The nation’s top-ranked music festival is in full swing in the Lehigh Valley, an example of how the arts help to power the economy and build a vibrant community that attracts growth. 
Musikfest, the largest free, ungated music festival in the world, typically draws more than 1 million people to hundreds of shows over 10 days in Bethlehem. Earlier this year, it was named the No. 1 festival in the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
In addition to musicians, the festival is a canvas for Lehigh Valley artists, including Doug Boehm, whose work is featured on the official Musikfest poster and mug. His work celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary with a central theme “Music Unites,” reflecting both the joy of Musikfest and the unifying power of music.
The work of another Lehigh Valley artist, Olivia King, is the official poster artwork for the Free Concert Series season at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, one of the venues where Musikfest hosts concerts.
Professional and Creative Services is one of the strategic industry sectors targeted for growth by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) in its Strategic Plan for 2025-2027, which prioritizes targeted development in sectors that offer high-value jobs.
Employment in the arts, spectator sports, and related industries grew from 932 jobs in 2001 to 2,189 today, according to an analysis of federal labor data by LVEDC.
That’s a 135% jump or about 2.6 times the national growth rate. The notable growth underscores the importance of live entertainment in the Lehigh Valley and how deeply it is embedded in the region’s strategy for economic development and talent attraction.
“ArtsQuest was built on the idea that investing in arts and culture can transform a community economically, socially and creatively, and today we are seeing that vision realized at an unprecedented scale,” said Kassie Hilgert, President & CEO of ArtsQuest, the nonprofit that operates Musikfest. Hilgert is a member of LVEDC’s Board of Directors.
ArtsQuest generated a record $192.7 million in economic impact for the Lehigh Valley in 2025 through its arts and cultural programming, which included nearly 4,000 events, festivals, classes, performances and workshops. About one-third of those events were free and open to the public.
In the last two decades, public-private partnerships have invested billions of dollars into venues like the PPL Center, Coca-Cola Park, Archer Music Hall, SteelStacks, and Wind Creek Event Center along with the debut of popular celebrations such as “BaconFest” in Easton and “Martin on Main” in Nazareth. That investment has reshaped the Lehigh Valley’s industrial corners into destinations buzzing with concerts, games, and festivals.
That vibrancy is drawing new businesses and new people to the region.
Companies want to locate in vibrant communities with quality housing and schools, and plenty of cultural and entertainment options for their employees. Employees who find their communities to be engaging and interesting are more likely to put down roots and stay, which helps companies maintain their workforce.
Lehigh Valley was ranked the No. 1 mid-sized market for economic development in the U.S. in 2025, for the second time in the past three years.
Lehigh and Northampton counties both rank in the Top 10% of counties in the U.S. for growth of new residents since 2020.
(Photos by Donna Fisher Photography)