What's Happening in Bethlehem This Week: November 2-8, 2026

The week of Monday, November 2 through Sunday, November 8, 2026 is Election Week in the 18017 area. Pennsylvania voters go to the polls Tuesday, November 3; BASD schools close for the day; Wind Creek hosts Chicago, Steve Martin and Martin Short, and Adam Ray; Lehigh hosts Colgate and Moravian plays at Wilkes on Saturday; First Friday lights up the SouthSide; and the Farrington Square farmers market runs its second-to-last session. This roundup covers Hanover Township (where 3650 Stephen Crane Ln sits), the City of Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, the Bethlehem Area School District, well-reviewed places to eat, Wind Creek Bethlehem, and Lehigh and Moravian universities. Everything below was checked against official and current sources this week.

Around Bethlehem: Hanover Township, the City, and Bethlehem Township

The anchor of the week is Election Day, Tuesday, November 3: the Pennsylvania General Election, with polls open 7:00 to 8:00 PM. The governor's race tops the ticket, with Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro (running mate Austin Davis) facing Republican Stacy Garrity (running mate Jason Richey), plus minor-party candidates. All 17 U.S. House seats, 25 of the 50 state Senate seats, all 203 state House seats, and judicial, retention, and local contests are also on the ballot; Pennsylvania has no U.S. Senate race in 2026. Bethlehem-area voters in Northampton County can confirm their polling place at vote.pa.gov.

In Hanover Township, Northampton County, where 3650 Stephen Crane Ln sits, the Planning Commission holds its first-Monday session Monday, November 2 at 7:30 PM at the Municipal Office, 3630 Jacksonville Road, per the township's standing meeting calendar; agendas post ahead of each meeting on hanovertwp-nc.org. The Board of Supervisors follows its second-and-fourth-Tuesday pattern, so its November meetings are Tuesday, November 10 and Tuesday, November 24 at 7:00 PM; none falls inside this week. With leaves coming down fast, the township's curbside leaf collection continues through late November or the first week of December, weather permitting; leaves must be loose or in brown paper yard-waste bags, and the trash hauler does not collect them, per the public works page.

In the City of Bethlehem, the SouthSide Arts District holds its free monthly First Friday celebration Friday, November 6, with galleries, shops, restaurants, and venues open through the evening in South Bethlehem per southsideartsdistrict.com. The Bethlehem Farmers Market at Farrington Square runs Thursday, November 5, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the second-to-last session of the season (Thursdays through November 12). At SteelStacks, the Musikfest Cafe hosts "The Lady Gaga Experience featuring Haus of Monsters" Friday, November 6 at 7:30 PM per the official ArtsQuest listings at artsquest.org. Veterans Day falls the following week, so city and county observances cluster around Wednesday, November 11.

Bethlehem Township has two meetings on the board this week: the Board of Commissioners holds its regular meeting Monday, November 2 at 7:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 3535 Orth Street, and a budget meeting runs Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 PM as the township finalizes its 2027 spending plan (the next regular commissioners meeting is November 16). Confirm agenda items and the livestream link on the township calendar at bethlehemtownship.org. The township's leaf collection program stays underway through mid-December depending on weather.

One seasonal heads-up: Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem returns to the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks starting Friday, November 13, running weekend markets through Sunday, December 20 (Fridays and Saturdays 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Sundays 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM) per artsquest.org. It is not yet open this week, but it is worth putting on the calendar now as Bethlehem shifts into holiday mode.

Bethlehem Area School District, Freedom, and Liberty

The district closes Tuesday, November 3 for Election Day, a teacher in-service and professional development day with district offices open, per the 2026-2027 academic calendar. The first marking period closes Thursday, November 5, with report cards for period one posted around November 12-13. Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, is a school holiday, so students have the day off before the Thanksgiving break (November 25-30).

On the field, the regular season wrapped Saturday, October 31 with the Liberty-Freedom rivalry game at Liberty. Both Bethlehem programs are PIAA District 11 Class 6A teams, and the District 11 playoffs begin the weekend of November 6-7, when Class 6A quarterfinals would be scheduled for whichever Liberty Valley squads qualify. Pairings depend on final regular-season standings and had not been finalized at research time, so check the day-by-day varsity athletics calendar on basdschools.org for confirmed opponents, times, and venues. Theater fans: the Freedom High School Theatre Company's production of "Mamma Mia" is slated for November; watch the school's site and the company's page for exact dates.

Good Places to Eat in Bethlehem

Fresh picks for Election Night, First Friday, and a post-game dinner, all real, verifiable places and a short drive from Hanover Farms:

• Apollo Grill at 85 West Broad Street is a long-running downtown favorite with a 4.6-star average across more than 1,000 reviews, good for a celebratory dinner.
• Billy's Downtown Diner at 10 East Broad Street is the breakfast-and-lunch institution for early voting mornings, with a 4.3-star average across about 255 reviews.
• The People's Kitchen at 639 Linden Street is a casual cafe near the SouthSide with a 4.6-star average across more than 230 reviews.
• Machs Gute Pub and Grille at 713 Linden Street is a neighborhood pub with a 4.4-star average across about 80 reviews, handy before or after a show.
• Tre Scalini Ristorante at 221 East Broad Street is an Italian room with a 4.4-star average across about 107 reviews, close to the Wind Creek shuttle loop.
• Edge Restaurant at 74 West Broad Street, second floor, is a contemporary American restaurant for a fancier night out, with a 4.2-star average across more than 260 reviews.

Call ahead on Election Night and First Friday; the popular rooms fill fast when the polls close and the galleries open.

Events at Wind Creek Bethlehem

Three shows anchor the first full week of November at the Wind Creek Event Center at 77 Wind Creek Boulevard. Chicago plays Thursday, November 5 at 8:00 PM, "The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short" with the Steep Canyon Rangers follows Friday, November 6 at 8:00 PM, and Adam Ray brings the "WHO IS ME Tour" Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 PM. Alice Cooper closed out the prior weekend Sunday, November 1. Tickets run through the venue's official channels at windcreekeventcenter.com.

Lehigh University and Moravian University

At Lehigh University, the Mountain Hawks play a home Patriot League game Saturday, November 7 at noon, hosting Colgate at Goodman Stadium, per the published 2026 schedule at lehighsports.com. On the arts calendar, the Department of Theatre presents "The House That Will Not Stand", a drama set in 1813 New Orleans, in the Diamond Theater at the Zoellner Arts Center: Friday, November 6 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 PM, per the season calendar at zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu. And the Bethlehem Farmers Market at Farrington Square keeps its Thursday session, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, through November 12.

At Moravian University, the Greyhounds play a Landmark Conference road game at Wilkes University Saturday, November 7 at noon at Schmidt Stadium in Wilkes-Barre, with the 100th football season celebration continuing alongside the road slate; Moravian wraps the regular season at home against Lycoming Saturday, November 14 per moraviansports.com. Payne Gallery at 346 Main Street keeps free public hours Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 PM; the 2026-2027 exhibition calendar details were still being posted at press time, so confirm the current show at moravian.edu/art/payne-gallery.

The Week Ahead in One Glance

• Mon Nov 2: Hanover Township Planning Commission 7:30 PM; Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners 7:00 PM.
• Tue Nov 3: Pennsylvania General Election, polls 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM; BASD schools closed for teacher in-service.
• Thu Nov 5: Bethlehem Farmers Market at Farrington Square 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM; BASD first marking period closes; Bethlehem Township budget meeting 6:00 PM; Chicago at Wind Creek 8:00 PM.
• Fri Nov 6: First Friday in the SouthSide Arts District; "The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short" at Wind Creek 8:00 PM; "The Lady Gaga Experience" at the Musikfest Cafe 7:30 PM; "The House That Will Not Stand" at Zoellner 7:30 PM.
• Sat Nov 7: Lehigh vs Colgate at Goodman Stadium noon; Moravian at Wilkes noon; Adam Ray at Wind Creek 8:00 PM; District 11 football playoff quarterfinals for qualifying 6A teams.
• Sun Nov 8: "The House That Will Not Stand" matinee at Zoellner 2:00 PM.

Looking past the weekend: Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11, BASD is closed that day, and Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem opens Friday, November 13 at SteelStacks.

As always, event details, times, and lineups can change, so confirm directly with the township, city, school, venue, or university before heading out. I research this roundup fresh every week from official and current sources, and I never publish an event I cannot verify.

While you are out enjoying a November week in Bethlehem, remember that 3650 Stephen Crane Ln in Hanover Farms is listed at $414,900, with 3 bedrooms plus an office or possible 4th bedroom, 1.5 baths, an in-ground pool, and a covered patio. To arrange a private tour, call Tim Tepes at (484) 275-0056 or use the contact page.