Get Out: Grab Your Last Taste of Summer

The last official weekend of the summer brings a bittersweet finale to the lazy days of summer. The days are getting just a bit shorter and the leaves are just starting to take on different hues. By now, many people are closing their pools for the season and Halloween decorations are already on the shelves in most stores. But there is still one more weekend of summer, so soak up as much Vitamin D as you can bear and get out this weekend.

The Grand Opening of the PBS 39 Media and Education Center kicks off with a family bike ride and fun family activities at its new location at the SteelStacks in South Bethlehem. Come tour the new studio and see what PBS is doing in the South Bethlehem neighborhood.

For history buffs,  will be held Saturday, and if you want a tour with a bit more kick try the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, where every vineyard tour ends with a glass of wine.

For more sober samplings, get out to VegFest in South Bethlehem.  It’s a week-long celebration by local restaurants offering prix fixe vegetarian menus that culminates in a vegetable-inspired street fair on Saturday, complete with live music, activities for the kids, demonstrations and more produce than you can carry home in your environmentally friendly satchel.

Help support Access Services by attending the community day events at Bethlehem Township Community Center, complete with live music, local vendors and activities for the kids.

Finally, on Saturday night, enjoy a night with Elvis at in Hellertown, where you will eat like the King and listen to his greatest hits performed by Jay Allan. 

Soak up the last bits of summer rays and have some fun!

THIS WEEK’S DOSE OF VITAMIN D:

GRAND OPENING OF PBS 39 MEDIA & EDUCATION CENTER (FUN RIDE & OPENING EVENTS)

• WHERE/WHEN: Saturday, 9:00 a.m. (Family Fun Ride) & 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Opening Events)

• WHY GO: PBS39 kicks off its Grand Opening at the SteelStacks  with a 3- or 9-mile bike ride. Registrants will be entered into a raffle for a 21-speed Globe Vienna Deluxe Bike worth $750. The rest of the day will be filled with free concerts, interactive tours, activities and appearance by your children’s favorite PBS kids programming characters—Mr. McFeely from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, Cat in the Hat, Curious George and TeleBear.

• COST: Cycle Registration $10 /adult 13 years and older, $5 per child 5 – 12 years old. Grand Opening events are free.

5th ANNUAL TOUR OF SAUCON VALLEY BARNS (SAUCON VALLEY CONSERVANCY)

• WHERE/WHEN: Beethoven Waldheim Club, 1984 Waldheim Road, Hellertown, Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

• WHY GO: You’ve seen these unique barns at a distance while driving on the rural roads of Saucon Valley. Now you can actually tour the insides of the barns. Barn preservationists Robert Ensminger and Gregory Huber will provide a short presentation at 10:00 a.m. followed by the start of self-guided tours at 11:30 a.m.  

• COST: . All proceeds benefit the Heller Barn Preservation Fund.   

ACCESS SERVICES’ LEHIGH VALLEY COMMUNITY DAY (FESTIVAL)

• WHERE/WHEN: Bethlehem Township Community Center, 2900 Farmersville Road, Bethlehem, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• WHY GO:  Community Day always brings out the best in people and their communities. Local fire stations will bring their trucks and their safety tips, performing life demonstrations on safety and fire prevention. Live music, games, local food, local artists, local vendors and more will round out the day's fun.

• COST: Free, rain or shine. All proceeds benefit children and adults with special needs in the Lehigh Valley.

HARVEST WEEKEND: THE BUTCHER, THE BAKER, THE WINEMAKER (LEHIGH VALLEY WINE TRAIL)

• WHERE/WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• WHY GO: Sample food and, of course, the best of the 2011 vintage from the eight wineries on .  Make friends or just enjoy the music and scenery with your entourage. Contact any of the wineries on the list for starting points and more information about the tour.

• COST: Free (except $5 cover at Blue Mountain Winery).

VEGFEST (STREET AND FOOD FESTIVAL)

• WHERE/WHEN: New Street to Webster Street, South Bethlehem Greenway, Saturday, noon – 5:00 p.m.

• WHY GO: Dubbed “the family-friendly, vegetarian and sustainable living event of the year.” The Street Festival is the culmination of VegFest Food Week, where select Downtown and South Side Bethlehem Restaurants offer a pre-fixed breakfast, lunch or dinner menu. Saturday’s event will include demonstrations, lectures, live music, kids activities and, of course, a food court with tasty vegetarian fare and fresh produce for purchase. 

• COST: Free admission.

ELVIS UPSTAIRS (SAGRA BISTRO)

• WHERE/WHEN: Sagra Bistro, 620 Main Street, Hellertown, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

• WHY GO: Eat like a King, the King of Rock and Roll, that is. Jay Allan sets the mood with his performance of Elvis’ greatest hits. Choose from a menu inspired by Elvis’ gastronomical favorites like fried chicken, blackened catfish or Memphis pulled pork, along with appetizers, macaroni and cheese and, of course, the King’s favorite dessert—Peanut Butter and Banana Bread Pudding. 

• COST: $40 per person, tax, gratuity and alcohol additional. To reserve a table call 484-851-3220.