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Bethlehem, PA (May 1, 2020) – Each First Friday Bethlehem’s SouthSide Arts District comes to life, celebrating art, music, delicious food and their eclectic shops. Last month was the first “Virtual First Friday” showcasing the SouthSide’s Downtown Manager Missy Hartney chatting about the restaurant deals and retail options Bethlemites and beyond could partake live on Facebook at 4pm. “We wanted to give viewers a preview of the evening to figure out what take out they’d like to order, and then join us later at 7pm on Facebook for our main event.” Hundreds of viewers came back to Facebook to enjoy local American Country singer Kendal Conrad, Alternative singer-songwriter Carlos Barata and Classic Rock artist Ralph Pagano jam from 7pm – 9pm. “After the success of last month’s virtual First Friday – we wanted to continue the celebration in May, with our deepest hope that we can celebrate together in June on the SouthSide,” said Hartney. This Virtual First Friday will kick off at 4pm with Hartney detailing the deals and delish of the evening and at 7pm Lehigh Valley Music Award winner for Outstanding All-Around Performer, Stacy Gabel will kick off the evening Live on Facebook, followed by local acoustic rock legend Billy Bauer at 8pm. Viewers who like and share each performance with the hashtag #facebookfirstfriday will get the chance to win a $100 gift card to their favorite SouthSide retailer or restaurant. The winner will be announced Friday evening on the SouthSide’s Facebook page!

“Now more than ever we need the community to come together and support these celebrated musicians, shops and restaurants. It’s crucial that we hold on to a sense of normalcy and dedicate ourselves to helping our local downtowns and artists survive this unprecedented time,” said Hartney. “And what better way to do that than to treat yourself to some delicious food, a great retail deal and live music from two of the most acclaimed musicians in the Lehigh Valley. We greatly hope you’ll join us on First Friday May 1^st for a very fun evening, together online.”

For more information on all the local shops and restaurants still in operation in the SouthSide please visit:

https://southsideartsdistrict.com/support-local-merchants/

Special thank you to our First Friday Sponsors – ArtsQuest, The Bethlehem Parking Authority and Lehigh University for making First Friday possible!

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