Catasauqua This Week: Harvest Fest, Hockey, and Trunk or Treat

This week in Catasauqua and North Catasauqua peaks on Saturday, October 10: Bethlehem's Harvest Fest takes over historic Main Street from noon to 5:00 p.m., the Lehigh Valley Phantoms host the Cleveland Monsters twice at PPL Center, and the Rough Riders play a league road game at Northern Lehigh that night. The Catasauqua Area School District is closed Monday, October 12 for Columbus Day before its board of education meets Tuesday evening, and both boroughs have confirmed their late-October Halloween plans, including Catasauqua's Trunk or Treat on October 24. Here is what is happening in and around the two boroughs this week, plus three places to eat that are new to this blog.

Local News and Community Happenings

The boroughs locked in their Halloween season this week. Catasauqua's annual Trunk or Treat is set for Saturday, October 24 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the parking lot behind Catasauqua Park on American Street, per the borough's official calendar, and both Catasauqua and North Catasauqua list trick-or-treat on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The joint Catasauqua/North Catasauqua Halloween Parade usually steps off in the third week of October; ATVN's 2026 Halloween broadcast schedule lists this year's parade airing Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00 p.m., with repeats Thursday, October 22 at 9:00 p.m. and during the network's Halloween Marathon on Friday, October 30 at noon. The official date and route post on the borough sites and the parade committee's pages once set; recent editions have started around 7:00 p.m. near 14th and Race Streets in Catasauqua and ended at William J. Albert Memorial Park in North Catasauqua.

The neighborhood's marquee event lands this Sunday: the North Catasauqua Betterment Committee's Autumnfest returns to Albert Memorial Park, 701 Grove Street, on October 11, with a rain date of Saturday, October 17 announced by the borough. Past editions have run roughly 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a food court, craft and flea market, games, police and fire displays, pumpkin decorating, kids' activities, live music, and a car show. More details post on the borough's news page.

For the political calendar, the Morning Call this week published its Election 2026 comparison of Democratic state Sen. Nick Miller and Republican challenger Omy Maldonado in the 14th District race, which covers Catasauqua-area communities; the piece covers school funding and other issues ahead of the November election. Ballot questions and candidate positions are also posted on the county's Board of Elections site as materials mail to households.

At the Catasauqua Area School District

Families get a long weekend: after a full week of classes, all district buildings close Monday, October 12 for the Columbus Day holiday. The board of education's next regular meeting follows Tuesday, October 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the District Administration Office, 201 N. 14th Street, with agendas posted on the district site ahead of time. The next early-dismissal day is Wednesday, October 21 when all buildings let out early for a faculty meeting; the downloadable district calendar on cattysd.org has the full year of holidays, in-service days, and board dates.

On the employment side, the district is still accepting applications for a cafeteria monitor at Sheckler Elementary, a part-time posting listed on its news and announcements page. Fall sports continue under the Rough Riders banner through the middle of the Colonial League season, with varsity football, soccer, volleyball, and cross country all in action; dates, times, and any schedule changes post on the athletics site at roughriderathletics.org. This week's football note is a road game: the Rough Riders visit Northern Lehigh in Slatington on Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.

Things to Do in the Area

The can't-miss day trip this weekend is Bethlehem's Harvest Fest, Saturday, October 10 from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Historic Main Street and Broad Street in downtown Bethlehem. Admission to the street festival is free and the event runs rain or shine, with live music, local vendors and shopping, family activities, craft beer, and seasonal food. The Downtown Bethlehem Association also sells optional Tasting Passports, $40 each, covering two trails: the Sip & Savor Trail for ages 21 and up with food and craft-beer samples, and an all-ages Seasonal Snacks Trail. Passports are non-refundable and require a valid photo ID on the 21-plus trail; details are at the Downtown Bethlehem Association's Harvest Fest page.

Hockey fans get a two-game home stand at PPL Center in Allentown: the Lehigh Valley Phantoms host the Cleveland Monsters Saturday, October 10 at 7:05 p.m. and again Sunday, October 11 at 1:05 p.m., the second and third home games of the regular season after last weekend's home opener against Hartford. Tickets and the full home schedule are at pplcenter.com. Music fans have Whiskey Myers at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem the same Saturday night, listed at 7:00 p.m. on the venue's calendar (some ticket listings show 8:00 p.m., so confirm at purchase).

Closer to home, Oktoberfest at SteelStacks in Bethlehem wraps its 2026 run with a final weekend October 9-11 of German food and beer, live music, and family activities on the South Side, about 20 minutes from Catasauqua. Foliage is also moving toward its typical mid-to-late-October peak in the Lehigh Valley, so this is a good weekend for a leaf-peeping drive; the Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival continues through late October in Carbon County, a scenic route for an afternoon trip. And Easton's farmers market keeps its Saturday run going at Centre Square, an easy stop if you are already out that way.

Good Places to Eat Nearby

This week's picks are all new to the blog and all within about ten minutes of the borough on Main Street in Northampton. Main Street Family Restaurant at 2023 Main Street is a casual neighborhood diner serving breakfast and lunch standards; call (610) 262-2822 or see mainstreetfamily.restaurant. For Thai food, Halal Thai on Main at 961 Main Street has a strong local following, a 4.8-star rating on Google, and a halal menu built around noodle dishes, curries, and rice plates; call (610) 440-0600 or see halalthaionmain.com.

For pizza and Italian takeout, Mario's Pizza Shop at 851 Main Street in Northampton is a well-reviewed neighborhood spot, 4.3 stars on Google, with pies by the slice or sheet plus hoagies and pasta; call (610) 262-0550 or see mariospizzanorthampton.com. All three are good places to stop before or after an afternoon in Bethlehem or a night out in Allentown.