{"id":145011,"date":"2025-09-09T20:16:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T00:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=145011"},"modified":"2025-09-09T20:16:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T00:16:54","slug":"50th-art-in-the-park-to-celebrate-west-parks-creative-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=145011","title":{"rendered":"50th Art in the Park to Celebrate West Park\u2019s Creative Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALLENTOWN, PA \u2013 August 21, 2025<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The West Park Civic Association proudly announces the\u00a050th Art in the Park<\/strong>, to be held on\u00a0Saturday, September 13, 2025<\/strong>, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Allentown\u2019s historic\u00a0West Park<\/strong>. This milestone year honors half a century of artistry, community spirit, and cultural heritage in one of the city\u2019s most beautiful green spaces. This year, more than\u00a0130 artists<\/strong>\u00a0will showcase and sell their work, including\u00a030 first-time participants<\/strong>. Attendees can expect to browse and buy a diverse range of high-quality, original art: ceramics, drawings, glass, jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, weaving, and creative pieces made from recycled or repurposed materials. Adding to the interactive experience,\u00a0six featured artists<\/strong>\u00a0will be giving live demonstrations, offering guests a chance to witness the creative process in real time.<\/p>\n

What began in 1975 as a grassroots effort by local resident\u00a0Betty Helwig<\/strong>, the wife of a local physician and passionate advocate for the arts, has blossomed into one of the region\u2019s most beloved annual arts festivals. Inspired by the picturesque setting and iconic bandshell of West Park, Helwig launched Art in the Park to celebrate local artists and the beauty of the city\u2019s first public park.<\/p>\n

After Helwig\u2019s passing in 2008, the torch was carried by\u00a0Peggy Egolf<\/strong>, a dedicated elementary teacher at Allentown Central Elementary School. Egolf had co-chaired the event with Helwig since 1984. Along with her husband Robbie, Peggy sustained and grew the event until her own passing in 2017, leaving behind a legacy of passion for both the arts and community.<\/p>\n

That same year, respected art historian and former Allentown Art Museum curator\u00a0Christine Oaklander, Ph.D.<\/strong>\u00a0stepped in to lead. With just three months\u2019 notice, Oaklander introduced a jury system, established cash prizes, and enlisted curators from institutions including\u00a0Lehigh University<\/strong>,\u00a0Lafayette College<\/strong>,\u00a0the Michener Art Museum<\/strong>, and\u00a0Reading Public Museum<\/strong>. She also broadened outreach to student and demonstration artists and emphasized a blend of affordable and high-end art to engage a wider audience.<\/p>\n

Since 2022, the event has been co-chaired by\u00a0Alan Younkin<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Michael Schelp<\/strong>, who have focused on promoting and growing the festival\u2019s visibility. Their approach mirrors the original spirit of excellence, balancing affordability for local families with showcasing top-tier artistic talent.<\/p>\n

From its humble beginnings\u2014advertised only through newspaper ads and featuring watercolors and paintings\u2014Art in the Park now features a vibrant mix of original\u00a0fine art, pottery, woodwork,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0jewelry<\/strong>. This year\u2019s event will once again welcome musicians and dancers who will perform in the West Park bandshell, just as they have since the early days. Taking the stage throughout the day will be an exceptional mix of local talent, including:<\/p>\n

The Allentown Band<\/strong><\/p>\n

El Sistema Lehigh Valley Orchestra<\/strong><\/p>\n

Church of the Mediator Choir<\/strong><\/p>\n

Civic Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n

Community Music School<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macungie Minstrelaires<\/strong><\/p>\n

Repertory Dance Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n

William Allen High School Dance Department<\/strong><\/p>\n

William Allen Marching Band<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sweet Adelines<\/strong><\/p>\n

From choral and classical music to theatrical and dance performances, the schedule is packed with entertainment the whole family can enjoy. An assortment of local food and drink vendors will be on site to keep visitors fueled throughout the day, offering everything from savory meals to Udder Bar ice cream.<\/p>\n

In a special addition to this year\u2019s festivities, the\u00a0Allentown Masonic Temple<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 located just across the street from West Park \u2014 will commemorate the\u00a0100th anniversary of its opening<\/strong>\u00a0by offering\u00a0free guided tours<\/strong> of its Lodge building. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to step inside one of Allentown\u2019s most architecturally significant and historic sites, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<\/p>\n

“Over the decades, Art in the Park has become more than an art show\u2014it\u2019s become a symbol of\u00a0Allentown\u2019s creative spirit<\/strong>, a gathering place for generations, and a celebration of the beauty and history of West Park itself,” says Art in the Park Show Director\u00a0Alan Younkin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Join us this September to mark\u00a050 years of art, music, and community<\/strong>. Admission is free, and all are welcome.<\/p>\n

Event Details:
\nWhat:<\/strong>\u00a050th Annual Art in the Park
\nWhen:<\/strong>\u00a0Saturday, September 13, 2025 | 10:00 AM \u2013 5:00 PM
\nWhere:<\/strong>\u00a0West Park, Allentown, PA
\nAdmission:<\/strong>\u00a0Free
\nMore Info:<\/strong>\u00a0www.art-in-the-park.org<\/a><\/p>\n

About the West Park Civic Association:
\n<\/strong> The WPCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the beauty, history, and vitality of West Park and the surrounding neighborhood. Through events like Art in the Park, the WPCA works to enrich the cultural life of the Allentown community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ALLENTOWN, PA \u2013 August 21, 2025\u00a0\u2014 The West Park Civic Association proudly announces the\u00a050th Art in the Park, to be held on\u00a0Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 … Continue reading 50th Art in the Park to Celebrate West Park\u2019s Creative Legacy<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":145012,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5716,69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allentown","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/art-in-the-park.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145011"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=145011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/145012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=145011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=145011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=145011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}