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…
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…
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…
As we move into fall, Southsider is interested in reflecting on some of the best events that staff attended this past summer. And the Wicked Oddities Market, truly, provided stellar summer opportunities to see unique vendors and to enjoy art and music in an inclusive space. The summer oddities market opened at the Allentown Fairgrounds’…
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 &…
On June 6, Nashville-based rock group Sweet Lizzy Project (SLP) arrived at Levitt Pavilion to perform a medley of classic covers and original rock hits. The group, originally from Cuba, went on to show that rock ‘n’ roll is more than just a British and American pastime, but that Latinx folks can shred too. SLP…