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SouthSide Art & Music Festival

SouthSide art

SouthSide Art & Music Celebration

April is right around the corner! The SouthSide Arts & Music Festival features two days, April 20th & 21st, of live entertainment, music, and visual art. The festival centers around SouthSide Bethlehem’s restaurants, shops, and galleries for attendees to stop in and see what SouthSide has to offer!

The festival will have over 30 musical acts over the two-day art extravaganza! The live performances will be held at venues in SouthSide which include Color me mine, Domaci, Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub, and Soto Santi. ArtsQuest is partnering with Lehigh Valley Underground this year to showcase the musical talent of the Lehigh Valley. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the following fantastic artists that will be performing – Mike Mains, Mr. Sipp, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Novel Ideas, and Delta Rae. The musical performances have something for everyone! Pop artists, country singers, indie bands, and rock performers will all be on the stage.

Along with fantastic music and beautiful art, there will also be plenty of food at this event! The food trucks and vendors have you covered. Festival attendees can snack on appetizers at the Musikfest Cafe, try different imported beers and wines at Mike and Ike Bistro, and get their grilled cheese fix at the Fud Truck at the Banana Factory. The event will run from 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM on April 20th and from 2:00 PM – 11:30 PM on April 21st. You can check out the musical lineup, free art and music, and the fee-based art activities here.

Check out what’s happening in the Valley here!

Local Art in the Lehigh Valley

Art in the Valley thrives

What’s the best thing about the Lehigh Valley? It’s hard to narrow it down. One thing that stands out is the thriving local art scene within Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. The Lehigh Valley is known for its diverse culture. A community that embraces different types of expression. Lehigh Valley benchmarks include the Allentown Art Museum, the Banana Factory, and the State Theatre. These places bring the community together to flourish artistic ability and showcase the talent of the people who live here. The interconnectivity between the Lehigh Valley art scene and the community is unparalleled.

Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton

The Allentown Art Museum has most notably been a shining star in the art community since its establishment by impressionist painter Walter Emerson Baum in 1934. The museum has a vast array of exhibits and collections and a long history of illustrating the beauty of different movements throughout time. Currently, the museum is featuring the exhibit “Women of Vision” which showcases photographs telling the poignant and moving stories that were covered over the last decade. The photographs range from detailing the war in Libya to more locally the Jersey shore. These eleven women gave a rare glimpse into the events taking place in different parts of the world.

Another remarkable gem within the Lehigh Valley is the Banana Factory Art Center. Located in south Bethlehem, the studio houses galleries and cultivates creativity with its courses and workshops open to the public. The courses range from glass blowing to mosaics to photography and everything in between. The Banana Factory holds an ongoing event called “First Friday”. This event celebrates local art and engages the community. Local restaurants, merchants, and artists open their doors to the people of the Lehigh Valley for fun activities which include demonstrations, artist talks, and gallery viewings.

The State Theatre in Easton “breaks a leg” in showcasing incredible live performances. The State Theatre hosts Broadway shows to comedians to local benefits. Every spring the stunning stage hosts an award show, The Freddy’s, which dedicates the night to the talent of the local high school theater community. Most of all, a former manager of the State Theatre, Fred Osterstock, still has a presence at the theater even though he has passed away. When the theater hosts a show, they leave a seat open for Fred to enjoy the performance.

Click here to check out what’s happening in the Lehigh Valley!

Photo Source: (Credit: Cara Luther): Taken at the State Theatre