Five Cool Signs that Spring is Really Here

by Carrie Havranek, photo by Steven Capwell

It’s here. Yes, we’ve got rain, but it’s supposed to do that, right? Here are five cool sure signs that it’s really here, for reals. I’m talking about festivals and special events.

1. Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament, Easton. It kicks off on April 27 at 9am and runs through Saturday April 30, 6pm.  It’s a sure sign that spring is here; that, and all the me men fishing at Penn Pump Park, the Little Lehigh, and at every available pull-off spot on Bushkill Drive, Larry Holmes Drive, and scores of other locations. Want more info? Call 610-597-SHAD.

2. Farmers Markets! Emmaus Farmers’ Market starts up on Sunday, May 1, and Easton‘s kicks off the following Saturday, May 7. The Bethlehem Farmers Market, situated on Campus Square in SouthSide, begins on May 19th. Please tell us about more of them. They seem to be popping up so quickly, we can’t keep track of them all; this is a good problem.

3. The ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks opened April 15. And the Musikfest Cafe is set to officially open May 1 with a show by the Craig Thatcher Band. It is a sign of new life on the SouthSide, and spring is all about signs of new life. It’s only going to get busier over there on SouthSide as the months progress and more parts of the site are complete.

4. Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third? This massive party with music, food, kids activities, skateboarding-related fun, and special sidewalk sales takes place on April 30 in SouthSide Bethlehem. It starts at 11am and goes until 3 o’clock, and includes a chili contest, too, which runs from noon to 2pm. Tasting passports can be purchased $3 for 5; $5 for 10; or $10 for 25 at Cleo’s, Banana Factory, Cutters Bike Shop and Homebase Skate Shop.

5. Mayfair Festival of the Arts, Allentown. Can you believe Mayfair is turning 25? This festival (May 26-30) brings together local, regional and nationally known artists for several days of music, storytelling, art, and fun in Allentown at Cedar Beach Park. Bring the kids, because the big birthday party takes place May 28 at 12:30pm, with cake, magicians, balloon animals and face painting activities. Several stages are set up, and organizations such as HALA will perform, along with students from the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts, the Lehigh Valley Tango Society, and many more.

Signs of spring in writer Carrie Havranek‘s life include lots of outside time with the boys, daffodils and tulips coming up, and sneezing from pollen.