No Rain Date

The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things, including how many of us work. Due to COVID-19's unprecedented challenges, more companies than ever are moving away from the rigid requirements of America's traditional office-based workspaces to embrace work-from-home and hybrid solutions. On the cutting edge of this evolution in how we work is Venture X Bethlehem, a coworking space on the city's economically diverse South Side (and the home of a satellite Saucon Source office). In our...

The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things, including how many of us work. Due to COVID-19's unprecedented challenges, more companies than ever are moving away from the rigid requirements of America's traditional office-based workspaces to embrace work-from-home and hybrid solutions. On the cutting edge of this evolution in how we work is Venture X Bethlehem, a coworking space on the city's economically diverse South Side (and the home of a satellite Saucon Source office). In our...

The coronavirus pandemic has challenged police departments in many ways, one of which is maintaining connections with the communities they serve. On this episode of No Rain Date, we learn how the Bethlehem Police Department has adapted its community programs and safety initiatives to help keep some of the city's most vulnerable residents safe--and connected. Community Services Sgt. Blake Kuntz is our special guest to discuss this important and timely issue, as well as how the stress of...

Creating art is something that is often done in isolation, but art is inspired by the world around us, which is why it's important for many artists to feel a sense of community. One highly-respected Lehigh Valley organization, Lehigh Art Alliance, has been providing that for more than 80 years. On this week's episode of No Rain Date, we're joined by LAA President El Shackleton and Vice President Laura Elmore for a discussion about ways their organization brings artists together for exhibits...

If you're looking for an inspiring subject to brighten your holiday season (or someone else's), don't miss our interview with New Bethany Ministries Executive Director Marc Rittle. Located on Bethlehem's South Side and formerly affiliated with the region's Episcopal Diocese, New Bethany has been helping individuals and families facing financial and other challenges find housing, food and hope since 1985. As with many area nonprofits, the pandemic has presented the organization with...

On Episode 83 of No Rain Date, we're delighted to interview two people whose efforts to promote Bethlehem's South Side as a unique holiday destination within the Christmas City have truly made them worthy of being on Santa's "nice list." Nicole Harrell and Addyson Young of ArtsQuest join us to discuss Christkindlmarkt--a large, festive craft market modeled after Germany's traditional outdoor Christmas fairs--as well as a fun-packed SteelStacks event schedule featuring some less traditional...

On Episode 82 of No Rain Date, our special guest is a man who had to try using many different voices--literally--in order to find his own. Voice actor and instructor Brian S. Atwood explains that while his talent at impersonating everyone from Homer Simpson to Jimmy Stewart was what he thought would help him break into voice acting, it was ultimately his decision to use his own voice that helped launch his successful career following jobs with The Philadelphia Orchestroa and at Sirius Radio....

Live reindeer flying in from the North Pole for the ceremony? Free hot chocolate for everyone, along with the opportunity to tell Jolly Old St. Nick what's on your Christmas wish list? Check, check and check. We're talking about Light Up Night, the traditional kickoff to the holiday season in the Saucon Valley, of course, and the fact that it's coming back at full size this year after adapting to meet stringent COVID-19 safety guidelines in 2020. On Episode 81 of No Rain Date, our special...

On Episode 78 of No Rain Date, we welcome The Seeing Eye Area Coordinator Shannon Rager to the studio. The term "seeing eye dog" has become a universal coinage for just about any type of service canine, but Seeing Eye dogs are actually only those that are trained according to the rigorous standards of the organization for which they're named, which was founded in Morristown, N.J., in the 1920s. Ever since then, the staff and volunteers of the Seeing Eye have been dedicated to training dogs...

To all those who have served our country, Happy Veterans Day. On Episode 78 of No Rain Date--in our interview with Hellertown resident, Marine Corps veteran and yoga instructor Liz Thompson--our focus is on veterans and their health. After serving a tour of duty during the Iraq War in 2004-2005, Liz returned to the U.S. and civilian life, only to gradually discover that she hadn't left the horrors of war behind. Despite some initial reluctance, she decided to try yoga as a means of...

☠ Happy Halloween! On Episode 78 of No Rain Date, we’re thrilled--and chilled--to be joined by local paranormal investigator, podcaster and filmmaker Justin Torok of Ghost Encounters, who has delved into the dark history of some of the Lehigh Valley's most iconic locations. Justin--who also co-owns the local video production companies PhoenixFire Media and HomeSpot Media--first began investigating purported hauntings while studying at East Stroudsburg University. Over the years, he has led...

On Episode 77 of No Rain Date we’re joined by two people who help connect our community with art as part of the work they do at the Allentown Art Museum: Amanda Lovell, the museum's Director of Public Engagement, and AAM’s Youth & Family Education & Programs Coordinator, Nicole Mangold. The Allentown Art Museum's history spans roughly 85 years. During that time the institution founded as an outlet for Walter Baum's art school has grown into a world-class cultural center, while remaining...

On Episode 76 of No Rain Date we’re joined by Ellen Flynn, accomplished ghost storyteller, historian of creepy local places and dark side enchantress, for spooky tales about eight current or former Lehigh Valley eateries that are believed to be haunted. On Ellen's list are Bethlehem's Colonial era Sun Inn; the former King George Inn in South Whitehall Township; the former Magnolia's Vineyard in Orefield; the former Newburg Inn in Lower Nazareth Township; the Iron Mule along the Delaware...

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Hear Dr. Ned Heindel speak about Hexenkopf Rock in person at a special talk, "Witches, Warlocks, and Wild Times: A History of the Haunted Hexenkopf Rock," for Saucon Source and Lower Saucon Township Historical Society members. The talk will be held Saturday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. at Lower Saucon Town Hall, 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem. If you're already a member, register here for free tickets. Not yet a member? Join online and become a supporter of the local news...

On Episode 74 of No Rain Date we’re joined by Allen Frank, who recently became the fifth director of the world-famous Liberty High School Grenadier Marching Band. Along with the high school, the band is gearing up to celebrate its centennial in 2022, beginning with the Oct. 31 Bethlehem Halloween Parade. Under director Ronald Sherry's leadership in the 1960s the Grenadiers were styled after Britain's famed Royal Coldstream Guard, and since then they have become a beloved, iconic symbol of...

On Episode 72 of No Rain Date we’re joined by Will Rufe, a passionate chef-educator who is part of Northampton Community College's (NCC) highly-regarded culinary arts program. Will shares his background with regard to food and the unlikely path that led him to become a chef, as well as his customer-centric philosophy toward cooking for the public. As an instructor at NCC, Will is not only training the chefs of tomorrow, but also a key player in managing the teaching restaurant on the...

On Episode 72 of No Rain Date we’re joined by Jim and Amy Koch, who run Olde Stone Farm in Easton. The farm has been in the Koch family for three generations and nearly 100 years. What once was a dairy farm, now mainly produces corn, wheat and hay. The pair were excited to discuss a fall festival they are launching this October called Harvest Days. Harvest Days is a smaller scale, family-oriented fall festival, which will feature a 2-acre corn maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, seasonal games,...

On Episode 71 of No Rain Date we’re joined by Marcie Mulligan, Director of Cultural Education for the Celtic Cultural Alliance, which organizes Bethlehem's annual Celtic Classic. The three-day festival is a celebration of all things Celtic and a fall staple in the Christmas City, where it had to be canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Marcie explains how it has evolved and grown since it was first held in 1988, and how its organizers have adapted this year to ensure that a...

On Episode 70 of No Rain Date, we’re joined by Licia Grim, owner of Pins 'N Needles, a Saucon Valley Farmers' Market vendor selling hand-sewn masks, scrunchies, coasters and other unique items. Grim became a weekly vendor at the Hellertown market in 2020, just after it opened with COVID-19 precautions--including a mask requirement--in place. Her eye-catching mask immediately drew the attention of a volunteer and other patrons, and her ability to quickly mass produce them--a skill she...

On Episode 69 of No Rain Date, we’re joined by Ellen Underwood, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley to discuss how the organization supports consumers who want to purchase locally-grown produce and other foods at an affordable price. As Ellen explains, local agriculture is sustainable agriculture, which is why BFBLGLV is a partner to nearly a dozen Lehigh Valley area producer-only farmers markets. These markets only sell locally-grown...