Lehigh Valley InSite

The Freddys

Today, and throughout the next few weeks, we’ll be giving away copies of “Most Valuable Players,” a documentary focused on the annual Freddy Awards which earned the International Documentary Association’s distinction as “the feel good documentary of the year.”

The Freddy Awards are an annual recognition of outstanding high school musical theatre in the greater Lehigh Valley area. They were first created in 2003 and are held each year at the State Theatre in Easton and broadcast live on WFMZ Channel 69.

Cask Beer Festival

This past Saturday, I attended the Great Allentown Brew Works Cask Beer Festival with my brother / fellow beer aficionado, Bill. There were about 30 limited edition cask varieties available, many of which were brewed especially for this event. I’d estimate that there were a few hundred people enjoying the samples, and we had some great conversations with other beer lovers and home brewers from Lehigh Valley.

Allentown Brew Works did a great job involving local Pennsylvania breweries, including Weyerbacher, Victory, Yards, Prism and SlyFox, among other notable breweries from across the country. If I had to decide my favorite cask conditioned ale, I’d have to say it was definitely the Scotch Ale from Bethlehem Brew Works. I think…

SoMeT

Discover Lehigh Valley is in the running to host Social Media Tourism Symposium 2012, an annual conference that brings together tourism professionals sharing ideas and learning more about how social media is affecting promotion within the travel industry.

We made it into the “Sweet 16.” You can see the full bracket here. The current round of voting has us (Lehigh Valley) against Milwaukee, Wisconsin and we need your help to secure our spot!

IronPigs

Being the diehard baseball fan that I am, I recently returned from my second annual pilgrimage to Clearwater, Florida to cheer on the Philadelphia Phillies with some friends last weekend. I’ve been a fan of the Phillies for as long as I’ve been alive, and upon working here at Discover Lehigh Valley I made a “discovery” of my own. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs offer even the most discerning fan an affordable alternative to their favorite MLB team with some exciting minor league action.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that the Lehigh Valley IronPigs are the Triple-A Affiliate of the beasts from the east, the Philadelphia Phillies. If you haven’t been to a game yet, you have no idea what you’re missing.

1999 Anchor Steam

I’ve been meaning to visit the Farmhouse for quite some time, pretty much since I started working at Discover Lehigh Valley. Since the Farmhouse recently made the 100 Best Beer Bars in America list, it was high time I go.

Out of curiosity, I scoped out the beer list for the highest priced bottle they had. It was a 4L bottle of Dock Street, which would set someone back a cool $500. Mind you, this is a bottle of beer.

LVGP Racing - Not me, just a stock photo

He’s off and flyin’ as he guns the car around the track He’s jammin’ down the pedal like he’s never comin’ back Adventure’s waitin’ just ahead… Go Speed Racer!

On Tuesday, right after a stimulating staff meeting at Discover Lehigh Valley, I took a short drive over to Lehigh Valley Grand Prix in Allentown for my first ever indoor racing experience. This was my first time at LVGP, but I had driven their outdoor counterparts before and I figured I was somewhat prepared.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Yesterday, a few of us from Discover Lehigh Valley stopped by Coca-Cola Park for a preview of the progress on the brand new Red Robin Tiki Terrace and Oasis, the latest addition to the home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The new tropical-themed seating and concession area will feature 48 seats (4 rows of 12) reserved for group seating. You can view the photos below in the gallery.

The most interesting part of the new construction is that the first row of the Tiki Terrace actually hangs over the wall in left field, a feature that is uncommon in any ball park, especially in the minor leagues. The Tiki Terrace will be reserved for groups that range between 48-64 people, offering full bar service and a tropical themed menu that includes Pineapple Pork Skewers and Kahlua Chicken Skewers.

2012 - To Do List

In 2012, one of my personal New Year’s resolutions is to travel more. Another resolution is just the opposite; to stick closer to home and get to the events that are happening right in my backyard.

With that, here are my top 5 things that I’m looking forward to this year in Lehigh Valley.

Happy New Year!

From all of us here at Discover Lehigh Valley, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanza, Happy New Year, Happy Festivus and whatever holiday it is that your family may be celebrating this season.

We have an exciting year coming up in 2012, with Lehigh County celebrating its 200th Anniversary and the city of Allentown celebrating its 250th Anniversary. Stay tuned for all the exciting events that will be taking place, starting this New Year’s Eve with the 250th Anniversary Kick Off Party at the Holiday Inn on 9th & Hamilton. There will also be a free outdoor event featuring fire dancers, ice carving and the bell drop at midnight.

Prime Steak House

This past week, the staff here at Discover Lehigh Valley went out for our annual holiday party. The location chosen was Prime Steak House in Bethlehem, a steakhouse with a very inviting atmosphere and some delicious cuts of meat. Since we were dining at Prime, I had to go with the prime rib … medium rare, of course. It broke my heart to see a few of my coworkers ordering their steaks well and medium well, but apparently they prefer to have the flavor cooked out of their steaks!

We were able to enjoy a delicious meal with plenty of laughs and stories to be told. It’s truly special to work somewhere where my coworkers and I can have a great time and enjoy each other’s company, especially out of the office and after hours.