Musikfest, Bethlehem’s annual music and art festival, received the Hospitality Event of the Year Award for 2021 from the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. 

Say goodbye to those tickets that have become synonymous with Musikfest over the decades.

One day after the Great Allentown Fair announced it would be returning for 2021, ArtsQuest has announced its plans to hold Musikfest in Bethlehem this summer.

There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccine rates begin to pick up in Pennsylvania. Still, many are frustrated with the slow pace up until this point – especially in getting vaccines to those working with the public who aren’t health care workers or teachers in group 1a of the state’s vaccine roll out.

To offset the losses expected from the smaller, mostly virtual 2020 Musikfest, supporters have launched a matching donation fundraiser – pledging up to $500,000 to match each donation made by the public, with a hope of reaching a $1 million goal.

Musikfest may be mostly virtual this year, but festival fans will still be able to shop for the handmade and artisan craft items that the Bethlehem arts and music festival is so well known for.

Musikfest 2020 is going virtual. Rather than cancelling the annual event, like many summer festivals have, ArtsQuest said it will go forward with a mostly virtual program that could, pending pandemic regulation changes, include some live performances.

As summer officially begins, now would be the time of the year when people get to enjoy their favorite festival food, but like with many things, the COVID-19 pandemic is cancelling most fairs and festivals in the area at least for the short term.

Good weather, strong shows and a greater variety of free performances and food stands were all contributing factors to a record year for attendance at Musikfest this year.

There was some heavy rain late Wednesday afternoon and a light shower for most of the evening, but mostly the weather had been kind for the first half of Musikfest in Bethlehem.