LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. — Lehigh Valley residents have two signature events to ring in 2026, with Bethlehem’s PeepsFest and Allentown’s downtown celebration offering distinct ways to mark the new year.
The 17th annual PeepsFest returns to SteelStacks on Monday, December 30th, and Tuesday, December 31st. The two-day festival, hosted by ArtsQuest and Just Born Quality Confections, runs from 3 to 6 p.m. both days.
The event culminates each night with the PEEPS Chick Drop at 5:35 p.m. The illuminated chick stands 4 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 400 pounds. A fireworks display follows the drop.
Activities include live music, games, crafts and interactive shows. The Wildlands Conservancy presents wildlife programming on Monday, while the Da Vinci Science Center hosts science presentations on Tuesday. PBS39 will offer a friendship bracelet station and cooking demonstrations with Chef Julie of Levy Restaurants.
A sensory-friendly space is available at PBS39 for guests with sensory sensitivities. Children 12 and under receive a complimentary tote bag.
Tickets are $7 per person. Children under 1 are admitted free. Gates open at 2:45 p.m. Tickets are limited and available at artsquest.org.
In Allentown, the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance and the City of Allentown host a free celebration at Seventh and Hamilton streets from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday.
The event features the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ puck drop at midnight. The puck weighs nearly 1,000 pounds and is billed as the world’s largest. The celebration is free and open to the public.
This year’s celebration replaces fireworks with the city’s first drone light show. StarFlight Drone Shows, a Slatington-based company powered by Celebration Fireworks Inc., will choreograph hundreds of drones over the downtown area at midnight.
Drone shows have emerged as an alternative to traditional fireworks at public celebrations nationwide. The displays produce no smoke or chemical pollutants, create minimal noise and eliminate fire risk.
Event organizers say the quieter format is suitable for children, pets, veterans and individuals with sensory sensitivities. Fireworks can reach 150-170 decibels.
The free Allentown event includes live DJ music, food vendors, outdoor bars and fire pits. Downtown restaurants will offer special New Year’s Eve menus.
Seventh Street will be closed from Linden to Walnut streets until 1 a.m.
Jai Smith is a lifetime Lehigh Valley resident on a mission to empower local underserved communities and inform the public while providing journalists and storytellers a platform to develop the next generation of news media.