Historic dollhouses, a cultural celebration of Allentown and a scenic marathon along the D&L Trail are all on the schedule for this weekend in the Lehigh Valley.
D&L RaceFest in Easton
More than 2,000 runners and walkers are expected to participate in Sunday’s D&L RaceFest, celebrating the 165-mile DL Trail and the communities it connects.
Now in its fourth year, the race includes the St. Luke’s D&L Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier that attracts runners from across the country. The route will take runners from Allentown through historic Bethlehem before finishing at Easton’s Scott Park.
Other events include the D&L Heritage Half Marathon Run, D&L Heritage Half Marathon Walk and the St. Luke’s D&L Marathon Relay, offering participants of all experience levels the opportunity to be part of race weekend.
In addition to race events, participants are encouraged to explore the region through the D&L RaceFest Weekend Passport, which features special offers from 23 participating businesses across the Lehigh Valley. The passport includes museums and attractions, restaurants, retailers, and health and wellness businesses, encouraging participants and their supporters to explore local destinations throughout race weekend.
RaceFest supports the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, the nonprofit organization that stewards the entire D&L Trail.
If you go: Events start at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. More information: race.delawareandlehigh.org.
First-ever Downtown Allentown Marketplace
The Downtown Allentown Alliance and Allentown Chamber of Commerce will host the first Downtown Allentown Marketplace on Saturday, bringing an open-air marketplace to DLP Plaza.
Live music and dance will be at the heart of the market, with six performances showcasing the talents and traditions that make the Lehigh Valley such a vibrant place to call home.
The afternoon’s entertainment lineup includes:
• 11 a.m.: PAZA, Tree of Life
• 11:30 a.m.: Janosik Polish Dance
• 12:05 p.m.: Carmen Belly Dance + Arabic Drumming
• 1 p.m.: The Pilgrims of Deep Run
• 2:10 p.m.: Afro Friends LV + DJ Romeo
• 3:15 p.m.: Clave Legacy
Visitors also can wander among local food vendors, farmers, artists and makers offering everything from sweet treats and international cuisine to fresh produce, handmade goods and one-of-a-kind creations. Participating businesses include Spice Route, Kou Kitchen, La Cocina del Abuelo, Cozy Crumbs Cafe, Beestar Tanghulu and more.
The Allentown Parking Authority will offer $5 event parking at the 940 Deck, and City Center Group is offering free parking at the 8th & Walnut Garage.
The event is the first of a planned marketplace series, with a second gathering anticipated in the spring.
If you go: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at DLP Plaza, 835 Hamilton St., Allentown. Free to attend. Information: downtownallentown.com/downtown-allentown-marketplace/
Dollhouse and miniatures exhibit at Kemerer Museum
Four-foot-tall antique dollhouses and porcelain china miniatures recovered from a 17th-century shipwreck are among the highlights of the new Art of the Dollhouse exhibition at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts in Bethlehem.
Many of the dollhouses come from the Elizabeth Johnston Prime collection, once one of the largest privately owned dollhouse collections in the United States. Prime bequeathed 44 houses and more than 6,000 miniatures crafted between 1830 and the early 1930s to Historic Bethlehem Museum and Sites in 2006.
The collection features nearly 60 antique dollhouses and structures, by renowned manufacturers and retailers such as Christian Hacker, Moritz Gottschalk, Johann Daniel Kestner Jr., FAO Schwarz and Silber & Fleming.
The exhibit also includes doll-sized scenes such as a miniature train station with its original lithographed paper shingles still intact, a detailed Noah’s Ark reproduction, horse stables with tiny animals, and detailed, small-scale storefronts.
Self-guided and docent-led tours are available. Also planned are special “Collectors’ Hour” programming, limited-space sessions to allow guests to take their time observing every detail.
If you go: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays through June 27. Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, 427 N. New St., Bethlehem. Info, tickets and more: historicbethlehem.org.
The Elizabeth Johnston Prime Dollhouse Collection is seen Thursday, June 26, 2025, at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts in Bethlehem. With 44 antique structures highlighting 100 years of architectural and decorative arts, the collection features a variety of dollhouses, stores, stables, mansions and verandas representing decades between 1830 and 1930, and more than 6,000 meticulously crafted miniature pieces. The museum this summer is offering exclusive, behind-the-scenes tours of the collection. (Oliver Lois Economidis/The Morning Call)
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