On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read publicly for the first time in both Reading and Easton.
In Reading, the Berks County Liberty Bell, cast in England 13 years earlier, was rung at high noon to summon the citizens of Reading to the courthouse steps, where Berks County Sheriff Henry Vanderslice read aloud the newly printed declaration of America’s independence. For the first time, the document was also read aloud in German.
The historic bell, “a symbol of the patriotism of the people of Berks County during the Revolution and the early days of the Republic,” is on exhibit in the lobby of the Berks County Services Center, on loan from the Berks History Center as part of the America 250 celebration.
In Easton, Heritage Day commemorates that city’s first reading, and this year, in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday, the signature festival will be bigger than ever.
People can gather in Centre Square at noon to hear a reading of the Declaration of Independence and enjoy live music, colonial reenactors, living-history demonstrations, craft displays, expanded food and drink offerings, and the return of the Easton Farmers’ Market for its 274th birthday celebration.
The free, full-day festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
The Easton Farmers’ Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; History Row will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the 300 block of Northampton Street.
Exhibitors will include 153rd Northampton Regiment, 1st Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers, 28th Infantry Division, 3rd United States Colored Infantry, Daughters Of The American Revolution: George Taylor Chapter, experiments of Benjamin Franklin by Mike Kochan, Galena Brass Band, Historic Catasauqua Preservation Association, Moravian Historical Society, National Museum of Industrial History, Philly Fife and Drum Company, Sons of the American Revolution: Valley Forge Chapter, The Bachmann Players, St. John’s Lutheran Church, The Rotary Club of Easton, and The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center
The reading pre-show will begin at 11:10 a.m., followed by the parade from Bachmann Publick House up Northampton around 11:50 a.m.
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem will perform with Unitas Chorale at 1 p.m. at Trinity Church, which is located at 234 Spring Garden St.
A Heritage Day music festival and block party will take place from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on South Third Street.
Performers will be Brittany Ann Tranbaugh at 1 p.m.; Matthew Logan Vasquez at 2:15 p.m.; Kassi at 3:30 p.m.; JD Clayton at 4:45 p.m.; The Deslondes at 6 p.m.; Rayland Baxter at 7:15 p.m.; and Son Little at 8:30 p.m.
Tours will be offered at 1753 Bachmann Publick House, Mixsell Illick House, Sigal Museum, Jacob Nicholas House, and Kressler Memorial Garden from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer Fest returns
The Groovemasters
Berks Arts, in partnership with GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, will present the fourth annual Berks Summer Fest on Saturday on GoggleWorks’ campus in Reading’s Entertainment Square.
The free, family-friendly event will feature live music, children’s activities, and arts experiences designed to bring the community together for a day of fun and creativity.
Marking the first year that GoggleWorks will serve as host, Berks Summer Fest promises entertainment and activities for attendees of all ages.
Gates will open at 11:30 a.m., with performances and interactive experiences continuing throughout the day.
Families can enjoy a wide range of activities for children, including magicians, clowns, tie-dyeing, face painting, and hands-on arts and crafts.
“We are looking forward to providing the community with an opportunity to enjoy a fun day of music and family activities,” said Tish Davis, the executive director of Berks Arts. “We are excited to be collaborating with the GoggleWorks team.”
Fest fans will have the opportunity to visit Thorn Alley Kitchen, GoggleWorks’ newest gathering space where food, art, and community come together. The venue will welcome attendees with food and refreshments.
The open-air Thorn Alley Stage will present the Groovemasters, featuring Cliff Starkey; Erich Cawalla; David Cullen; and Jeremy Boyd, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.; Dexter Sales Quartet, featuring Reid Justeson; Esteban Ruiz; and Julian Lee from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m.; Caya Sol Reggae Band from 5 to 6:45 p.m.; and Flamin’ Dick & The Hot Rods from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
The festival will also support Helping Harvest. Collection bins will be available for attendees to donate non-perishable food items for families in need.
Bethlehem block party
Twelve String
America250: A Bethlehem Block Party will celebrate history, community, and summer in style from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The afternoon will bring together neighbors and visitors for a vibrant, can’t-miss celebration in the heart of historic Bethlehem. The event will highlight the city’s rich heritage while celebrating America’s 250th birthday.
Main Street will come alive with a lively street-fair atmosphere, featuring bands and musicians, shopping, food, and family-friendly fun.
Bethlehem also is celebrating two years of recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Performers will be Life After Dead from 1 to 4 p.m. on the Broad Street stage; Twelve String from noon to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 5 p.m. on the ESU Stage; DJ Dannyboy from noon to 5 p.m. on Main Street; and The Edge Band at noon, the East Hills Praise Band at 1 p.m., The Gate Band at 2 p.m., and The Stank Factory, led by Patrick Kerssen, at 3 p.m., all on the Central Moravian Church green.
Visitors can enjoy food from Edge Restaurant, which is located at 515 Main Sports Club, and Central Moravian Church, plus outdoor bars hosted by The Melting Pot of Bethlehem and McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub & Whiskey Bar.
Family fun will include face painting, a balloon artist, a car show on Main Street, and a street fair.
West Reading palooza
This month’s 2nd Friday in West Reading will be bigger and better than usual.
The West Reading Community Revitalization Foundation will celebrate America 250 with America’s 250th Anniversary Palooza on Penn Avenue from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Live music will start at 6 p.m. at Sixth and Penn avenues.
The event will also feature a 250-pound pig roast, a vintage car show, sidewalk sales, a chalk mural competition, a prize wheel, food, and fun for the whole family.
Disney musical at NCC
The Bill Mutimer Summer Theatre Program will finish its season with the Disney musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at Lipkin Theater at Northampton Community College, which is located at 3835 Green Pond Rd. in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the musical is adapted from Disney’s 1996 film, which was based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo. The musical premiered in 1999 in Berlin and became one of the German city’s longest-running musicals.
The English-language version had its American debut at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, in 2014.
The musical is darker and thematically closer to Hugo’s original novel than the animated film, with composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz repurposing and rewriting several songs to match the original tone of the novel.
The musical focuses on the archdeacon of Notre Dame, Claude Frollo, shared by Dan Swank and Giovani Marini, who has raised his brother’s hunchback child, Quasimodo, played by Jordan Joseph, whom he keeps hidden in the cathedral. When Captain Phoebus, played by Dami Shote, arrives to be the new head of Notre Dame’s cathedral guard, Frollo tells him they must rid the city of gypsies. When Quasimodo sneaks out, he meets the gypsy dancer, Esmeralda, played by Juliana Braga, and is entranced by her, as are Phoebus and Frollo.
The cast features Kaleb Bell, Madisyn Bonilla, Harrison Fox, Mike Gueriere, Declan Messics, Giovanni Failla, Daxton Chapell, Mackenzie Hall, Spencer Williams, Abigail Murphy, Adrian Colon-Burgos, Audrey Wood, Auqinay Jones, Ava Boyd, Azelea Dos-Santos, Eileen Lee, Jacob Piccini, Maricel Wheatley, Melody Chen, Mia Quesada, Riley Lusk, and Willa Maurette.
The choir features Anja Bisignani, Brendan Hamadyk, Chase Rossanese, Chris Temple, Cindy Ernst, Clair Freeman, Denise Long, Ella St. Pierre, Ezekiel Valenzuela, Jameelah Gonzalez, Karen Castillo, Makayla Morales, Mia Ferreira, Ryleigh Rios, Tyler Alonge, and Za’Yaughna O’Cain.
Directing will be Darah Donaher.
Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. July 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, and 25; and at 2 p.m. July 19 and 26.
Shakespeare fundraiser
Alumni actors of Players of the Stage will present Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” at 7 p.m. on Friday and at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday at Citylight Bible Church, which is located at 1921 Union Blvd. in Allentown.
Directed by Marian Barshinger and starring many of POTS graduated family members, this is guaranteed to be a night of laughter and nostalgia.
Shakespeare’s spirited comedy offers a tale of two courtships. Beatrice and Benedick elevate the art of the quarrel in their duel of glittering wordplay, while Claudio and Hero have their true love put to the test by the villain Don John. Plots are challenged by comical officers, as honor and desire collide to create much ado about laughter and love.
All proceeds go toward maintaining and elevating essential programming and operations.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $6 for students.
Patriotic gardens
The Parkland Garden Club in Lehigh County will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a “Star-Spangled Garden Tour” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Guests can visit eight unique gardens and meet gardening author Eva Mannheim. There will also be special guest appearances by Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin and John Bartram.
The Rev. Abraham Blumer will officiate at a liberty tree 250th dedication and wreath-laying ceremony, presented by the club in partnership with South Whitehall Township, at 10 a.m. at Jordan United Church of Christ, which is located at 1837 Church Rd. in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County.
There also will be a silent auction.
Tickets cost $25 in advance and $35 the day of the tour.
Tickets are available at Crooked Row, 3245 Route 309, North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County; Eagle Point Market, 853 Trexlertown Rd., Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County; Herbein’s Garden Center, 4301 Chestnut St., Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County; Kospia Farms, 2288 State St., Longswamp Township, Berks County; Lehigh Valley Garden Center, 4220 Crackersport Rd., South Whitehall Township; Phoebe Floral Shop, 2103 Hamilton St., Allentown; and Ross Plants & Flowers, 2704 Route 309, South Whitehall Township.