Catasauqua This Week: Autumnfest Sunday, Council Meetings, and Oktoberfest's Final Weekend

This week in Catasauqua and North Catasauqua: both borough councils hold their October meetings Monday evening, SteelStacks closes its Oktoberfest run with a final weekend October 9-11, and the weekend's centerpiece lands close to home when North Catasauqua's Autumnfest returns to Albert Memorial Park on Sunday, October 11. The Catasauqua Area School District runs a clean five-day week, then closes for the Columbus Day holiday on Monday, October 12. Here is what is happening in and around the two boroughs in the week ahead, plus a few new places to eat nearby.

Local News and Community Happenings

Monday, October 5 is meeting night in both boroughs. Catasauqua's council holds its committee and workshop session at 6:00 p.m. at the municipal building, 90 Bridge Street, following the borough's first-Monday pattern; the regular business meeting follows Monday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. on the building's second floor. The planning commission meets Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m. Agendas and minutes post on catasauqua.org, and all three are open to the public. North Catasauqua's council also gathers Monday, October 5 under its first-Monday schedule, with the agenda posted on the borough's website along with a Webex link for residents who want to attend remotely.

The date every North Catasauqua neighbor has been waiting on is official: the North Catasauqua Betterment Committee's annual Autumnfest is set for Sunday, October 11 at William J. Albert Memorial Park, 701 Grove Street, with the traditional following-Saturday rain date of October 17. The afternoon brings the usual festival mix: the car show, a craft and flea market, a food court, live music, kids' games and pumpkin decorating, and police and fire department displays. Grove Street is the same street the half twin at 514 Grove sits on, so the park is an easy walk from the front door.

At the Catasauqua Area School District

The district is in a clean stretch this week: full days of classes run Monday through Friday, October 5-9, with no holidays or early dismissals listed on the 2026-2027 district calendar. Families should then mark off two dates in the weeks ahead: Monday, October 12, when schools close for the Columbus Day holiday, and Wednesday, October 21, when all buildings dismiss early. The board of education's next regular meeting is Tuesday, October 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the District Administration Office, 201 N. 14th Street, Catasauqua. The downloadable district calendar on cattysd.org has the full list of holidays, in-service days, and board dates for the year.

Fall sports stay in full swing under the Rough Riders banner, with varsity football in the heart of its Colonial League schedule and soccer, volleyball, and cross country all in season. This week's varsity game time and location, plus any schedule changes, post on the Rough Riders athletics site at roughriderathletics.org, so check there before heading out.

Things to Do in the Area

The festivity that anchors the weekend is close to home: Autumnfest at Albert Memorial Park on Sunday, October 11, from a late-morning start into the afternoon. It is the simplest way to spend a fall day without leaving the borough: browse the craft and flea market, watch the car show, and let the kids try pumpkin decorating while local groups play on stage.

If you want a full festival weekend, ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest at SteelStacks in Bethlehem plays its final two days Friday through Sunday, October 9-11, closing out the two-weekend run with German food and beer, live music, wiener dog races, and the Pennsylvania State Stein Holding Championship. Admission is free, and the SteelStacks campus at 101 Founders Way is about 20 minutes from Catasauqua. The same weekend, the Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival opens its middle weekend, October 10-11, in historic downtown Jim Thorpe with craft vendors, live music, Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway rides, and lantern-lit ghost tours if you want a mountain road trip.

Two more low-key options round out the weekend. Milltown Porchfest returns Sunday, October 11 in Easton, a free afternoon of porch concerts in the Milltown neighborhood for anyone who likes their music walkable. And Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt keeps running on weekend nights through the end of the month in Allentown for those in the mood for a scare.

Good Places to Eat Nearby

This week's picks are three spots we have not featured before. Blondies at 333 Front Street in Catasauqua is a friendly casual restaurant in the borough for a sit-down meal; call (610) 443-1741 or see blondiesfood.com for the menu and hours. A few doors up, Catty Cafe at 601 Front Street is a neighborhood coffee shop and an easy morning stop; call (610) 443-2211.

For a classic diner breakfast or a late lunch, the Bethlehem Diner at 1881 Catasauqua Road in Allentown sits right on the corridor between Catasauqua and Allentown, a few minutes from the borough; call (610) 266-9235 or see bethlehemdiner.com.