The Weather: Partly sunny with a high of 89 degrees and a 30 percent chance of rain/thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. In the evening, it becomes mostly cloudy with the same chance of thunderstorms and a low of 71.
The Headliner: Sublime with Rome, the popular ska punk band from Long Beach, Calif., started in 1988, broke up after the death of singer Bradley Nowell in 1996 and reunited in 2009 with singer Rome Ramirez. Tickets, at $39 and $29, are still available. Gates to the Sands Steel Stage at PNC Plaza open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7, with opening act Catch 22.
The Highlight: Project M, a party for teens, makes its debut at Payrow Plaza, next to City Hall, starting at 5 p.m. There will be skateboard and BMX demonstrations, contests and giveaways with help from the Homebase Skateshop. There will also be a dance contest and dance party with DJ Cap Cee spinning the tunes. You won’t find this in your Musikfest program, but it was organized by the Bethlehem Youth Council to give teens a better place to hang on a Musikfest Saturday night than Main Street.
For the Little Ones: The theme at the Peeps & Company Craft Tent at Banana Island is the Olympics. Rides, games and an assortment of kids activities are available with live music by The Cat’s Pajamas, Steve Pullara’s Cool Beans Band and the esteemed king of the Lehigh Valley folk scene, Dave Fry.
The Best of the Free Platzes: Spuyten Duyvil brings its brand of Americana, jug band, roots and blues music to Liederplatz at 7 p.m. They sort of defy description or genre, but Gene Shay of WXPN calls them the “hottest new band in folk music … and one of the best.” Newtown, Bucks County’s own Gina Sicilia is one of the hottest rising stars in the blues, and she is performing a 40-minute set at the Martin Guitar Lyrikplatz (inside the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks) at 8 p.m. Igor & The Red Elvises make their annual pilgrimage from Venice, Calif., to Bethlehem to please their sizable Lehigh Valley fan-base at 9 p.m. in Volksplatz.
Mary Ellen's Celtic Corner: Tartanic, described as "dance, tribal, swing and even hip-hop fusions of Great Highland bagpipes and world percussion" plays at Volksplatz at 5 p.m.
Other Highlights: The Acoustic Roadshow from nearby Temple provides an opportunity for novice musicians to perform before a live audience. The show arrives at Liederplatz (The Sun Inn courtyard) from noon to 4:30 p.m. It’s Salsa Night at Plaza Tropical. Actually, you can hear great Cuban dance music all day, starting at noon. The lineup of bands: En Sequencia, SUYA, Irka Mateo, BELEZA! and Hector Rosado y Su Orchestra.
Musikfest After Hours: Late night comedy with stand up comedian Tommy Pope, 11 p.m. at the Musikfest Café. Tickets are $5; Freddy Rivera y Su Conjunto Antillano plays at Club Mural in the Historic Hotel Bethlehem from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m.; Indie folk band R&B plays at The Wooden Match (the former Main Street Depot) at 61 W. Lehigh St., from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.