Springon4th

2011 Chili Winners

2011-05-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

<--- Tulum wins
Judge's Choice

Molly's Irish Pub and Grille wins

People's Choice --->

The Owner & Chefs (Tulum)

Owner & Chef (Molly's)

Honorable mentions went to Apotheca Salon, Cutters, Deja Brew, Northampton Community College (meat), Starters

Tally Ho had a great booth! So great, that the committee will consider bringing back the "Best Booth" category next year. Also, kudos to them for serving chili in a home made corn chip cup. Nice touch!

Attention Vegetarians!!! Here are your meatless chili's for tomorrow

2011-04-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

(Don't ya just love it when you see a major omission after you get the order back from the printer????)

The Vegetarian Options for tomorrow's Chili cookoff are:
*Deja Brew
*Eskandalo (by Save the Kales, author JAIME!!!)
*General Zapata
*Godfrey Daniels
*Home & Planet
*Loose Threads (ok, it's a relief station with yogurt and granola. But it's still a veggie option)
*Muero Apparo
*Northampton Community College
*St. Peter's Lutheran Church
*Tally Ho

Geographically speaking, most of them are off 4th street - but don't miss the one at NCC

Chili updates will be on TWITTER this year

2011-04-29T08:34:00.001-07:00

Folllow @Springon4th for chili and event updates.

Not on Twitter yet? Join the conversation - it's WAY more than knowing what someone ate for lunch.

Ten Healthy Reasons to Eat Chili

2011-04-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Chili has long been thought of as a greasy, fat filled meal that no health conscious person would be caught eating. Not so anymore. Chili has become a wonderful dish full of healthy nutrients for your body, and it definitely fits into today's healthy diets. The top 10 healthy reasons for eating a bowl of chili today are listed below.

1. Chili contains lots of protein.

The meat used in cooking chili is a great source of protein for anyone. If you happen to use beans in your chili, then they do provide a second source of protein. Even if you're a vegetarian and make vegetarian chili, it can provide a good portion of your daily protein needs.

2. Chili has a lot of fiber.

The chiles and the beans in your chili are excellent sources of fiber. In addition to keeping you regular, fiber also slows the rate that sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. This keeps your blood glucose levels from rising and falling too quickly.

3. Chili contains Vitamin C.

The chiles you use to flavor your chili, even the mild red peppers, provide a tremendous amount of Vitamin C. If you use a tomato base, it too can provide extra Vitamin C for you.

4. Chili is high in iron, even the veggie versions.

Chili is a great source of iron, especially the red meat versions. Don't worry though is you prefer turkey or even meat free chili. The beans used to make chili are also an excellent source of iron.

5. Chili can help you lose weight.

The capsaicin found in the chiles used to season you dish can increase your metabolic rate simply by raising your bodily heat production. Even sweet red peppers can increase heat production for up to 20 minutes are eating them.

6. Chili can make you happy!

Chiles promote endorphin and serotonin release, both of which inflate your mood. The capsaicin is the trigger for increasing the serotonin and endorphins. These two raise your mood levels so you can actually feel happier just by trying a new chili recipe! What an added bonus!

7. Chili can curb your cravings for fatty foods and sweets.

Some recent research has given some proof that the capsaicin in chiles actually curb your cravings for fatty foods and sweets. So go ahead and make chili tonight. Season it well with lots of freshly prepared chiles, and you have a good chance of no wanting dessert afterwards. Who knew chili could help you control your appetite?

8. Chili can help boost your immune system.

Chiles are high in Vitamin A, which can naturally boost your immune system. The more chiles you use in flavoring your chili dish, the more Vitamin A you are putting into your body. The boost to your immune system from the Vitamin A is a welcome plus during the winter cold and flu season.

9. Chili may help regulate blood sugar after eating.

Apparently the capsaicin in chili peppers also can help regulate your blood sugar. A July 2006 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the amount of insulin that was needed to lower patients' blood sugar after a meal is lower if the meal contains chile peppers. It's true that your fiery chili is good for you!

10. Chili can help clear congestion.

The capsaicin in chiles stimulate mucous secretions to help clear mucous from your stuffy nose. The next time you feel a cold coming on, prepare a big batch of chili to help you breathe easier. It will help keep you warm too!

(originally posted on http://www.famouschilirecipes.com/10reasonstoeatchili.html)

Getting ready for Chili!!!! And Spring. And Community Celebrations.

2011-04-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Today's weather has us so excited for tomorrow's big event. As the competitors are stirring their pots, we're posting the location map a day a head for you to plan your chili experience.

This post covers other bits of advise for folks coming into South Bethlehem for the Spring on Fourth and surrounding activities.

Chili Passports

This year, we are selling ONLY passports. No single tickets. Three levels of passports will be available on Saturday. As marked on the map, passports will be sold at Tally Ho, Cutter's Bike Shop, in front of Molly's Pub and at the corner of New St. & 3rd St. Chili Map and Voting Ballot will be available at all passport locations. This year they are BRIGHT NEON GREEN. You can start your chili cook off experience anywhere on the map. The numbers are for identification only.

There are teams of judges that are going to be tasting ALL of the chili. But we want your opinion, too. The Ballot is for the winner's of the People's Choice. Rank your top three on the ballot which will be printed on the back of the map) and submit it to any location selling passports that day. They will be collected by 3PM. Judge's Choice and People's Choice will be announced on WDIY, 88.1 FM at 4PM. Tune in!

If you want to buy the $10 passport TODAY you can at HomeBase, Cleo's, Comfort Suites and Cutters.

Parking:

Parking in South Bethlehem is plentiful in two garages: one at Riverport and the other off Morton street, (across from Tulum and next to Campus Square). There are Municipal lots between Mechanic and 3rd streets, and others near Lehigh University. Street parking is also available. The lot just to the east of the Taylor Family Gas Station on 3rd street will be CLOSED for Secured Bicycle parking.

For Bicycle riders - The Coalition for Affordable Transportation (CAT) is encouraging us all to consider biking to the Spring on Fourth events. There will be plenty of space at the secured lot to leave your bike there while you wander on foot. Yes, CAT is watching the bikes for all of us. Aren't they great? Please DO NOT lock your bike to any parking meters on the sidewalks, as they will obstruct the walkways - and there will be lots of folks enjoying the day. It would be nice to leave lots of room for strollers, too.

Traffic:

You may need to drive around blocked off streets where activity is happening. If you haven't been across the Hill to Hill in a while, be prepared for some major construction delays. There's also construction on Adams Street as the Greenway is starting to go in.

Be Gentle with Your Neighbor

Please be mindful of the increased pedestrian traffic in South Bethlehem tomorrow - especially as there will be large number of families with small children out and about.

There's so many volunteers that have helped plan and run the event. The cost of the passports helps cover costs of renting equipment and promoting the event, and paying artists to bring the spirit of joy to all of us. Everyone can help by keeping an eye on trash and on each other. A community is as good as its people. And remember, children learn how to treat other people by watching grown ups.

Cops N Kids Celebration of Reading - SIMULTANEOUS PARTIES

2011-04-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

On the SAME DAY and at the SAME TIME as the Spring on 4th event in South Bethlehem, there will be a crew of community folks putting on a wonderful event for the 5th year in a row. It's the Cops N Kids Annual Celebration of Reading. Hundreds of community folks come out to the Looper's parking lot for a day of joy.

They've got a Facebook page that may tell you more about it. Lots of activities going on there. Worth checking out before or after you make your chili rounds!

If you're not sure where the Looper's parking lot is, just follow the balloons from Spring on Fourth - head east on 3rd street!

The Cops N Kids Reading program is a fantastic community asset. The Cops N Kids Reading room is located on the 4th floor of the Northampton Community College Fowler Family Center, 511 East 3rd street, (south) Bethlehem. Find out more about their year long activities from their website here. If you want to stay on top of their programs, follow them on Twitter.

How do I do the chili tasting?

2011-04-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

... with a spoon.
And a PASSPORT!

Last year, we tried it. This year, we're ONLY doing passports.
(No single tickets) We're hoping that the passports allow folks to get to more chili faster. (less time standing in line, and easier purchasing). Three levels of passports available:
$10 for 25 tastings
$5 for 10 tastings
$3 for 5 tastings.
There will be over 30 chili tastings this year; ranging from ridiculously spicy, to vegetarian, to meat, chicken or all bean versions. This is a competition. We have a panel of judges who taste them all. But your vote counts, too. Ballots will be available day of, or you can print one from this site the day before.

They're also being PRE-SOLD at some very friendly businesses; Banana Factory Gift Shop, HomeBase Skate Shop, Cleo's Silversmith Studio and Cutter's Bike Shop. And they're available to buy RIGHT NOW.

You can share a passport. AND.... if for some reason, you don't use up your passport by 2PM, you can use it NEXT YEAR! No harm, no foul.

If you really want to taste as much chili as possible, start directly at noon at any of the locations. (Map should be up next week). Chili is only served until 2PM. Some locations end earlier than 2PM, if they run out of chili.

nom nom nom nom.... (mmmm. Chili.......)

OFFICIAL PRESS RESLEASE FOR SPRING ON 4th 2011

2011-04-19T07:32:00.001-07:00

(Lehigh Valley, PA) The 16^th Annual “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third? will be held on April 30^th 2011 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. South Bethlehem’s galleries, restaurants, shops and stores are once again joining together for an enjoyable afternoon of music, food and fun. This year’s festival will be an extra special celebration with awesome events planned by community leaders throughout Southside Bethlehem.

Founded 16 years ago to celebrate Bethlehem’s historic, revitalized Southside, Spring on Fourth is a free, public event that takes place along Third, Fourth and New streets. Highlighting the celebration are the popular chili contest, live entertainment by a variety of performers, fun family activities and more. In addition, many of the South Side merchants feature sales and special discounts throughout the afternoon.

This year’s Spring on Fourth chili contest, which takes place from 12:00 to 2:00 pm, features more than 30 entries ranging from spicy, five-alarm chili to vegetarian, chicken and black bean versions of the dish. Patrons are invited to sample the entries with Passports ranging from $10 for 25 tastings, $5 for 10 tastings and $3 for 5 tastings. Passports are available at the Banana Factory Gift Shop, Homebase Skate Shop, Cleo’s Silversmith Studio and Gallery, and Cutters Bike Shop, all on the Southside. The winners of the chili contest will be announced on WDIY 88.1 FM at 4 pm that day.

Our community partners include the Cops 'n' Kids Children’s Literacy Program’s Fifth Annual “Celebration of Reading,” with a parade starting at 10:30 am at the Ice Center to the block party at Loopers. The Coalition for Appropriate (CAT) will also operate Monitored Bicycle Parking from 11 am to 4 pm at the 3rd Street Lot. CAT offers safe and secure bicycle parking to encourage everyone to avoid the traffic hassle and to ride a bike to the Spring on Fourth Festival. The Banana Factory will host entertainment and art activities. Homebase Skate Shop is organizing a clothing sale to raise funds for the Skate Plaza, and the Community Artists of Bethlehem present their 5 Alarm Arts Fair on New Street between Fourth and Morton.

Embassy Bank is the presenting sponsor and WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh Valley Community Public Radio and The Morning Call are the media sponsors. Other sponsors include Lehigh University, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Saraceno Design, St. Luke’s Print Shop, U.S. Foodservice, the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission, Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, Bethlehem Parks and Recreation Department, and the Downtown Bethlehem Association.

And.... we're back!

2011-04-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the views on the archive page. Fans of the Spring on Fourth may have been wondering, "um... when are you going to update the information for the next event?"

Buckle up! We're going for a ride on the information train. But we want YOU TO HELP US get the word out. Details will be posted separately so you can help share information with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever other social media networks you prefer.

The biggest event to happen AFTER William and Kate's wedding is the day after. While the newly wed royals will be off on their honeymoon, ease your celebrity news saturation by turning off the TV, and taking a stroll along South Bethlehem's central business district to see spring items in the stores, and to grab a few tastes of chili.

Start off the day at the parade that goes from Steel Center Ice to Loopers at 10:30am

Other main events 11:00AM-3PM happening will be
* Block Party at the Banana Factory, featuring Steve Brosky and Jimmy Meyers
* Cops N Kids Celebration of Reading at Looper's Lot
* Dancing and DJs near the Maze Garden
* Five Alarm Art Fair on New Street, between 4th and Morton.

Chili tasting ONLY between noon-2PM.

Reports are in from other Spring on Fourth Events

2010-04-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the day, here's what happened at the Skate/BMX bike demo on New Street: Read the whole report on the Homebase 610 blog.

Check out the photo gallery from the Banana Factory's block party. Make sure you click through the whole thing! There was a lot of fun going at the glass blowing, too!

Not to be overlooked - Here's a link to some Facebook Photo Albums from the Second Five Alarm Art Fair presented by the Community Artists of Bethlehem. Read more about this event - which no doubt will come back again for a three-quel at this blog.

and Paper Dove Studios

Weninger Studios

Last, but not least, there's a the report them the HUGE, Cops n Kids Celebration of Reading. This was the program that not only provided free books to more than 1,200 kids, it was also provided the balloons for the Spring on Fourth (thanks to a very generous sponsor, and lots of volunteers). There so much more to report on this event. But it'll have to wait for another post.
Stay tuned.

We want to hear from you

2010-04-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a little back story on this event. It started 15 years ago by a group of citizens who wanted to change the perceptions of South Bethlehem. While some of the bad feelings still linger - there are many who live in our community who have seen the transformation of South Bethlehem, and are proud to live, work, pray and play in it. This event is sustained by citizens who love this city. Many committee members work for various local business and non-profits. But there is not one organization that is the organizer. Our sponsors and partners support the effort. The planning and execution are the results of a real grassroots effort.

We're an ALL VOLUNTEER group, and pretty darned proud to be the muscle behind this event. It's more than the committee. It's all of the local business, volunteers for each separate event, and YOU coming to it that really make it work.

But even the best intentions and efforts could use some feedback. Each year, we try something new. Three years ago, we tried out the skateboard/BMX bike demo. That effort helped to increase community support of the local Skate Park. Two years ago, more organizations were joining forces by presenting their celebrations on the same day. Cops 'n' Kids Reading Celebration, Banana Factory Block Party, and the Community Artists of Bethlehem's 5 Alarm Arts Fair. This year, we added a dance floor to the to inspire ideas of what functions the future Greenway park might offer our community.

We also tried a chili passport for pre-sale. This was a tricky experiment, because of a couple of factors:
1. We we're sure if people would respond positively to the idea.
2. We didn't want to over sell passports - there IS a limited supply of chili
3. We are at the mercy of weather. We got lucky again this year.

Oops! we ran out of chili tickets a couple of times. For those in line - Thanks for your patience! We'll make sure we have enough on hand next year. Do we sell more passports before the event? Should we have some on hand to sell on the day of?

So now that you know a little bit of back ground - tell us your thoughts. What do you like? What could we fix? And if you want to be a part of the behind-the scenes, let us know. We're about to have our wrap up session in a week or two.... after we've recovered. And we'd love to hear from you before then.

Thanks for coming. Thanks for reading. And who's going to the next community event for the Lehigh Valley? We hope to see you there, too.

the 2010 Chili Contest Winners

2010-04-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Our plucky, yet fearless judges had a tough choice this year. And I can tell you from hearing the discussions after all the tastings, comparisons, and notes - there was quite the animated discussion about who was the best. Two categories this year; judge's choice, and people's choice.

The People's Choice winner is: Tulum (picture taken with some lovelies from the Fun House.)

And the Judge's Choice winner is: Lehigh Pub.

(These poor guys just got to pose with one of the Spring on Fourth Committee members...)

Something New this year - Dancing on the Greenway

2010-04-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some help from the men of Sigma Chi (Lehigh University) and from the generosity of Holy Infancy Parish, we're trying something new at this year's Spring on Fourth.... Dancing on the Greenway!!

Kathleen Bibalao has been tapping her network of local and Lehigh dance groups to try out the location. She's even wrangled Robert Wagner to host the afternoon.

The location is on the corner of New Street and Mechanic - just a few yards from the Adams Street Bus Terminal. Thanks to the magic of Google maps and the new street view, you can find the floor just beyond the tree on the corner.

So why are we doing this? If one has heard about the future Greenway Park, this is a great chance to the community to start really imagining what to do with the space. Could this be a place for a plaza in the near future? Well - why not try a function BEFORE we design something for the space.... and see what happens?

That what we did with the skate / BMX demo three years ago. Sometimes, people just need to really see the thing before their own imaginations ignite.

Preview The Spring on Fourth Activities

2010-04-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Preview the 2010 Chili Contestants

2010-04-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

New for 2010: Chili Passport

2010-04-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Buy this ahead - saves line waiting. $5 = 15 tastings. Available at Banana Factory Gift Shop, Cleo's, Tallarico's Chocolates and HomeBase Skate Shop.

Limited supply available.

Thanks to the designers at the Morning Call for a beautiful layout.

19 Days to the 15th Annual Spring on Fourth event

2010-04-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

15^th Annual “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third? Street festival and Chili cook off

(Lehigh Valley, PA) The 15^th Annual “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third? Street Festival and Chili Cook-off will be held on April 24^th 2010 from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm. South Bethlehem’s galleries, shops and stores are once again joining together for an enjoyable afternoon of music, food and fun. This year’s festival will be an extra special celebration with awesome events planned by community leaders throughout South Bethlehem.

Founded 15 years ago to celebrate Bethlehem’s historic, revitalized Southside, “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” is a free, public event that takes place along Third, Fourth and New streets. Highlighting the celebration is the popular chili contest, live entertainment by a variety of performers, fun family activities and more from 12:00 to 4:00. In addition, many of the South Side merchants feature sales and special discounts throughout the afternoon.

Featured “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” events include – A Community dance party on the Greenway, a BMX biking and skateboarding demonstration sponsored by Homebase Skate Shop, The Community Artists of Bethlehem present their 5Alarm Arts Fair at Campus Square, Tina Hemmerly and the Happy Hoopers, strolling performers and as always Clarence the Clown will be strolling through town.

This year’s “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” chili contest, which takes place from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., features 30+ entries ranging from spicy, five-alarm chili to vegetarian versions of the dish. Patrons are invited to sample the entries, with a block of three tickets – good for three samples – selling for $1 each. New this year will be a passport ticket system available for pre-purchase; the passports can be purchased at the Banana Factory’s Gift shop, Comfort Suites, Cleo’s and Homebase Skate shop and are $5.00 each for 15 tastings.

The winners of the chili contest will be announced on WDIY 88.1 FM at 4:15 p.m. Also join WDIY from 4 to 6 pm with a special celebration of community at Godfrey Daniels with a performance by Roman’s Kind of Blue after the Chili Winner Awards ceremony.

Community partner offerings include the Cops 'n' Kids Celebration of Reading at Looper's parking lot and The Banana Factory presents Arts Block Party at the Steelworker's Memorial Park with a Hot Tamale Stage and Arts projects.

Embassy Bank is the presenting sponsor and WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh Valley Community Public Radio, Pulse Weekly and B-104 are the media sponsors. Other sponsors include the Morning Call, Lehigh University, Orasure Technologies, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Saraceno Design, St. Luke’s Print Shop, U.S. Food Service, the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission, CAT, Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, Bethlehem Parks and Recreation Department, Downtown Bethlehem Association, and the South Side Film Festival.

2009-04-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Skate demo from 2008 video link - this year was even better. Can't wait to see them on Homebase's website. For now, here's a picture from Julian Siezant; a young local photographer that shoots a lot of skaters and BMXers for Homebase and The Source - but he also does amazing "artsy" shots, too. If you're on Facebook - find "Homebase Skateshop" and view the glory of the day.

Spring on 4th Chili winner

2009-04-26T03:40:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Judge's Choice winner is J.P. McGrady's. In this photo, from left to right; Dave Urban (Judge), Eric the chef, Steve Ott and Dale Kochard (also Judges). Eric tells us this is the house chili. So if you want to taste the winner, stop by McGradys for lunch or dinner.

Check out the fine traveling trophy made by Banana Factory glass artists, John Choi and Dennis Gardner. Yes, that's glass. And yes, you could drink out of it - like the Stanley Cup. But who would want to defile such a fine work of art? Not these guys! So this new traveling trophy edition will be around next year, too. Who will it go to then? Will it be you?

People's Choice - TULUM

Best Booth - Comfort & Joy "Rocket Fuel" theme. And in case there are children reading this, I won't publish their punch line.

Special notation here for Blue Sky - who made people sign a waiver before trying a non-contest chili. I didn't take the bite (literally)

All said and done, it was a great day in South Bethlehem. We invite you to share your thoughts, images and other ideas for this year and next on this blog. We look forward to checking in.

THIS SATURDAY - April 25

2009-04-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Entertainment from 11am 'til 4pm
Chili Contest - Noon to 2pm

Stroll the streets and enjoy Spring, Food, Entertainment and a
Celebration of Community in Bethlehem's SouthSide Shopping District!

3 Chili Tastes for $1 from 12-2pm. Tickets on sale from 11:30am-1:30pm and are available near 3rd & S. New Streets and also at 4th & S. New Streets. Judges’ Award for Best Chili and Best Booth. People’s Choice Award for Chili with most votes. Winners announced at 4:30pm by WDIY, 88.1 FM.

Skateboard and BMX Demo at S. New and 4th Sts. More info HERE.

Banana Factory Block Party at the Steelworkers Memorial at 2nd and Northampton Streets. More info HERE.

Five Alarm Arts Fair at Lehigh's Campus Square. Photography, Jewelry, Ceramics, Paintings and more! More info HERE.

Live Radio Disney Concert and Broadcast at the Cops-n-Kids Block Party at Looper's Grille & Bar. More info HERE.

Clowns, Bands and So Much More!

Find parking along the streets or at the Riverport Parking Garage.

Questions? Email info@bethlehempa.org.

The Community Artists of Bethlehem present "5 Alarm Arts Fair"- a celebration of community arts!

2009-04-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

In a continued effort to celebrate the abundant local talent, The Community Artists of Bethlehem are excited to showcase more than 20 hot, upcoming local artists in "5 Alarm Arts Fair" located in and around Campus Square on Morton St. and New St, Bethlehems' South Side. The fair will coincide with " Spring on Fourth, What's on 3rd"festivities, starting at 11am and concluding at 4pm.

The merchants will vary from Photography, Jewelry, Ceramics, acrylic/oil painting, to items that are much more unconventional media. Included in the festivities are children's activities including face painting, coloring contests and hula hooping. Whether you enjoy a flair for the spicy or like to keep it cool, there is sure to be excitement to suit everyones taste! Please stop by the CAB table to find out more about an exciting monthly children's workshop.

We are thrilled to be involved again with this year's, "Spring on Fourth, What's on Third" event. This annual fest is a great opportunity to celebrate our community through commerce, arts and services. We are also excited to introduce a few new up and coming artists from in and around the area. See you all at the ticket booth! Please feel free to forward and/or print and distribute the attached poster!

For more information on the C.A.B. activities, contact: Loly Reynolds 484-554-0281 or Megan Everett 484-550-8995 Website: www.myspace/c.a.b.

Skateboard Demo w/ BMXer's back again at "Spring on 4th"

2009-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

Homebase will be shutting down S. New St for a skateboard demo with the BMXer's from The Source and music from the Audio Dynamikz DJ's. Free for all to watch.

(exact location is S. New Street between Morton and 4th Street)

Pick up some info on the Bethlehem Skateplaza too.

Bethlehem Skateplaza Fundraising After Party at The Blue Sky Cafe. 22 W. 4th St; 4 doors down from Homebase. 7:30-9:30pm.

$10 DONATION to enterAll Ages. BYOB with ID

Live performances from Hank Tate & Phil Ballins, Divine Rhyme & Timecode.

Homebase will also be selling DVD copies of "Where the Heart is" for the 1st time. ($15)

*THE 1ST 10 PEOPLE IN THE DOOR WILL GET A FREE COPY OF THE NEW HOMEBASE SHOP DVD

For more info visit: www.Homebase610.com

"Homebase is where the heart is."

Spring on 4th Expands into a Block Party at the Banana Factory!

2009-04-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Please invite friends and family to join us for the 14th Annual celebration.

ArtsQuest’s Banana Factory will spring to life on April 25, as the arts center presents live music, art activities and more during SouthSide Bethlehem’s 14th annual "Spring on 4th, What’s on 3rd?" event.

Spring on 4th is a community celebration of music, food and fun. This year, stop by the Banana Factory to see more events and activities than ever before as ArtsQuest presents a block party that spills into neighboring Northampton Street.

At the Hot Tamales® Stage, sponsored by Just Born, patrons will be able to enjoy rock music by Post Junction. In addition, they may peruse an array of beautiful glass artwork available for sale at as part of the GlassWorks student art sale and studio blowout sale. A raffle, featuring works donated by Banana Factory artists, will also take place.

Kids are invited to explore wonderful flower and insect-themed arts and crafts during the Banana Kids’ Spring Fling. The event, which begins at noon, is for children up to age 12. Cost is free for ArtsQuest Banana Kid members and $5 for nonmembers.

Other Spring on 4th activities include demonstrations by Banana Factory artists, opportunities for guests to make their own glass art and silk scarves, and a chili tasting featuring Banana Factory Chili, as well as Hot Tamale Chili, prepared by the staff of Just Born.

Spring on 4th hours are noon-4 p.m. For more information on the Banana Factory Block Party, visit www.artsquest.org.

(Lehigh Valley, PA) The 14th Annual “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” Street Festival and Chili Cook-off will be held on April 25th 2009 from 11:30

2009-04-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

South Bethlehem’s galleries, shops and stores are once again joining together for an enjoyable afternoon of music, food and fun. This year’s festival will be an extra special celebration with awesome events planned by community leaders throughout South Bethlehem.

Founded 14 years ago to celebrate Bethlehem’s historic, revitalized Southside, “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” is a free, public event that takes place along Third, Fourth and New streets. Highlighting the celebration are the popular chili contest, live entertainment by a variety of performers, fun family activities and more from 12:00 to 4:00. In addition, many of the South Side merchants feature sales and special discounts throughout the afternoon.

Featured “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” events include The Jamani Drummers and Community Drum circle, a BMX biking and skateboarding demonstration sponsored by Homebase Skate Shop, the Community Artists of Bethlehem will be working on an art project and as always Clarence the Clown will be strolling through town.

This year’s “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” chili contest, which takes place from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., features 30 entries ranging from spicy, five-alarm chili to vegetarian, chicken and black bean versions of the dish. Patrons are invited to sample the entries, with a block of three tickets – good for three samples – selling for $1 each. The winners of the chili contest will be announced on WDIY 88.1 FM at 4 p.m. Also join WDIY from 4 to 6 pm with a special celebration of community in the Wachovia Bank parking lot at 301 Broadway with a performance by the Doug Hawk Proposition, games and prizes provided by Allentown Toy Mfg. Co. and a special food drive to benefit New Bethany Ministries.

Community partner offerings include the Cops 'n' Kids block party featuring Radio Disney and LV Idol performances, the Bethlehem Public Library South Side Branch special book mobile appearance to encourage new registrations and The Banana Factory presents Arts Block Party with a Hot Tamale Stage and Arts projects.

Embassy Bank is the presenting sponsor and WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh Valley Community Public Radio and Pulse Weekly are the media sponsors. Other sponsors include Lehigh University, Orasure Technologies, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Saraceno Design, St. Luke’s Print Shop, U.S. Food Service, the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission, Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, Bethlehem Parks and Recreation Department, Downtown Bethlehem Association, and the South Side Film Festival.

For more information on “Spring on Fourth! What’s on Third?” email deni.thurmaneyer@verizon.net