Page 35 - Valley Life & Health

THE MORNING CALL SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2019 35
CULTURE
Continued from page 34
For those more inclined to enjoy Mother Nature they break down barriers for participation.”
Southside’s first major as a means to visit the Southside, the South Bethlehem “We’re at a place where we’re doing well now
redevelopment Greenway is a linear park that follows the former and we have to maintain all of it while looking ahead to
projects, all the way Norfolk Southern rail, beginning just north of Lehigh the future,” says Jordan. “Working closely with the city,
back in 1998. It joined University and traveling about 2 miles east to just we’re poised to do even more. We need to think about
the Touchstone Theatre, outside of Saucon Park. The trail parallels State Route where we’re going as a community and make sure
Godfrey Daniels and 412 (Daly Avenue) and has become popular with bikers, everyone’s voice is involved – to look at every element
Lehigh University’s Zoellner walkers and runners. and communicate it through the arts.”
Arts Center, which had been “Our trail system is excellent. While not complete,
arts anchors since the '70s, as an you can certainly ride the trail from Easton or
institution that added to the arts Allentown to Sand Island and cross the Fahy Bridge. events
atmosphere the city was building. We also have bike racks throughout the community
When ArtsQuest and PBS39 where you can store your bike, and we have a bike
committed to partnering on the development of an share program (powered by St. Luke’s), where if you Spring On the SouthSide
Community Festival & Chili Cook-off
arts and culture campus, it paved the way for the come here by car, you can get a bike at Cutters Bike Saturday,April 27, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks to open in 2011. Shop, at the Bethlehem Area Public Library, or at the Bethlehem Greenway
“It’s been very organic. Certainly the investment Greater Valley YMCA,” says Karner. “It’s a free program Over 20 competing chilies content for the
in the Banana Factory was a really early investment for and we’re promoting it both for transportation and for title of People’s Best Choice Chili and the
the arts community, but let’s not forget about Godfrey health reasons. We continue to invest in the Greenway Celebrity Judge’sTop Choice! With live art
Daniels and the Touchstone Theatre. It’s been more and we’ve also invested in parking garages. We demonstrations, free crafts for kids, live music
than 20 years since Touchstone created their Steel encourage people to put their cars there and walk. It’s a and two new beer gardens, there’s something
Festival, which was in response to the Steel’s closure very walkable community.” for every family member!
and its impact on the community,” says Alicia Karner, Touchstone Theatre’s Managing Director, Lisa
Director of Community and Economic Development Jordan, has lived and worked in the community for the
for the City of Bethlehem. “Those were places where last 18 years and definitely sees South Bethlehem’s
people wanted to go hear music and see theatre, even available Greenway and recreational space as a bolster
before ArtsQuest built this multi-million-dollar facility for the continued revitalization efforts. Out to Lunch Concert Series
with the Levitt Pavilion and year-round programming. “I think it’s important to get people walking around. Fridays, May – September, Noon – 2 p.m.
It’s been a very organic opportunity and I would argue You can walk all the way from the Banana Factory to May’s location: Playa Bowls,
that the SouthSide Arts District, as a commercial the National Museum of Industrial History, and it’s really 310 E. 3rd St.
revitalization program, has only tried to capitalize on not that far. And when you’re on the Greenway, you’re The Out to Lunch Music Series, presented
that organic arts growth.” actually walking by a number of restaurants to check in conjunction with Lehigh Valley
To get people out to these venues, however, most out,” says Jordan. “Once you actually walk through it, UNDERGROUND, happens every Friday from
cities need an “ah-ha” moment – one where they you see that it wasn’t so hard to walk from Point A to May 3 through September 27. Each week, a
singer-songwriter, duo, or full band will come to
realize that in addition to adding new buildings and Point B. Along the Greenway, they’re putting up easels South Bethlehem for an intimate performance.
renovating old ones, they really need to take on the to showcase temporary artwork, and I see those easels
goal of cleaning up the surrounding neighborhood. In as a way to make the Greenway active and to be used
2014, the Southside Ambassadors program took to by a variety of partners in the district.”
the streets, with seven ambassadors taking on the task Touchstone will be utilizing those easels during
of picking up litter, removing graffiti, emptying trash their Festival Unbound this October, displaying SouthSide Arts & Music Festival
receptacles, and removing weeds inside of 18 square artwork by local fourth graders who were asked to Friday, May 3 (6-9 p.m.) & Saturday,
blocks – an initiative largely funded by Lehigh University. imagine the future of Bethlehem. Touchstone’s festival May 4 (1-7 p.m.)
“We see ourselves as an anchor institution, is just one of many events that the SouthSide Arts The Banana Factory
and using that framework and the fact that we’re District has planned for this year. The committee Now in its sixth year, the SouthSide Arts & Music
an economic driver – we can’t physically move members make it a point to look at what national Festival is a celebration of the vibrant cultural
our campus. We’ve been here for 154 years and trends are in the arts field and which events may also and artistic community centered in SouthSide
we certainly feel that we have a role to play in provide opportunities to educate and make the arts Bethlehem. Featuring a Bob Ross paint-along,
glassblowing, art workshops & demos, live music,
supporting South Bethlehem,” says Adrienne more accessible to the community. exhibitions & art installations, a photo walk, art
McNeil, Assistant VP of Community and Regional Because the Southside has created an entire swap, studio open houses, food trucks and more
Affairs for Lehigh University. “That’s been the cultural district and not just a cultural center, they have Plus, an international muralist gets started on 10
focus for decades at this point, and we’ve invested managed to pull artists, volunteers and creativity from days of work to create a 35 x 30 ft. mural on the
hundreds of millions of dollars in the Southside to every corner of the neighborhood – with all of these side of Café the Lodge!
make some of these initiatives happen. What we assets playing important roles in inspiring innovative
found as a university is that we have to commit approaches to community revitalization. This has
in order to get others to join with us. Part of that created a safe, thriving, and lively South Bethlehem Downtown Revitalization Series:
was the ambassadors program. It was dirty, and we where people want to be involved. Southside Soars, Part 2
needed to clean it up.” “The big terminology in the National Endowment for Wednesday, May 29, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
As the vision for the area started to come the Arts is ‘Creative Placemaking,’ and I think a big part The Banana Factory
together, the next question mark was how to start of this is engaging the community in placemaking. It’s not $25 for members, $35 for future members
Join the Bethlehem Chamber and the Young
bringing people – particularly Lehigh’s students – down just an arts organization coming in and saying, ‘this is what Professionals Council to hear ArtsQuest’s
the hill and into the city. Last month, the university’s I think should go here.’ It’s working with the community President & CEO, Kassie Hilgert, and Adrienne
Campus Connector bus route added new stops to to bring in artists who resonate with people living and McNeil, Assistant VP of Community & Regional
help connect graduate housing out in Saucon Village working there and developing a design collaboratively Affairs at Lehigh University, provide updates
and employees near Mechanic and New Streets who that people feel they have input in,” says Brennan. “The on Southside development projects. Featuring
might need to get up to campus. arts play an important role in getting people involved and complimentary apps from El Jefe Taqueria &
beverages from Social Still & Franklin Hill Vineyards.