Celebrating Bethlehem's Southside Culture
Summer in the Lehigh Valley is full of community events that highlight local joy and camaraderie. As summer closes and we move into fall, Southsider wants to highlight the best of these community gatherings. Over the summer, Southsider visited The Bethlehem Vintage Market, a recurring outdoor market that invites vintage shop owners to sell their…
Every Monday night starting at 5:00, Lehigh Valley locals come together at the Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) to share their creative work at an open mic. Typically, the weekly event is hosted by Bill Medei in the Cohen Room and runs for approximately two and a half hours. BAPL’s open mic night provides space…
On July 11th, the seven-piece band Stella Ruze performed at Levitt Pavilion as a part of their free concert series. Stella Ruze is a folk-rock band from Philadelphia that wowed the crowd at SteelStacks with their impressive four-part harmonies and wide variety of instruments. The band consists of guitarist & singer Brendan Johnson, singer &…
One Earth ReggaeFest was a free celebratory festival that took place from noon on July 6th until midnight. For 12 hours festival goers enjoyed music, dancing, local vendors, and food. Musicians and DJs performed on two stages: the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage and the Levitt Pavilion stage. The performers primarily played reggae music that…
The Lehigh Valley LGBT Community Archive collects materials that document the contributions of LGBTQIA+ community members to the region. Since 2016, archivists have collected materials from regional LGBTQIA+ political organizations and leaders, publications, businesses like bars, and cultural events like Lehigh Valley Pride. In addition, archivists have begun to collect oral histories from LGBTQIA+ residents…
On Sunday June 23rd, Lehigh Valley locals celebrated Pride at the Sun Inn Courtyard in North Bethlehem. The celebration was the second annual Pride Party Palooza, an event founded by Scottie Prime with the goal of raising money for Project Silk Lehigh Valley. Project Silk is a part of the Valley Youth House organization and…
Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night during the summer, SteelStacks hosts free concerts as a part of their Levitt Pavilion Summer Concert Series. These are well attended by the Lehigh Valley community. On the night of May 31s, the lawn in front of the Levitt Pavilion stage filled up quickly with an audience excited to…
During the summer, Levitt Pavilion offers numerous free concerts for residents of the Lehigh Valley to enjoy on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Typically, audience members bring camping chairs and set up on the grass in front of the stage to enjoy the music. Shows at Levitt Pavilion are a great way to spend a summer…
On June 4th, the Bethlehem Area Public Library hosted a lecture on the long and complex history of Bethlehem Steel, which was led by Donald Young. Young, 87, worked in the steel industry for 56 years, mostly with Bethlehem Steel. The work meant so much to him that he devoted his life to it, both…
While Frank Banko Theater is primarily known for providing exceptional contemporary and classic screenings of film, the theater also offers live shows organized by the House Improv team. Throughout the year, Improv comedy shows are offered regularly and feature the comedic talents of Lehigh Valley locals who are both quick thinkers and engaging actors. On…