Beloved Philanthropist Linny Fowler Dead at 73

Linny Fowler died Monday at the age of 73, according to reports.

Philanthropist Linny Fowler died Monday of natural causes, according to a report in The Morning Call. She was 73. UPS heiress Fowler was known locally for giving generously to the arts and to the poor. Several buildings in the Lehigh Valley are named in her honor, including the Fowler Family South Side Center of Northampton Community College in Bethlehem. She also was a major benefactor of ArtsQuest. NCC spokesman Heidi Butler said, "As the news traveled across campus this afternoon, there was shock and sadness, followed by spontaneous sharing of memories, not only of how generous Linny was, but also of how down-to-earth she was and about the personal interest she took in students and the encouragement she gave them. She was beloved." …

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Graham Parker, The Fixx Coming to SteelStacks

ArtsQuest Center announces new slate of shows, including Graham Parker & The Rumour, The Fixx and comedian Marc Maron.

  Graham Parker & The Rumour, comedian Marc Maron and The Fixx are among the new concerts announced for the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Tickets for the shows are available at artsquest.org and 610-332-3378. The complete list of newly announced ArtsQuest Center performances is: I Am King - Feb. 22, 8 p.m. Fowler Blast Furnace Room Tickets: $10 in advance; $12 day of show I Am King offers a message of truth and hope with its music, with lyrics that are as important as the music. The group’s self-titled debut EP, recorded with Taylor Larson, is currently available on iTunes.   AmeDeus - March 2, 7 p.m. Fowler Blast Furnace Room Tickets: $7 in advance; $10 day of show   Graham Parker & The Rumour - April 5, 7:30 p.m. Musikfest Café …

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Peepsfest Dec. 30-31 Kicks Off New Year's in Bethlehem

Celebrate PEEPSFEST in Bethlehem Dec. 30-31 with music, arts and a Giant Peep-Drop at ArtsQuest Center.

PEEPSFEST™, a family festival that takes place Dec. 30-31, returns for its fourth year at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. The event, which is free to attend, features two days packed with live music, arts and PEEPS®-related programming. It culminates Dec. 31, 5:15 p.m. with the dropping of a 4.5-foot tall, 85-pound, lit PEEPS® Chick and fireworks to welcome in the New Year. Matt Pye, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Just Born, said, “PEEPSFEST™ 2012 will be a magical extravaganza that will continue to make this relatively new event an annual holiday destination for the whole family. PEEPSFEST™ celebrates the fun and passion consumers have for the beloved PEEPS® Brand which is produced right here in Bethlehem.  There…

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Dachshund Races Return for Part Two of Oktoberfest

Second weekend of Oktoberfest at SteelStacks underway; Dachshund races scheduled Saturday; Oktoberfest parade featuring Miss Oktoberfest on Sunday.

Oktoberfest at SteelStacks heads to the finish line this weekend with last year's festival hit - the dachshund races - set for 1 p.m. Saturday. This year's races already include more than 30 dachshunds. Other highlights of Oktoberfest's final weekend include: Free giveaways to the first 500 people in the gates each day: Last weekend, South Bethlehem’s Tally Ho won the first-ever bar skills challenge at Oktoberfest after five hours of competiton. The Tally Ho bested nine other area taverns by posting the fastest aggregate time while competing in four different events - stein racing, barrel rolling, Brat Flip Cup and the 40,000-pound Yuengling truck pull. Also, last weekend, Lauren Sunday of Bethlehem, a barmaid at Molly’s Irish Grille & …

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Musikfest 2012: Ten New Things

This year's festival features more free music, more activities for kids and teens and Tibetan Monks.

  More Free Music: Fourteen of the record 15 Musikfest stages in 2012 will be free. That includes shows inside the Musikfest Café at SteelStacks, which was a paid venue in its first year in 2011. You only need to pay to get into shows at the Sands Steel Stage at PNC Plaza or the late night comedy shows at the Musikfest Café, which return this year. Two Venues: The KNBT Jazz Cabaret Stage provides Musikfest with its first full-time jazz venue in the larger of the two theatres (200 seats) in the Frank Banko Alehouse at SteelStacks. Martin Guitar Lyrikplatz, an acoustic stage for singer-songwriters, isn’t exactly new, but it has been relocated from the North Side next door to Handwerkplatz to the smaller (100 seats) of the two Frank Banko …

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100s of Job Opportunities at Local Job Fair Today

More than 60 employers with hundreds of job opportunities will be on hand today for job fair at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

More than 60 Lehigh Valley employers with hundreds of job opportunities will be at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks today for the “Putting the Lehigh Valley Back to Work Job Fair.” Brush up your resume and bring it with you from 1 to 7 p.m. for the job fair, which is being sponsored by CAT Country 96, 100.7 WLEV, Embassy Bank of the Lehigh Valley and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Employers include national companies, local businesses, non-profit organizations and staffing agencies. For a complete list of employers that will be there, check out the WLEV Website for more information.

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Get Out

Get Out: Five Things to Do This Weekend

We've assembled a collection of family- and adult-friendly activities and new places to try out.

1. Chocolate Lovers' Soiree When/Where: 7-10 p.m. Jan 28 at the Bank Street Annex in Easton. Why Go: People wait all year for this. Seriously. And many are very willing to travel across the Lehigh Valley to sample the fine chocolates offered by a variety of area chocolatiers. They are well rewarded. Pricing: Tickets, available in advance only, are $25. 2. Souper Bowl III When/Where: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 28 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Why Go: Because it's a warm and delicious place to go on a midwinter day. And it's for a good cause: proceeds benefit ArtsQuest's Arts Education Fund. Pricing: $25, $20 for ArtsQuest members. Tickets may be hard to get. 3. Kids Eat Free at Dickey's Barbeque Pit When/Where: All day …

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Life in the Slow Lane

Executives Say Arts Are Good For Business

At Lehigh Valley Arts Council rally, companies talk about how music, theater, dance help with economic development.

Bethlehem candy manufacturer Just Born Inc. realizes that man does not live by Peeps alone. Sometimes he needs art. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Last week, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council held a rally for the arts and I’m pretty sure it was the first rally I’ve ever attended that opened with an organ recital. The music was courtesy of Allen Organ Co. in Macungie, host of the event at which artists and arts groups from around the region received small state grants. The grants – some as little as $437 – are for local groups and individuals who bring music, dance, theater and artwork to people all over the Valley, especially those who might not otherwise have access to it.  The rally was also a chance for business people to talk about why …

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Get Out: Five Things to do This Weekend

Patch to the rescue! We’ve got the best bets for your done-work-outta-here time.

We have not one, but two, PA Shakespeare features, a beloved festival, baseball and a concert you'll love! 1. South Pacific When/Where: Curtain times for which tickets still are available are 2 and 8 p.m. at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's Main Stage in DeSales University's Labuda Center. Why Go: Because the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic's run ends July 3, and you don't want to miss it. Pricing: Tickets are $39-$50. 2. The 62nd Annual Kutztown Folk Festival When/Where: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 2-10 at the Kutztown Fairgrounds. Why Go: Count the ways: the hex signs, the quilts, the hex signs in the quilts, the music, the dancing, the food, the crafts, all amidst the bucolic splendor of rural Berks County. Pricing: $14, adults; $13, …

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