Uptown Northampton Street Fair Returns for its 34th Year!
The Northampton Area Chamber, proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce invites you to join the fun & festivities at Uptown Northampton Street Fair on September 9, 2022!
The 34th Annual Uptown Northampton returns to Main Street with a bang!
With over 100 craft and business vendors, live music, food trucks, rock climbing, giveaways, and more, the street festival has all the elements to bring an enjoyable afternoon to Northampton, PA.
“The Greater Northampton Area Chamber is pleased to once again bring the Uptown Northampton Festival to the Borough of Northampton,”
said Jessica O’Donnell-Gower
EVP of Affiliated Chambers, Easton Initiatives and the Northern Tier for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“This year’s festival continues a time-honored tradition with some fun new twists – live music at the Gin Mill, a Mini Moos Petting Zoo – plus some traditional activities, like tours of the Roxy Theater. Not only does this event celebrate our local businesses, it brings new faces to the Borough. We look forward to a great event!”
The festival, which will feature over 100 vendors and food trucks, is returning on September 9th, 2023
The festival, which will feature over 100 vendors and food trucks, is returning on September 9th, 2023, and will feature rock climbing from LV Rocks, Touch-a-Truck , two beer tents from the Gin Mill and The Chamber (benefiting the GNACC Scholarship Fund) and other adult beverages from Triple Sun Spirits, Clever Girl Winery, Lucci Family Wines and Sleepy Cat Urban Winery. Tours of the Roxy Theater will be held throughout the day, and the Main Stage, located next to the Gin Mill, will feature demonstrations from 3D Dance (11-11:30 AM) and Elite Mixed Martial Arts (1:30-2 PM), and live music from Third Hand (11:30 AM-1:30 PM) and Trick Stacy (2:30-4 PM).
“Being a part of a time-honored tradition in Northampton
is not only important to us as an organization,
but to the volunteers and staff who make this festival come to fruition,”
Kate Hartney
Coordinator of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Food trucks will also be present to provide great eats throughout the day. Participating trucks (as of August 29th) include: Mattie’s Strudel Haus, Mon & Mel’s Sweet Scoops, CurdZone, Island Expressions, Greek Street, Slide on By, Smokehouse Food Truck, Kalli Inc Sweet Treats Funnel Cakes, and Grub Night Food Truck.
This event would not be made possible without Greater Northampton Area businesses
This event would not be made possible without Greater Northampton Area businesses; participating sponsors include: Horwith Trucking (Entertainment Sponsor), The Gin Mill & Grille (Entertainment Sponsor), Holcim (Uptown Sponsor), Embassy Bank of the Lehigh Valley (Main Street Sponsor), Roxy Theater (Main Street Sponsor), Newhard Pharmacy (Main Street Sponsor), Foster Jewelers (Main Street Sponsor), A&M Service Center (Uptown Sponsor), Times News (Media Sponsor) and Livengood Excavators Inc. (Supporting Sponsor).
Secret to BBQing a Juicier Chicken? Shark Tank’s Turbo Trusser revealed by Brian Halasinski and Kirk Hyust.
Want juicier chicken? Yes. More flavor? Yes. Get it all setup in seconds? Yes. Two guys who love good food decided to tackle the problem.
Luckily, a Chef and a Builder were on the team. And luckily the team has business smarts, creativity and can-do spirit. Lastly, the team got global attention by winning their way onto hit TV show Shark Tank where Kevin O’Leary got excited by the flavors, the team and their product.
Today Turbo Trusser partners Brian Halasinski and Kirk Hyust stopped by for a conversation about delicious food, creating a great team and the secret to cooking.
The below conversation was edited for length and clarity. Find the full conversation on our YouTube channel.
Can you guys share a memory about how being in the backyard with your family and friends inspired you to create the Turbo Trusser?
Brian Halasinski: Kirk and I have been working together on inventions for the last eight years and oftentimes we’ll have an idea that’ll come up and we’ll text each other and we’ll write it down in a notebook and then we’ll come and visit it later.
It just happened that I was getting ready to make chicken for my family and I was going to do a rotisserie chicken and I was trying to figure out how to tie this bird up with traditional strings. So I got my iPad and I’m watching a video.
I have to pause the video. My hands are covered in chicken juice. And after it was all done, it wasn’t done well.
I texted Kirk because he’s a trained chef from the culinary Institute. There’s gotta be a better way. We started working on the Turbo Trusser from there.
After your success on Shark Tank, Turbo Trusser has become a global hit. How have your backgrounds inspired where you are today?
Kirk Hyust: I’ve been a building contractor for 25 years. Before that I was a chef. I got burnt out [being a Chef] and then I started building things and that’s how Brian and I met. I renovated his house for him.
I was in the middle of inventing a wrench and Brian saw it [and said], ‘I want to start inventing too. You want to be inventing partners.’
We still haven’t quit our day jobs. We work seven days a week. Luckily working for us a lot of the time is cooking. Which is good.
You mentioned you are a trained chef. Tell us about your chef side.
Kirk Hyust: I went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Classical French cuisine. We’re from Ohio, so I like meat and potatoes and hearty casseroles.
Do you have a favorite dish?
Kirk Hyust: Fettuccine Alfredo and Turbo Trusser chicken.
Brian, can we touch on your background and how how you ended up with TurboTruster?
Brian Halasinski: I have been in the pharmaceutical sales industry for the last 20 years. I have a fairly flexible schedule to where I’m on the road and can be on the phone and be multitasking quite a bit when I’m working.
I’ve had that entrepreneurial spirit in a way. Then when I met Kirk, he had invented this wrench and he was working on my house and he was there for it was a pretty decent sized project.
So over time we became friends. I became interested in the whole process of inventing.
And then with that, you could actually take your invention and license it to somebody, basically renting out your idea and collecting a royalty. Kirk and I always thought that would be great.
We did a couple of products and we licensed them. Didn’t end up working out […]. We learned a little bit about the failures. And then ultimately that day I texted Kirk and said, listen, we got to come up with a better way to trust a chicken or Turkey. And we looked out there and there was nothing available other than butcher’s twine, which has been the way it’s been done for a hundred years.
A huge majority of people cook chicken and turkeys the wrong way. That’s my assumption.
When we compare your final chicken to a poorly done chicken what’s the difference?
Kirk Hyust: Trusting actually is a technique that brings all the meat together. If you don’t trust a bird, you’re actually cooking five pieces of meat separately. You got two wings, you got two legs and thighs and a breast. What you do, when you truss a bird, you actually bring all the pieces together and it cooks as one piece of meat, so it’s cooked more evenly and it’s juicier.
If you don’t cook it, if you don’t tie it up, if you just throw it in the oven or on the grill, what happens is all the meat cooks separately. The breast is gonna be done before the legs. The wings probably are going to dry out and they’re going to be inedible. Because when you use the Turbo Trusser the wings are great.
It makes one ball of meat essentially and cooks it as one piece of meat instead of five.
Is it the ego of the grill master? Or how do we help people realize they can have a better bird?
Kirk Hyust: That’s a really good question because we get that a lot. People have never even heard the term truss. To truss a bird.
Your bird’s gonna be a lot better, but it’s gonna take you about five minutes to do it when it takes 20 seconds to use our product. Especially a Thanksgiving Turkey because that will dry out a lot faster than a chicken.
Brian Halasinski: With the Turbo Trusser, the way it’s designed it’s going to hold the stuffing in place too. So the stuffing’s not going to dry out the way it closes the cavity.
If you’re going to do a rotisserie, you absolutely have to tie that bird up or your legs and wings are going to be just flopping around the whole time.
Can we talk a little bit about the process going from zero to where we are today?
Brian Halasinski: It was when we came up with the concept.
First, we started making prototypes. We made them out of cardboard. Then we made them out of wood. Kirk’s got all these tools so we could easily cut things. Then through trial and error with prototypes that we could make cheaply, we ended up with a very similar design to what we have today.
Then from there, we found a local fabricating shop that was able to laser cut out some samples for us so we could actually cook with them. We did all these things, refining the process and refining the product down to where we wanted to make it. Then we had to make a decision: make this here in the U.S. or go overseas.
Kirk and I made a decision based on our beliefs and our values that we wanted to make it here in the U.S. Being in Ohio, we were close to Cleveland, Ohio. This was the rust belt. There’s still a lot of manufacturing here.
So within one hour of our headquarters, we were able to source everything we needed to mass produce and launch this product to the world from Canton, Ohio.
Kirk Hyust: We had six prototypes by the time we got to our seventh one. That was the one that we stuck with. We just kept refining the prototypes until we landed on the seventh one, which is that what in the stores or online.
Can you tell us a little bit about from prototype one to seven? How did we get there?
Kirk Hyust: When you’re doing a prototype, obviously you have to solve a problem. When you build a product, it has to work correctly or you’re going to get bad reviews.
But we started out with a couple different designs. We bought a chicken and a turkey; and we put this contour gauge on the leg, so that made the dips that you see now where the legs go into. Then we were in my shop, cutting it out and it looked like [bird] wings so we ended up putting the heads on it because it already had wings that the legs sat into the cradle.
It’s a lot of detail.
Kirk Hyust: Yes, exactly. We just got our patent […] issued for the very first time. Even if it’s a piece of stamp metal and 2 wires. How intricate it really is.
Kirk, between your chef skills and your contractor skills. A perfect combination of bringing those two skill sets together.
Kirk Hyust: It is. We have sales and numbers and Brian’s also creative. […]The technical stuff, the websites, we develop everything together, but we have our strengths, he has a master’s degree in business. So he’s trained really well for that.
So it’s lie our strengths and weaknesses definitely fit together with each other.
Can we just talk through in the most simple, basic steps, how to use the Turbo Trusser?
Kirk Hyust: It’s really very simple. I usually buy a five pound bird. [With] smaller birds, it still works. It goes up to a 10 pound chicken.
Then you take the plastic off, pull the packet of giblets and everything out of the inside. Rinse it off. Pat it dry with a paper towel and if you have time, put it in the refrigerator and let the skin dry out. Put the Turbo Trusser on it, hook the legs in, hook the wings.
Use duck fat or some kind of a binder to put your spices on it. Salt and pepper, your favorite rub, something spicy, something sweet. Coat it with some kind of oil, or ghee or olive oil.
Put it in the oven at 375 for an hour and a half until it hits 165 degrees. That’s pretty much in a nutshell how easy it is.
Brian Halasinski: The Turbo Trusser is just three pieces. You got the main piece. Then you have two hooks. The hooks are going to go through the holes on the body of the chicken. You’re going to put the sharp end through the hole. It’s going to lock into place with the other end.
So it’s simply, put the two hooks into the Turbo Trusser body. You hook them onto the wings. The legs go into the cradle and in 20 seconds, you’re done.
How do we get that strong-willed Backyard Grillmaster to give the Turbo Trusser a try?
Brian Halasinski:Just telling them to keep it simple and go back to what people have been doing for 100 years. And that’s using string to tie it up. Only we came up with a simpler solution. So it’s what everybody’s been people don’t do it because they’re intimidated, but now they don’t have to be. The turbo truss are so easy to use.
Anybody can use it. Even if you have dexterity problems, you’re never going to figure out how to, you’re not going to be able to tie up a bird if you have problems with your fingers, right? older people, maybe they have arthritis and it’s hard for them to tie a knot. Now with the turbo trusser, you can do that without fear and you can, it’s simple and effective.
As we wrap up, tell me about the Shark Tank experience.
Kirk Hyust: It was crazy.
Brian Halasinski: I’ll give you a high level view. We launched our product on November 1st of 2021.
Right away we went online and we applied for Shark Tank. It was 100% online. Before COVID they would do open casting calls like Like American Idol.
About 50, 000 people apply. They narrow that down to about 125 people that tape [a TV segment], and maybe 100 or so will end up airing on television for the season that you’re in.
So we apply, we have no sales, we don’t hear a word from them for a couple months. So we launched the product. We did pretty well. We sold like $50,000 worth of Turbo Trussers in the first two months of being in business with nobody ever heard of us.
We went back and we re-applied again, we got some sales numbers. Eventually they called. I Six months after we initially applied, they called us.
You basically work down through the process every week. They’re giving you something new to turn in, to make a video.
Our first video, we came up with the idea to wear the chicken and turkey costumes. We said we wanted to stand out. We know that Shark Tank is television. If it’s not good TV, people aren’t going to watch it. They loved it.
We made it all the way down through. We went all the way out to California and taped [our episode]. We ended up getting a deal with Kevin O’Leary, which was incredible.
Kirk Hyust: Brian’s a salesman. I’m not used to that. So when I was on Shark Tank, I messed my lines up. I went blank for a couple seconds. I missed my cue to go over to my spot and I was really flustered, but I recovered, but man, that was the worst part.
Tell us the website, social media, where to find you, where to browse your products, where to learn more about you.
Brian Halasinski: The first thing for our product is TurboTrusser.com.
You can make your decision if you want to buy from our website, or you can go to Amazon Prime across the country.
You can find us on all the regular social media at Turbo Trusser on Facebook, Instagram, TikToK
You can find me, Brian Halasinski on LinkedIn, connect with us and be happy to chat or answer any questions with anybody.
You can reach out if you have any questions. I write a lot of the PPAs (provisional patent applications) and stuff. So any kind of questions, how to cook a good bird we’re accessible. We want to help we want to help anybody out there that we can, because we’ve had a lot of people help us along the way.
As we witness the impacts of plastics and other waste on our planet, more and more people are looking to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Creating a zero-waste kitchen involves adopting a mindful and sustainable approach to reduce waste at every stage of your buying, cooking, and eating routines, and it is an impactful way to minimize your carbon footprint.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
Plan Ahead to Leave Less Behind
Look through your pantry and kitchen to see what you have on hand. Assess areas where waste is generated and rethink your shopping list.
Food waste can be prevented by effectively using your ingredients. Make creative use of leftovers. Freeze excess food for future meals. Don’t over-purchase perishable items. Make a shopping list and stick to it to avoid impulse purchases.
Buy in Bulk and Refill
Stock up on staples like grains, pasta, nuts, and spices in bulk. If you are heading to a store with bulk bins, bring your containers to avoid excess packaging.
Another way to reduce plastic packaging waste is by shopping at stores where you can refill cleaning and personal care products.
Choose products with minimal or sustainable packaging. Opt for glass, metal, or cardboard packaging over plastic whenever possible. These items can be repurposed or recycled.
Avoid individually packaged items and single-use packaging.
Shop Your Local Farmers Market
Shop Your Local Farmers Market
Farmers markets facilitate zero-waste kitchens.
Here’s how:
Reduced food packaging: Farmers markets offer fewer packaged and processed foods than grocery stores. Buying fewer single-use plastics keeps packaging waste out of landfills.
Local and seasonal produce: Farmers markets prioritize regionally grown and seasonal produce. By buying from local farmers, you support sustainable agriculture practices while minimizing the environmental impact of long-distance food transportation.
Bulk purchases: Many farmers markets offer the option to buy produce in bulk, allowing you to choose the quantity you need without redundant packaging.
BYOB (bring your own bag)
BYOB (bring your own bag)
Those flimsy plastic bags from the grocery store are no match for a reusable tote. Reusable bags made from canvas or recycled plastics are larger and more durable than single-use bags. Plus, more states are implementing fees to curb the use of plastic bags.
Go Green with Reusable Kitchenware
Most people know about reusable water bottles, but there are tons more reusable items on the market (many are dishwasher-safe too). From reusable K-cups for your morning cup of joe to stainless steel straws, there are lots of eco-friendly ways to eliminate kitchen waste.
Reusable products not only cut down on the production and consumption of new products, but they also save you money.
Consider Eco-Friendly Upgrades
With all the money you’ll save by going green, consider upgrading your appliances. New technologies use less water and electricity. The money you spend on energy-efficient appliances will be recuperated over time.
Freeze as You Please
A high-performance freezer is a powerful tool for keeping your food fresh. Food waste often comes from leftovers. Rather than throwing away leftovers, you can freeze them. These frozen meals can be quick and convenient options on busy days, especially when stored as pre-packaged meals.
Freezing foods can significantly extend their shelf life; this way, you can buy in bulk and take advantage of sales without worrying about ingredients spoiling.
If you have produce nearing its expiration date, freeze it before it turns. Freeze fruits, vegetables, and other perishables. Sauces can be frozen too.
Your freezer can also store dry goods. Freeze bulk items like nuts, grains, and flour for later use.
Reimagine Your Food Scraps
Reimagine Your Food Scraps
Almost all organic material has multiple uses. For example, banana peels make great hair and skin masks, banana tea is a powerful sleep aid, and plants love the potassium-enriched water of peels soaked overnight.
Orange peels can be boiled as a room deodorizer or baked and ground into a vitamin-packed powder.
Bones can be made into bone broth, and new plants can be grown from viable produce seeds, while herbs can be propagated for an endless supply of seasonings.
Before you toss it in the compost bin, perform a quick search and scope out any additional uses.
Compost is King
Composting is the backbone of the zero-waste kitchen. Once you have re-used your food in every imaginable way, it’s time to give it back to the earth. Create a compost pile in your yard; use a tumbling bin or a countertop composter.
Benefits of composting:
Reduced landfill waste: Food scraps account for a large chunk of landfill waste. When these materials decompose in landfills; they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting diverts these materials away from landfills, reducing their environmental impact.
Enriched soil: Compost improves soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. By composting, you’ll foster healthy plant growth, reducing the need for excessive watering and fertilizers.
Minimized odor and pests: Properly composting food scraps and yard waste reduces the likelihood of attracting pests and generating foul odors in trash bins.
A zero-waste kitchen is one way to live a greener, moreeco-friendly lifestyle. Once you hit your stride in the kitchen, you’ll likely find other areas to cut waste. Small changes add up, and you’ll make a big difference.
Caleb Leonard is a freelance writer and marketing professional. A graduate of the University of North Texas, his interests include gardening, podcasts, and studying Spanish.
Penn’s Peak is proud to announce Christmas with the Celts, Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 8pm.
Celebrating 12 years of successful national touring, Christmas with the Celts performs a wonderful combination of timeless ancient Irish Christmas Carols and lively Irish dance with modern contemporary songs but with Irish instrumentation.
New Christmas hits, Celts originals and fresh Irish Dance tunes are added to the show each year so that no 2 years are the same. Always a pleasant surprise.
This year Christmas with the Celts will introduce top Irish musicians Patrick D’Arcy from Dublin and Fiachra O’Regan from Connemara, Ireland.
These two have performed with Bono of U2, Sting, Quincy Jones, The Waterboys, Bill Whelan of Riverdance, just to name a few. Also, featured will be the haunting vocals of beautiful singer/fiddler Luisa Marion.
And an Irish Christmas would not be complete without the unpredictable Irish jokes (craic) and banter that occurs between band members and the audience every year and the always crowd pleasing fiery Irish dancers.
The high-stepping spirited musical selections have audiences clapping along from the first lively renditions of popular contemporary Christmas classics such as Irish versions of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas, White Christmas, John Lennon’s perennial Happy Christmas and many surprises. The show presents a perfect combination of modern Christmas hits, lively ancient Irish Carols, hilarious spontaneous humor, thrilling Irish dancing, a children’s choir and meaningful Christmas ballads with lush string arrangements giving audiences a most memorable interactive Christmas experience.
Show founder, Grammy nominated songwriter, and film score composer Ric Blair says, “You can’t listen to Celtic music and not be happy. Christmas with the Celts isn’t just a concert; it is a spiritual experience of music and dance uniting communities. It’s about bringing young and old together. It is a music of the people. I think that is why this unique melding of modern Christmas hits and organic Celtic instrumentation continues to resonate and grow in popularity every year with audiences.”
The first live performance of Christmas with The Celts was in front of a sold-out audience at the original Grand Ole Opry (voted top venue by Pollstar) the world-famous Ryman Auditorium. The Celts pack concert halls around the world including The Grand Ole Opry, The Lincoln Center, and Performing Arts Centers, Theaters and large Casinos across the country; including multiple appearances on NPR, WSM Radio, PBS shows like Music City Roots and The Bluegrass Underground. Later this year they are set to appear on the Woodsong’s Old Time Radio Hour which also airs on PBS. Blair credits much of their success to their exposure on PBS.
The group has shared the stage with Vince Gill, Cathy Jordan of Dervish, Mairead of Altan, Ricky Skaggs, Tim O’Brien, Patty Loveless, just to name a few.
Tickets on sale Thursday, August 17th at 10:00AM at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant ticket sales are walk-up only, no phone orders.
Reserved Seating:
Premium Reserved: $28
Regular Reserved: $23
About Penn’s Peak
Penn’s Peak, a beautiful mountaintop entertainment venue located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, can comfortably host 1,800 concertgoers. Enjoy a spacious dance floor, lofty ceilings, concert bar/concession area and a full service restaurant and bar aptly named Roadie’s. Complete with a broad open-air deck for summertime revelry, Penn’s Peak patrons enjoy a breathtaking overlook of nearby Beltzville Lake, plus a commanding, picturesque 50-mile panoramic view of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains. Choose Penn’s Peak for your next wedding, banquet or special event and treat your guests to an event truly “Above the Rest”.
Geographically convenient to residents of major population zones in Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and New York City, Penn’s Peak is an ideal location for any event. It is located only four miles from Exit 74 of the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.
Penn’s Peak is proud to announce Let’s Sing Taylor – A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift, Friday, October 27, 2023 at 8pm.
Let’s Sing Taylor – A Live Band Experience – is the ultimate tribute to the music of Taylor Swift.
We can show you incredible things, including the most faithful and lively covers of Queen Taylor’s expansive and sacred catalog. Taking the country by storm, we’re bringing the communal experience of celebrating Taylor’s music in a live setting to Swifties near and far.
So, let the games begin. Calling all Swifties to sing your hearts out and sport your Taylor inspired attire. You can show up at our party any time.
Tickets on sale Thursday, August 17th at 10:00AM at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant ticket sales are walk-up only, no phone orders.
General Admission
Advance: $29
Day of Show: $35
About Penn’s Peak
Penn’s Peak, a beautiful mountaintop entertainment venue located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, can comfortably host 1,800 concertgoers.
Enjoy a spacious dance floor, lofty ceilings, concert bar/concession area and a full service restaurant and bar aptly named Roadie’s. Complete with a broad open-air deck for summertime revelry, Penn’s Peak patrons enjoy a breathtaking overlook of nearby Beltzville Lake, plus a commanding, picturesque 50-mile panoramic view of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains.
Choose Penn’s Peak for your next wedding, banquet or special event and treat your guests to an event truly “Above the Rest”.
Geographically convenient to residents of major population zones in Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and New York City, Penn’s Peak is an ideal location for any event. It is located only four miles from Exit 74 of the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.
Chelcie Lynn, comedian, actress, and internet personality extraordinaire, will be center stage with her alter ego Trailer Trash Tammy at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA on Friday, October 20.
Lynn started building a fan base in 2014 when her sketches featuring Trailer Trash Tammy went viral. Her videos have since gained hundreds of millions of views
across the internet and have launched her career on screen and in comedy touring.
She was named one of Variety’s Top 10 comics to watch in 2021. Her inaugural stand-up comedy tour, The Tammy Tour: One Trailer Park At A Time, sold out in 2021. Chelcie continued her cross-country tour in 2022 and 2023 selling out shows.
Chelcie Lynn was involved in hosting the Tailgates N’ Tallboys Festival and appeared at the Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival.
She can be seen in the Duplass Brother feature film Tangerine as ‘Madame Jillian,’ and starred in the digital series Coach Von Pidgeon for Funny or Die and Facebook Watch. Chelcie will be appearing in the upcoming feature film SWEET DREAMS starring Johnny Knoxville, Mo Amer, and Kate Upton.
Tickets for great seats are on sale on August 11 at 10:00 AM at shermantheater.com or at the Sherman Theater Box Office at 570-420-2808.
Penn’s Peak is proud to announce Jessie’s Girl, Friday, December 1, 2023 at 8pm.
Back To The Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl is the world’s greatest tribute to the music of the ‘80s!
Jessie’s Girl’s primary line-up includes a team of NYC’s top rock and pop vocalists: Jenna O’Gara, Chris Hall, and Mark Rinzel. They are backed by one of the tightest bands in the city comprised of 20+ year veterans of the NYC music scene: Eric Presti on guitar, Drew Mortali on bass, Michael Maenza on drums, and Karlee Bloom on keys and keytar.
Each with dozens of credits performing with authentic ‘80s icons who made the music famous to begin with!
In fact, Bret Michaels, MC Hammer, Colin Hay from Men at Work, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dane, Mike Score from A Flock of Seagulls, Tone Loc, Rob Base, and many more have all performed at the Back To The Eighties Show.
Their calendar is filled with high-profile appearances and private events around the U.S., bringing the Back To The Eighties Show to The Theater at Madison Square Garden for the I Want My ‘80s Concert, ABC / NY Magazine’s launch party for The Goldbergs, a Halloween bash with Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, a private birthday party for ‘80s icon Neil Patrick Harris and Coca Cola / Buffalo Wild Wings’ massive “Tablegate” event in Tempe, AZ, opening for Smash Mouth!
The band has continuously sold out nights at prestigious regional venues such as The Capitol Theatre in Westchester, NY, The Paramount on Long Island, the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ, Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA, and many other venues. They are the only band to play every year on The ‘80s Cruise and have firmed a deal to continue performing through 2024.
There is no decade like the ‘80s and no party like The Back To The Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl. So throw on your best neon, use extra hair spray on that hair and head to the Back To The Eighties Show – because it’s time to party like it’s 1989!
Tickets on sale Thursday, August 3rd at 10:00AM at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant ticket sales are walk-up only, no phone orders.
General Admission
Advance: $29
Day of Show: $35
About Penn’s Peak
Penn’s Peak, a beautiful mountaintop entertainment venue located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, can comfortably host 1,800 concertgoers. Enjoy a spacious dance floor, lofty ceilings, concert bar/concession area and a full service restaurant and bar aptly named Roadie’s. Complete with a broad open-air deck for summertime revelry, Penn’s Peak patrons enjoy a breathtaking overlook of nearby Beltzville Lake, plus a commanding, picturesque 50-mile panoramic view of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains. Choose Penn’s Peak for your next wedding, banquet or special event and treat your guests to an event truly “Above the Rest”.
Geographically convenient to residents of major population zones in Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and New York City, Penn’s Peak is an ideal location for any event. It is located only four miles from Exit 74 of the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.
Penn’s Peak is proud to announce 38 Special, Friday, November 3, 2023 at 8pm.
After more than four decades, 38 SPECIAL continues to bring their signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year. At each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band’s performance.
Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a legendary powerhouse.
With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock pop smashes, “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more – Timeless hits that remain a staple at radio, immediately recognizable from the first opening chord, and paving the way to their present-day touring regimen.
Guitarist/vocalist DON BARNES says it’s all about maintaining that intensity in their live shows.
“We never wanted to be one of those bands that had maybe gotten a little soft or complacent over the years.
We’re a team, and it’s always been kind of an unspoken rule that we don’t slack up, we stack up. We go out there every night to win.”
Completing the team is bassist BARRY DUNAWAY, drummer GARY MOFFATT and keyboardist/vocalist BOBBY CAPPS. The most recent addition to the band is legendary virtuoso guitarist and vocalist JERRY RIGGS.
For 38 Special onstage, it is a celebration of camaraderie and brotherhood, a precision unit bringing the dedication and honesty to a long history of classic songs, as well as surprisingly fresh new material.
Since 1976, the band has released more than 15 albums. And from the start, they’ve toured relentlessly, bringing their signature brand of ‘muscle and melody’ to fans worldwide.
It is that steely determination that lives on in the hearts of these ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.’
Barnes adds, “This music keeps our wheels on the road. We’re a band that’s tried to stay honest with what has driven us over the years. We started out with nothing but bold determination to make our own history and to endure. Looking back now, it has been our greatest pride to have persevered and attained that level of success and longevity. For us, it’s the ultimate validation.”
“The magic’s still there,”
adds Barnes.
“It’s an emotional high for us to keep ‘bringing it’ after all these years. When those lights go down and we all walk up those steps to the stage and hear that crowd roar, it’s a real rush to the head. It feels like we’re getting ready to strap ourselves in and it just takes off from there.”
Tickets on sale Thursday, August 3rd at 10:00AM at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant ticket sales are walk-up only, no phone orders.
Reserved Seating with Pit
Standing Pit @ Stage: $52
Regular Reserved: $45
About Penn’s Peak
Penn’s Peak, a beautiful mountaintop entertainment venue located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, can comfortably host 1,800 concertgoers. Enjoy a spacious dance floor, lofty ceilings, concert bar/concession area and a full service restaurant and bar aptly named Roadie’s. Complete with a broad open-air deck for summertime revelry, Penn’s Peak patrons enjoy a breathtaking overlook of nearby Beltzville Lake, plus a commanding, picturesque 50-mile panoramic view of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains. Choose Penn’s Peak for your next wedding, banquet or special event and treat your guests to an event truly “Above the Rest”.
Geographically convenient to residents of major population zones in Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and New York City, Penn’s Peak is an ideal location for any event. It is located only four miles from Exit 74 of the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.
Penn’s Peak is proud to announce The Four Horsemen- Metallica Tribute, Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8pm.
Dedication to excellence is what separates U.S. metal heroes THE FOUR HORSEMEN from the ocean of ‘tribute’ bands.
The only album-quality Metallica tribute band on the planet
They deliver the unforgettable, note-for-note perfect experience that is guaranteed to surpass even the wildest dreams of Metallica aficionados.
The speed, the precision, the signature riffs, and the look – THE FOUR HORSEMEN are the real deal!
They have the talent to deliver the sonic authenticity of the vintage thrash songs with high caliber execution – including the blistering vocals of the albums like no one else. No gimmicks on the stage. Just sheer energy, chest-pounding, crowd-pleasing power. The very same intensity that drew millions to Metallica in the 80’s. Guitarist/vocalist Sean Perry explains; “Fans deserve the highest quality reproduction of Metallica’s records and shows. That’s why we’re here.”
Guided by his vision and determination, the band have become heroes to their ever-growing fan base in the U.S. and are now spreading their wings to take over the globe.
“I saw Metallica on the Black Album tour in 1991 and that experience changed me forever…”
The sound, the energy between band and audience – from that moment on I knew what I was put on earth to do. Music is my life!” says Sean. Little did he know that his thrasher heroes would play an even bigger part in his artistic future when he was approached by a Metallica tribute band looking for a new, charismatic front man in late 2006.
Every live performance they have done has received widespread acclaim; the band have taken the art of paying tribute to a new level of potency. Focusing on Metallica’s first four, classic albums – Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, and …And Justice For All – with a smattering of anthems from the all-conquering Metallica/Black Album they deliver a show metal fans dream of.
The Four Horsemen have now taken global management by Jeff Hair, legendary sound engineer for MANOWAR.
Be warned: They are primed and ready to bring their high-energy show to stages around the world!
Tickets on sale Thursday, August 3rd at 10:00AM at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant ticket sales are walk-up only, no phone orders.
General Admission
Advance: $22
Day of Show: $27
About Penn’s Peak
Penn’s Peak, a beautiful mountaintop entertainment venue located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, can comfortably host 1,800 concertgoers. Enjoy a spacious dance floor, lofty ceilings, concert bar/concession area and a full service restaurant and bar aptly named Roadie’s. Complete with a broad open-air deck for summertime revelry, Penn’s Peak patrons enjoy a breathtaking overlook of nearby Beltzville Lake, plus a commanding, picturesque 50-mile panoramic view of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains. Choose Penn’s Peak for your next wedding, banquet or special event and treat your guests to an event truly “Above the Rest”.
Geographically convenient to residents of major population zones in Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and New York City, Penn’s Peak is an ideal location for any event. It is located only four miles from Exit 74 of the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.
For Ukraine: A Concert of Remembrance and Hope at Miller Symphony Hall on Sunday, August 20
Miller Symphony Hall announces a very special concert, coming up on Sunday, August 20. For Ukraine: A Concert of Remembrance and Hope will unite everyone in support of Ukraine in her time of need and is presented by Miller Symphony Hall and The Allentown Band, just in time to celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day (August 24).
Allentown Band Conductor Ronald Demkee notes:
“I am so looking forward to conducting this concert, which is special in so many ways.
Lots of wonderful music, some familiar, some new, and an internationally acclaimed composer conducting his own symphony that features a world class soloist and an outstanding youth chorus; this will surely result in a memorable and rewarding experience for all. Add to that the fact that net proceeds will support Ukrainian humanitarian efforts, which makes the event even more meaningful.”
The concert includes a video greeting from Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, speaking on behalf of the people of her country. Allentown Symphony/Miller Symphony Hall Executive Director Al Jacobsen notes, “Ron and the Allentown Band approached us about co-presenting this concert and we were moved by the idea. As the atrocities in Ukraine continue, we will speak through music and raise funds to support those who need it most in this war.”
The performance features soloist Patricia Risley, mezzo-soprano, and a special appearance by The Bel Canto Youth Chorus of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Guest Conductor Johan de Meij will lead his Symphony # 4 Symphony of Songs, with movements that express both loss and hope. Opening the concert are two pieces by Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko, newly transcribed for band: Taras Bulba Overture and A Prayer for Ukraine. The chosen repertoire will also evoke feelings of optimism (A Plea for Ukraine by Ronald DeGranis), support and hope (A Tribute to Ukraine by Lawrence Kursar), introspection and resilience (Symphony No. 3, 6th Movement by Gustav Mahler), hope and victory (Symphony No. 5, 4th Movement by Ludwig van Beethoven) and the passion and spirit found in the Ukrainian National Anthem.
All net proceeds from the concert will go directly toward helping the people of Ukraine who continue to face enormous challenges and hardships. As always, the power of music to connect and inspire us will be shared by everyone who attends and supports this outreach to those in need.
For those wishing to make an extra donation to the effort, a donation through Ukraine’s official website is recommended: https://war.ukraine.ua/support-ukraine/
For Ukraine: A Concert of Remembrance and Hope
Sunday, August 20 at 3 pm
Miller Symphony Hall
23 N 6th Street, Allentown PA
610-432-6715
Tickets: MillerSymphonyHall.org $15 – $45
Please note: The Allentown Symphony Orchestra will not appear during this performance.
