Apple season is here. With pick-your-own orchards opening their weekends, a fiber festival and a plant fest filling the Lehigh Valley calendar, and the Celtic Classic just a week out, there is plenty to fill a fall weekend around Catasauqua and North Catasauqua. Here is what is happening locally this week, the latest from the Catasauqua Area School District, and a few good places to eat while you are in town.
Local News and Community Happenings
A traffic change is worth knowing about if you drive through town. The borough has completed the Front Street and Second Street two-way traffic conversion, posted on the Catasauqua Borough site as part of the ongoing Race Street bridge project. After years of one-way routing, both streets now carry traffic in both directions, so take a beat the first time you turn onto Front or Second to get used to the new pattern. Along the same lines, the borough has also flagged Wood Street paving and concrete work this month, and September street sweeping is suspended while that work is underway.
The Catasauqua Borough Council holds its regular business meeting Monday, September 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the municipal building at 90 Bridge Street. Meetings are open to the public and agendas post ahead of time on catasauqua.org. Over in North Catasauqua, the borough's news page has been sharing practical reminders about refuse and compost set-out and container rules, as well as guidance on discouraging crows in the neighborhood; the details are on northcatasauqua.org.
Quick Calendar for the Week Ahead
- Lehigh Valley Fiber Festival, Allentown Agri-PlexSat-Sun, Sep 19-20
- Lehigh Valley Wicked Plant Fest (Fall), SteelStacks BethlehemSun, Sep 20, 10 am-3 pm
- Forks Community Days, Forks Community ParkFri-Sun, Sep 18-20
- Grim's Orchard pick-your-own apples (weekends)Sat, Sep 19
- Catasauqua Borough Council business meeting, 90 Bridge StMon, Sep 21, 7 pm
- Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, BethlehemFri-Sun, Sep 25-27
At the Catasauqua Area School District
Families with children about to start school should note that the district has opened registration for the 2026-2027 kindergarten class at Sheckler Elementary School. Details and the registration process are posted on the district website at cattysd.org, so if you are moving to the area with a rising kindergartner, this is the window to get on the list.
The board of education keeps a monthly meeting cadence, held at the district administrative offices at 201 North 14th Street from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., with agendas and minutes posted on the district site ahead of and after each meeting. The district is also still recruiting building substitutes for the current school year, with openings listed on cattysd.org. And under the Rough Riders banner, fall athletics remain in full swing; game dates and any changes are posted on the district's athletics pages, so check there before heading out.
Things to Do in the Area
This weekend leans heavily into the start of fall. The Lehigh Valley Fiber Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, at the Allentown Agri-Plex, with fiber arts, crafts, and live demonstrations. Down at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley Wicked Plant Fest (Fall edition) takes over the ArtsQuest Center Sunday, September 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with plants, artisans, and food. Both are a short drive from Catasauqua and make for an easy day trip.
If it is apple weather you are after, Grim's Orchard & Family Farms in Breinigsville is in its pick-your-own apple season, with u-pick weekends and its Fall Festival running Saturdays and Sundays through the season and into November. It offers dozens of apple varieties, hayrides, and plenty of space for the kids to run. Closer to home, Forks Community Days runs Friday through Sunday, September 18 to 20, at Forks Community Park, and on Saturday the Rock the Park & Food Truck Festival heads to Victory Park in Slatington while Emmaus wraps up summer with its Farewell to Summer Festival at Triangle Park.
Looking a little further out, the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival returns to Historic Bethlehem the following weekend, September 25 through 27, so mark the calendar now if you want to catch the piping, highland games, and food tents. In town, the D&L Trail along the Lehigh River is showing its first fall color and remains one of the best free ways to spend a morning or evening nearby.
Good Places to Eat Nearby
This week's pick is The Catty Corner Neighborhood Pub and Pie at 301 Mulberry Street in Catasauqua, a local pub that pairs a casual, neighborhood-friendly bar with a real pie menu. It is the kind of place where the name tells you what you are getting: a comfortable corner spot, worth a stop for a meal or a drink after a day out. Call (610) 443-2284 or check cattycornerpub.com for hours.
Also worth a stop in town:
- Sazon Dominicano Restaurante: Dominican and Latin flavors at 215 Bridge Street in the heart of Catasauqua, good for lunch or dinner. Call (610) 443-0230.
- Blocker's Coffeehouse: a long-running local coffee shop on Front Street, ideal for a morning cup before a walk down to the river.
Where to Confirm What Is On
Event dates and times can change, so confirm details directly before you go. The best local sources are the official Catasauqua and North Catasauqua borough sites, the Catasauqua Area School District site, and each event's own page.
A Note from the Home at 514 Grove Street
If you are spending time in North Catasauqua this fall, the move-in-ready half twin at 514 Grove St. is worth a look: three bedrooms, one full and one half bath, an all-brick exterior, a covered front porch, a full basement, and a detached one-car garage, with fresh paint, new carpeting, and newer replacement windows. Tim Tepes of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Cassidon Realty has listed it, and he would be glad to walk you through it while you are in the area.
Contact Tim Tepes