Celebrating Bethlehem's Southside Culture
In a studio bursting with colorful glass, Kim Hogan stood among her artworks big and small at the Banana Factory Arts Center. The sun highlighted her mosaics as we discussed her inspirations for her art and her plans for the future. Seven years ago, Southsider’s Sam Sorensen met with Hogan and wrote extensively on Hogan’s…
ArtsQuest, a Bethlehem staple for community events, hosted a series of events called “Come Dance With Us” throughout the fall and winter. Celebrating the empowering success of various women in pop music, the series cultivated a space where members of the Lehigh Valley community were able to let loose, dance, and meet other locals with…
Christkindlmarkt, hosted by ArtsQuest, is a staple in the Lehigh Valley for celebrating the holiday season with its inclusion of local businesses, traditional Christmas goodies, and authentic German decorations. The market’s annual appeal is its commitment to honoring the people of Bethlehem and providing a place that centers community joy during the Christmas season. With…
On Saturday October 5th, the stage at Zoellner Arts Center was set with a beautiful curved ramp that came to a peak at its far right corner and leveled out as it reached to the left, like a dock extending into an ocean. The ramp was an integral part of Descent, a disability arts performance…
On October 11th, the Kutztown Area Historical Society (KAHS) and Lehigh University’s South Side Initiative (SSI) unveiled a historical marker dedicated to Keith Haring, a renowned Neo-Pop artist and activist who grew up in Kutztown, PA. The historical marker program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which approved a marker to honor…
With fall coming to the Lehigh Valley, Southsider wants to highlight the best of the summer 2024 events. The Wildlands Conservancy’s Get Out for Wellness events, in our staff’s opinion, are truly worthy of this designation as they provide the local community with opportunities to connect with one another while embracing Pennsylvania’s abundant nature. The…
Looking back at summer 2024, Southsider is reflecting on the events that offered the Lehigh Valley community the best opportunities for connection and celebration. Lehigh Valley Pride provided locals with this chance. On Sunday August 18th, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center hosted Lehigh Valley Pride at SteelStacks. The event brought together locals in an effort to…
Amidst rising grocery costs, families and individuals are turning towards emergency food distributors to make ends meet. One of these resources – The West Bethlehem Emergency Food Pantry – aims to assist residents who are facing food insecurity. Located within the Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church on 3rd Avenue, the food pantry can provide any…
Bethlehem First Presbyterian Church is a community attentive to the lack of affordable housing in our city. Church leaders are exploring the use of their property to address this problem. Late last year, Church leaders shared their idea to develop approximately 32 acres of land owned by the church to create housing at a variety…
Southsider is highlighting some of our favorite arts and cultural events and programming in our 2024 best of summer series. For us, “Insidious Plastics” at The Nurture Nature Center makes the cut as it provided the community the opportunity to learn about their impact on the environment with a beautiful and informative arts-infused exhibition. Just…