Catasauqua This Week: Trick-or-Treat, Football Finale, and a Frightful Weekend

Halloween is the headline in Catasauqua and North Catasauqua this week. Trick-or-treat runs Saturday night, October 31 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in both boroughs, the Rough Riders close the regular season Friday night at Northwestern Lehigh, and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms play a Halloween-weekend home matinee Sunday at PPL Center. Here is what is happening in and around the two boroughs this week, plus what is new at the Catasauqua Area School District and three places to eat that are new to this blog.

Local News and Community Happenings

Saturday night is the big one. Catasauqua holds its official trick-or-treat on Halloween, Saturday, October 31, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., with participating residents asked to turn on their porch lights, per the borough's calendar. North Catasauqua holds trick-or-treat the same night and same hours, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., with no rain date, per the borough's Halloween notice. Costumes, porch lights, and a full two hours of doorbells in both boroughs.

On the civic calendar, Catasauqua Borough Council's November Committee/Workshop Meeting is set for Monday, November 2 at 6:00 p.m. at Borough Hall, 90 Bridge Street (second floor), the workshop slot on the borough's first-Monday rhythm, with the Council Business Meeting following Monday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. North Catasauqua has not yet posted its November meeting date on the borough site; its council has been holding business meetings at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Mondays, which would put the next meeting on Monday, November 2, but confirm on the borough site as the date approaches.

North Catasauqua notes that its Halloween celebration is held with no rain date, so whichever way the weather goes on the 31st, the borough's posted plan is trick-or-treat from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. If you are hosting, a lit porch light signals you are participating; families should double-check the borough's announcement for any last-minute changes as the date approaches.

At the Catasauqua Area School District

The district's November calendar is filling in. Committee meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, November 4 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the District Administration Office, 201 N. 14th Street, and the board of education meets Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m.; the district posts its board-meeting dates and any location changes on the board page at cattysd.org. Wednesday, November 11 is a no-school day marking Veterans Day, listed on the district calendar as an Act 80 teacher in-service day, so students get the holiday off while staff attend professional development.

On the field, the varsity football team closes the regular season Friday night, October 30, at Northwestern Lehigh at 7:00 p.m. in Colonial League Division B play, the final tune-up before the District 11 Class 2A playoffs begin in November for qualifying teams; district playoff brackets and any date changes post to roughriderathletics.org and PAFootballNews as they are set. The annual Thanksgiving game is already on the calendar for Thursday, November 26 at 10:00 a.m. at Northampton. Off the football field, boys soccer and girls volleyball teams are into district playoff rounds through late October and early November, with schedules posted on the athletics site.

Things to Do in the Area

There is no Phantoms home game on Friday, October 30 (the team plays at Rochester that night) or on Halloween itself, but the next home date is a good one for families: the Lehigh Valley Phantoms host the Providence Bruins on Sunday, November 1 at 3:05 p.m. at PPL Center in Allentown, about a 25-minute drive from Catasauqua. It is the team's promoted "Haunted on Hamilton" game, with a Popcorn Bucket Giveaway for the first 2,500 fans ages 14 and under, presented by Gruber, per the team's promotional schedule.

The State Theatre in Easton has a music-and-magic double date for the weekend: The Fab Faux, the acclaimed Beatles tribute band, plays Friday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m., and Haunted Illusions, a family Halloween magic-and-illusion show, follows Saturday, October 31 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are on the theatre's site, statetheatre.org.

Adults looking for a Halloween-night nightlife option can head to SteelStacks in Bethlehem, about a 15-minute drive, where ArtsQuest hosts the 9th Annual SteelStacks Zombie Ball on Saturday, October 31. The 18-and-up event features a DJ, tarot readings, an aerialist performance, and a costume contest with cash prizes, per the ArtsQuest event page. And closer to home, if the forecast cooperates, the late-October foliage in the Lehigh Valley and up toward Jim Thorpe in Carbon County is still worth an afternoon drive before the leaves come down.

Good Places to Eat Nearby

This week's picks are all new to the blog. La Herencia El Camacho at 7 Lehigh Street in Catasauqua, just off the borough's main drag, is a Mexican restaurant serving tacos, tortas, and house specialties, with online ordering through its Skytab storefront; call (610) 443-0054 to check hours. It is a walkable post-parade or pre-trick-or-treat dinner stop right in town.

Two Whitehall spots round out the list, each about a ten-minute drive south on Route 145. Charles Pizza & Restaurant at 1190 Mickley Road is a family-run Italian-American pizzeria with its menu and hours at charlespizzawhitehall.com; call (610) 434-0877 for takeout. And Armando's Express Pizza at 1065 MacArthur Road is a neighborhood pizzeria with quick takeout and delivery, online ordering at armandosexpresspizza.com, phone (610) 433-7600. Between the three, you can cover Mexican in Catasauqua and pizza from two well-loved local shops without leaving the borough corridor.