MARKER REDEDICATION: The Bethlehem Garden Club will hold a rededication ceremony for the Blue Star Marker at 11 a.m. Sept. 8 at the Bethlehem Rose Garden, Union Boulevard and Eighth Avenue, Bethlehem. The marker honors veterans who have served in the U.S. military. Information: Birdie Makary, 610-865-4242.

YOUTH COUNCIL: The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley is seeking high school students to join its 2026-27 Youth Volunteer Council. The program offers volunteer opportunities, leadership development, service hours and networking with students from across the Lehigh Valley. There is no fee to participate, and members are eligible to apply for $1,000 scholarships. For information, email youth@volunteerlv.org or call 610-807-0336.

STATEWIDE MEASLES: The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday that 460 measles cases have been confirmed across 31 counties in Pennsylvania in 2026 as the state continues responding to an ongoing outbreak. Since Aug. 26, 36 new cases have been identified. The outbreak has resulted in 83 hospitalizations and two deaths.

State health officials said measles is highly contagious and urged residents to get vaccinated, noting that the two-dose measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97 percent effective at preventing the disease. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, followed by a rash that begins on the head and spreads downward.

The department is providing updated information on cases, hospitalizations, deaths, community transmission and vaccination efforts through its statewide measles dashboard.

SNAPCHAT COMPLAINT: Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has sued Snap, Inc., alleging Snapchat is addictive and fails to adequately protect children from compulsive use and harmful content.

The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia County Court, claims Snapchat downplays adult-themed material on the platform to maintain its 13-and-older app rating and uses features such as SnapStreaks and disappearing content to encourage repeated use by teens. Sunday’s office is seeking court-ordered changes to how the app is marketed and additional safeguards for young users.

BIKE BROAD: The Coalition for Appropriate Transportation and the City of Bethlehem will host Bike Broad, a community walk, bike and roll event, Sept. 12 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Bethlehem Rose Garden.

Participants will have an opportunity to experience Broad Street car-free. The event also will feature a community festival with music, food and vendors.

Registration is available at lvcat.org/bike-broad.

BIKE TOUR: Community members and families can learn about the people, places and industries that shaped the Lehigh River corridor during a guided bike tour Sept. 27.

The approximately 22-mile round-trip ride will follow a casual pace. Participants must provide their own bicycles and helmets. Lunch will be provided.

Space is limited and registration is required by Sept. 25. The fee is $15. More information and registration are available through Penn State Extension.

CELTIC CONTESTS: The Celtic Cultural Alliance is inviting participants to enter several contests during the 39th Annual Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 in downtown Bethlehem.

Contests include the Irish Soda Bread Muffin Baking Contest, sponsored by King Arthur Baking Company; the Celtic Poetry Contest, open to writers of all ages; and the popular Haggis Bowl, in which 15 contestants compete to eat a pound of haggis the fastest.

Contest details and entry information are available at celticfest.org. The Celtic Classic will feature Highland games, music, food and Celtic culture throughout the three-day festival.

HALLOWEEN EVENT: The Northeast Community Center will host a Trunk or Treat and Resource Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at 1161 Fritz Drive, Bethlehem. The event is free and open to Bethlehem families.

The event will feature food, resources and candy, along with a costume contest for children ages 0-18. Partner organizations are invited to participate in a trunk-decorating contest.

The rain date is Oct. 29.

For more information, call the Northeast Community Center at 610-691-3355 or email info@neccbethlehem.org.

HELP WANTED: The Bethlehem Vintage & Harvest Market will be held Sept. 19 at Burnside Plantation, 1461 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem. Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is seeking volunteers to help with the event.

Volunteer opportunities include kids’ activities, food and dessert stands, admissions, parking support, supply runners and the Take Home Dessert Tent. Tavern volunteers must be 21 or older. Morning vendor load-in and parking setup volunteers must be at least 18.

Volunteers receive free admission and their choice of a scoop of ice cream, hot dog or slice of pie. Volunteers also are needed for setup Sept. 17 and 18, Market to Go on Sept. 18 and cleanup Sept. 19.

Junior volunteers under 18 need a parent or guardian e-signature. Volunteers ages 12-13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during their shifts; children under 12 are not eligible.

For information or to volunteer, contact Charlotte Filiciotto at cfiliciotto@historicbethlehem.org.

FITNESS TOGETHER: Penn State Extension is offering Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together, or LIFT, classes for adults 40 and older who want to improve strength, flexibility and overall fitness.

The eight- or 12-week programs meet twice weekly for one-hour sessions and include strength exercises, warm-ups, cool-downs and basic nutrition information. Classes are offered at various locations through mid-December.

Some insurance plans may provide reimbursement for participants with at least 80 percent attendance.

Registration dates vary by location. For information and registration, visit the Penn State Extension website and search for LIFT.

FIBER FESTIVAL: The ninth annual Lehigh Valley Fiber Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Allentown Agri-Plex.

The festival will feature more than artists and makers offering hand-dyed yarns, raw fleece, finished fiber work, tools, jewelry and other handcrafted goods. Artists and vendors are coming from throughout the region and as far away as Wisconsin.

The event also will include a Fleece Sale, Stash Bash and Make a Square project benefiting the Allentown Rescue Mission and Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley.

The first 30 customers each day will receive early-bird gift bags featuring mini-skeins hand-dyed by Cape May Fiber.

For more information, visit lvfiberfest.org.

ROTUNDA GALLERY: The Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission will present “Assemblages & Collages” through Sept. 22 at the Bethlehem City Hall Rotunda Gallery, 10 E. Church St.

The exhibit features works by Linda Kondikoff, Anna Kuo, Domenick Naccarato, Maryann Riker, Barbara Schulman and Rhonda Wall, highlighting contemporary approaches to mixed-media art using found objects, fabrics, paper, metal and other materials.

The exhibit is sponsored by BFAC and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. More information is available at Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission.

BLOOM BENEFIT: Bloom has announced its fourth annual Freedom Benefit Dinner will be held 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Conference Center.

The keynote speaker will be Becca Stevens, founder and president of Thistle Farms in Nashville, Tenn. The event, hosted by Olav and Gina Sandnes, raises funds to support Bloom’s programs serving survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Bloom provides safe exit strategies, trauma-informed residential services, workforce development and other support to help survivors build independent futures. The annual fundraiser has generated more than $100,000 each year to support the organization’s mission.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For information, contact Vickie Nisbet, Bloom’s director of development, at 610-866-5755 or vickie.nisbet@bloomforwomen.org

VETERANS: Office of Veterans Affairs: staffed with VA-accredited Veteran Service Officers: Northampton County: 610-829-4875, orcopa.gov/veterans-affairs; Lehigh: 610-782-3295, veteransaffairs@lehighcounty.org.

Veterans Support: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.- usually third Monday of the month, State Rep. McNeil’s district office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall. Information on education, health care and death benefits. For appointments with an American Legion Service Office representative, call 610-266-1273.

STEWARDS NEEDED: Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is launching a new Colonial Industrial Quarter Stewards Program and is seeking volunteers and team leaders to help maintain paths, walkways and grounds at the historic site. The program comes ahead of the opening of the Overlook on History this fall. Volunteers interested in serving as Trail Tenders or team leaders can learn more and sign up at historicbethlehem.org.

ZUG EXHIBIT: Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is presenting Jeanette Barres Zug: A Life in Service to Moravian Bethlehem at the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 66 W. Church St. The exhibit highlights the life and contributions of Zug, a longtime volunteer, educator and preservation leader who helped shape the museum and train generations of tour guides. Through photographs, archival materials and personal artifacts, the exhibition explores her lasting impact on preserving Bethlehem’s Moravian history.

More information is available at historicbethlehem.org.

HELLER REUNION: Hellertown, PA – The Hellertown Historical Society (HHS) will host a Heller Family Reunion for descendants of Hellertown’s founder – Johann Christian Heller – at its annual Heritage Day celebration May 15, 2027.

Heller descendants across the United States with genealogical ties to Johann Christian are invited to attend the reunion, which is being organized by the HHS and Heller family members living in eastern Pennsylvania.

Heller descendants interested in learning more about the reunion are asked to contact the historical society at info@hhstours.org. Responses already have been received from descendants in states from Maine to Washington and Florida to the Southwest.

NORTHAMPTON AWARDS: Northampton County will hold its 2026 annual Awards Ceremony Oct. 8, at 5 p.m. in Courtroom 1 at the Northampton County Courthouse.

Northampton County will present awards to residents in the categories of Volunteer, Youth, Business, Veteran, Samaritan, and Emergency Personnel.

Community members are encouraged to nominate deserving individuals and organizations using the form on the DCED website at norcopa.gov/dced. To submit a nomination, please contact Dawn Tomaino at dtomaino@norcopa.gov.

Nominations for Outstanding City and Municipal Employees will be submitted directly by their municipalities.

The event is free and open to the public.

NORTHAMPTON HABITAT: After more than three years of hard work, perseverance, and adaptations, “Homes at Forks,”– a collaborative project being undertaken by Northampton County and Habitat for Humanity Lehigh Valley – has received final approval from Forks Township board of supervisors. The 12-acre development is located off Kesslersville Road near the Two T’s Family Entertainment Center and Braden Airpark in Forks Township.

KILIMANJARO FUNDRAISER: Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem board member Dylan Stroup will take his support for local youth to new heights this summer as he climbs Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for the Club’s programs.

Stroup, who joined the Club’s board of directors in 2024, is leading the “Climb for Kids” campaign with a goal of raising $50,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem, which has served local children and teens since 1930. Today, more than 650 Club members take part in programs focused on education, recreation and character development.

His climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, is scheduled to begin in early August. Donations to the campaign will help support Club kids and teens as they build confidence, overcome challenges and prepare for bright futures in the Bethlehem community.

To support the effort: Contributions may be made to Dylan Stroup’s Climb for Kids campaign benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem.

This project will provide attainable housing for 25 families in need, a step forward in our goal of providing affordable housing options in the Lehigh Valley. In true Habitat for Humanity fashion, each future homeowner will contribute 250 hours of sweat equity in helping to build their home – a testament to the dedication and investment these families bring to their community.

BIKE FESTIVAL: Bike Broad, a car-free community bike ride and festival, will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Bethlehem Rose Garden on Eighth Avenue.

Roads will reopen around 10 a.m., followed by a festival continuing until noon. The event is open to ages 4 and older.

Information and registration are available at lvcat.org/bike-broad.

10TH ANNIVERSARY: The National Museum of Industrial History will host a cocktail reception Nov. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The gala will highlight a decade of public engagement and invites community participation through attendance, program advertising and donations for a silent auction. [10th Anniv ... la at NMIH | Outlook]

Additional details are available through the museum’s website.

LITTER CONTEST: The Pennsylvania Resources Council is accepting entries for its annual Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter Photo Contest through Oct. 31.

Open to amateur photographers, the contest invites participants to submit photos highlighting litter in Pennsylvania communities. Categories include students, adults, and new Before & After divisions recognizing cleanup efforts. First-place winners in each category will receive $500.

For contest rules and entry information, visit prc.org/what-we-do/lens-on-litter-contest or email lensonlitter@prc.org.