The last weekend of April has arrived, and there’s plenty to enjoy in the Lehigh Valley during the peak of spring.
The Morning Call has a snapshot of some events to check out; notably, all of these celebrations will take place outdoors.
A homage to war time
Sure, the site of the most significant battle of the Civil War may be over 100 miles southwest in Gettysburg, but “Camp Geiger” will nonetheless bring a weekend of Civil War reenactments and a slice of history to Whitehall.
The event, hosted by Union Volunteers and held Saturday and Sunday, will include live-firing demonstrations, mock battles, trenches and a camp. The programming is rain or shine.
Organizers say any reenactors are welcome to participate, and designated the event as “dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of the Civil War.”
If you go: Event takes place at Lehigh Parkway, at 4689 S. Church St., Whitehall. Programming is from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Bikes and engines with some tunes
Lehigh Valley Bike Fest will return this weekend to motorcycle dealer Keystone Harley-Davidson in Whitehall, combining stunts with family-friendly attractions and food.
The rumbling event showcases the stunt team, “Busted Knuckles Stunt Tour,” which performs solely on Keystone Harley bikes; the group will perform at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. both days, according to organizers. Food trucks will offer local flavors at the festival.
If you go: Keystone-Harley is located at 2800 Eberhart Rd., Whitehall. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and admission to the event is free.
A start to drive-in movie season
Orefield’s Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre is best known for its old-timey, outdoor movie setup in the summer months, but as the season ramps up, a food and farm festival will serve the community on Saturday.
The “Farm & Food Spring Market” will “bring together local farms and growers, food trucks and prepared food vendors, and food-adjacent retail vendors as both a celebration of food and an opportunity to build community,” per its website. Entry to the event is free, and spots for vendors are still open via filling out a form, according to owners Matthew McClanahan and Lauren McChesney.
The drive-in theater is also in the running for a national USA Today “Best Drive-In Theater,” in which online voting is available until May 11. The organization placed second in the 2025 award. Some drive-in screenings have kicked off at the theater, with “A Minecraft Movie” screening last weekend and three more films officially scheduled as of Monday.
If you go: Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The theater is located at 4540 Shankweiler Road, North Whitehall Township.
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Film festival features Oscar winner
Roger Ross Williams, an Easton native and Oscar and Emmy-winning director, will make a return to the Lehigh Valley as part of the Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival in Bethlehem this weekend.
Williams will also host a Q&A session and screen “Life, Animated,” an Oscar-nominated film that he directed in 2016.
Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, an Easton native, accepts Best Documentary Short award for “Music By Prudence” onstage during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The annual festival at ArtsQuest will include a student showcase on Friday. The bulk of the film screenings will take place on Saturday, with Williams hosting the Q&A on Sunday. Ticket prices vary, and can be found on the ArtsQuest website.
If you go: Programming begins Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 12:30 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas in ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.
Andreas Pelekis is a freelance writer. Reach out to him with weekend tips for next weekend at atp3417@gmail.com.