placed into service in January 1994 after being split from the 215 area code, which had covered much of southeastern Pennsylvania since 1947. The 484 overlay was introduced in June 1999 for the same region, which meant 10-digit dialing became part of local life. Today, 610 and 484 cover the same general region, which includes the Lehigh Valley, with 835 also added in 2022.
“People are social, and there’s not a whole lot of other opportunity to just go somewhere and socialize with all of your neighbors.”
Lisa Surma Borick said it simply, and she’s right.
Farmers markets are not just places to buy produce, baked goods, flowers, meats, soaps, coffee, mushrooms, or whatever else ends up in your bag on a Saturday morning. They are places where people see their neighbors. They are places where kids grow up knowing the vendors. They are places where customers do not just say they are going to buy something. They say they are going to see someone.
We spoke with Lisa Surma Borick of the Nazareth Economic Development Commission and Nazareth Farmers Market, and Emily Roland, Farmers’ Market Manager with the Greater Easton Development Partnership and Easton Farmers’ Market, about why farmers markets still feel so important right now.
Easton Farmers’ Market has roots dating back to 1752 and is known as America’s oldest continuously operating open-air market. Nazareth Farmers Market was reestablished in 2010 and has grown into a weekly gathering place in the center of town.
But the bigger story is not just history. It is what these markets do every week.
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Emily talked about the work people do not always see: selecting vendors, balancing farmers with prepared food and specialty vendors, handling permits, road closures, parking, layouts, special events, and all the details that make a market feel easy for the people walking through it.
Lisa talked about how markets create ownership. People say “my market.” They know the vendors by name. They bring their kids. They make the market part of their weekend rhythm.
The conversation also gets into the phrase “buy fresh, buy local” and what it actually means. Supporting a farmers market helps local farms, small businesses, makers, bakers, and families. It keeps money closer to home. It also supports food access programs, including SNAP matching programs that help more people buy fresh food while also helping farmers bring in more income.
As Emily said, “It’s so much more than buying.”
That is why farmers markets matter more than ever. They are not just about food. They are about people, place, access, relationships, and community.
GUESTS:
Lisa Surma Borick Nazareth Downtown Manager Nazareth Economic Development Commission / Nazareth Farmers Market
Emily Roland Farmers’ Market Manager Greater Easton Development Partnership / Easton Farmers’ Market
Patio season is almost here, and Lehigh Valley Patio Palooza 3 presented by Banko Beverage Co. is back to celebrate the best outdoor spots in the region.
This year, we’re adding something new!
Along with voting for your favorite restaurant, bar, beer garden, or outdoor dining space, you can also enter the 🏡 Home Patio Edition by submitting your own backyard patio, deck, porch, or outdoor oasis.
The winning restaurant or bar patio will be part of a summer celebration at their location.
Home Patio Edition entrants will be eligible for prizes, which may include a Miller Lite mini fridge, lounge chair, patio umbrella, Banko Beverage Co. shirts, koozies, promotional items, and a $100 QuoteAhead outdoor project credit.
Foundation Tavern has won two years in a row. Can anyone beat them this year?
The Chopper Foundation is hosting its 2nd Annual Chow Line on Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Wooden Match, 61 W. Lehigh Street in Bethlehem.
The event will offer free pet food for the community and free vaccinations for pets in need, while supplies last, rain or shine.
Shanthi Project, the Easton-based nonprofit bringing evidence-based mindfulness education to more than 5,000 kids and adults each year across the Greater Lehigh Valley, has announced new leadership on its Board of Directors.
George Wacker, owner of Lehigh Valley with Love Media, has been named one of The Lehigh Valley’s Most Influential People for 2026 in an inaugural list published by The Morning Call.
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.”
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.
“Rooted,” a 75-minute documentary about Bethlehem’s arts community, will make its broadcast debut on WLVT-TV PBS39 on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 7 p.m.
Welcome to the Lehigh Valley Small Business White Elephant. This community giveaway brings together dozens of local shops, restaurants, makers, and independent businesses for a fun, citywide gift exchange. Once we put out the call, more than fifty small businesses stepped up with gift cards, products, and experiences worth at least twenty dollars, and we are incredibly grateful for every one of them for joining in.
How it works
Look through the full list of prizes on this page.
Fill out the form below (or at this link) and rank every prize from first choice to last. Your entry must include a ranking for every prize.
After sign ups close, all participants will be randomized.
We will select all winners on Sunday, December 21. Starting from the top of that randomized list, each person will receive the highest ranked prize on their list that has not already been claimed.
We continue down the list until all prizes are assigned.
Winners will be connected directly with the business that donated their prize to arrange pickup, mailing, or digital delivery.
Disclaimer Lehigh Valley with Love Media hosts the event, manages the sign ups and prize matching, and connects winners with participating businesses. We do not provide the prizes and are not responsible for fulfillment, shipping, or delivery. NO purchase necessary.
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.
Housing is one of the hottest topics in the Lehigh Valley right now. On this episode of Off the Record with Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, George Wacker and Northampton County Commissioner Jeff Warren sit down with two leaders on the frontlines:
We talk about: • Habitat’s 142 homes in the Valley and what it takes for families to qualify • The reality of transitional housing and how New Bethany is adapting programs to meet demand • The difference between affordable housing and attainable housing • The stigma around low-income housing and how nonprofits are working to change it • Habitat’s ReStores in Hellertown and Whitehall and how donations fuel more homebuilding
“No child should ever wonder where to lay their head at night.” — Gina Loiacono “At the end of the day, there is more power in the private sector than the public sector when it comes to housing.” — Marc Rittle
For more than a century, A-TREAT has been part of the Lehigh Valley story. The sodas and seltzers we grew up with, the flavors that feel like home. Now the brand is doing something new: using that fizz to fight pediatric cancer.
In this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast we are on site at the A-TREAT facility with Luke Jaindl, Vice President of Jaindl Companies, and Michelle Zenie Rounds, Executive Director of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley (PCFLV).
Together they share the story behind “Fizz That Fights” Lemon Twist Seltzer, a limited edition release that puts community first. Every bottle helps raise awareness and support for PCFLV’s mission to provide hope, programs, and direct assistance to more than 450 local families navigating childhood cancer.
We talk about:
How the A-TREAT and PCFLV partnership came to life
Why local matters, from Jaindl’s rescue of A-TREAT in 2015 to PCFLV’s hyperlocal mission
The importance of awareness initiatives like “30 Days, 30 Stories” during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month
A-TREAT’s unique place in Lehigh Valley history, from Big Blue to holiday flavors, and what the future looks like
Listen in for community, history, and a whole lot of fizz.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Arts + Culture Patron Survey is more than a questionnaire. It’s a region-wide effort to gather real data on how people engage with the arts, what gets in their way, and how we can create more inclusive, accessible cultural experiences.
In this episode of Off the Record, we’re joined by Meg Mikovits, Assistant Director and Research Manager at the Lehigh Valley Arts and Culture Alliance, and Marta Kepka, Director of Arts Marketing at Lafayette College. They share how this free, anonymous survey came together, what kinds of questions it asks, and why it’s so important that both individuals and organizations take part.
We talk about:
Why the arts are essential to economic growth, public health, and social connection
The surprising lack of existing audience data in the region
What organizations can gain from distributing the survey to their audiences
How the results will be shared and used across sectors
Whether you’re a mural lover, a Musikfest regular, a parent with kids in band, or someone who just wants to see more arts opportunities in your neighborhood, your voice matters.
