Umbrellas Needed Monday, Tuesday; Fireworks Thursday

You will need to keep those umbrellas handy the first couple of days of this short workweek as the National Weather Service is calling for heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday.

Thunderstorms with heavy winds and flooding are also possible. Fortunately, though, the forecast improves as we move toward the long Fourth of July Holiday Weekend, which starts Thursday.

That means the rain should hopefully (fingers crossed) be done by the time Bethlehem holds its big fireworks extravaganza.

At 9:15 p.m., Thursday, fireworks will be shot off from Sand Island and visible from lots of places across the city. The biggest communal viewing spots will be at Payrow Plaza, next to City Hall, and the SteelStacks campus around the old Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces.

The Bethlehem Municipal Band and the Allentown Band both will be playing free pre-fireworks concerts to help get you in the patriotic spirit. Click here for more details.

The Bethlehem Food Co-Op will be holding a potluck picnic at Illick’s Mill Park from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to kick off its membership drive. The non-profit group, which has been active since 2011, aims to open a supermarket in Center City or South Bethlehem by spring 2014. Click here for more details.

The Bethlehem Township Commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the township building. The agenda is light.

City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall. The agenda has not yet been made public.

Bring the kids to catch a free showing of Rise of the Guardians at the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

If you are looking to kick up your heels to start the long weekend, tickets are still available to see country megastar Dwight Yoakam, who will play at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daryl Nerl at Daryl.Nerl@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.