Catasauqua This Week: Crane Iron Vote, Equinox, and a Festival Weekend

Catasauqua Borough Council meets tonight with the former Crane Iron Works master site plan on the agenda, fall officially begins Tuesday evening, and the weekend brings the Celtic Classic to Bethlehem and a free family space expo to Lehigh University. Here is what is happening in and around Catasauqua and North Catasauqua 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

The big item in town this week is Monday night's Catasauqua Borough Council meeting. Council holds its regular business meeting tonight, September 21, at 7:00 p.m. at Borough Hall, 90 Bridge Street (second floor), open to the public with a virtual option through GoToMeeting. According to a WFMZ report published this weekend, the agenda includes discussion and a possible vote on the master site plan for the former Crane Iron Works property along the riverfront, a redevelopment the report describes as a potential "game changer" for the borough. Agendas post ahead of time on catasauqua.org, and the meeting itself is a good way to hear the details firsthand.

Over in North Catasauqua, the borough council has kept a first-and-third-Monday meeting cadence this year at 7:00 p.m. via Webex, which puts a meeting on the calendar tonight as well; check northcatasauqua.org to confirm this month's agenda and connection details before tuning in.

And a heads-up for the month ahead: the North Catasauqua Betterment Committee's "Best of North Catasauqua Autumnfest and Car Show" has been an October tradition at Albert Memorial Park on Grove Street, with a car show, craft and flea market, food court, live music, and kids' activities, free admission with free street parking. The 2026 date had not been posted as of this writing, so keep an eye on the Betterment Committee page and the borough site for the announcement once it's finalized.

At the Catasauqua Area School District

Two reminders stand out for families this week. First, Wednesday, September 23, is the district's all-building early dismissal day; Sheckler Elementary dismisses at 1:30 p.m., and the other buildings follow their posted early-dismissal times. Second, under the Rough Riders banner, the varsity football team is on the road Thursday, September 24, for a Colonial League game at Notre Dame-Green Pond with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff, per the published 2026 schedule.

Looking a week ahead, the Rough Riders return to Alumni Field on Friday, October 2, against Northern Lehigh, a good night to catch a home game as the season heads into the second half. The district posts game dates, times, and any changes on its athletics pages, and the full 2026-2027 academic calendar, including board of education meeting dates, lives on cattysd.org.

Things to Do in the Area

The headline family event of the weekend is the Lehigh Valley Space Fest, Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Building C on the Lehigh University campus in Bethlehem. It is a free, family-friendly space expo with hands-on activities and exhibits, per the university's events calendar, and it is about a 15-minute drive from Catasauqua.

Downtown Bethlehem hosts the Celtic Classic Highland Games and Festival Friday through Sunday, September 25 through 27, with Scottish athletics, piping and drumming, Celtic music, and food filling the historic district, all within an easy drive up Route 22. It's one of the biggest crowds of the fall in the Lehigh Valley, so plan parking ahead.

If you want to lean into the season, Grim's Orchard and Family Farms in Breinigsville runs its fall festival through late October, with a four-acre corn maze, apple and pumpkin picking, and fresh cider, about a half-hour drive from Catasauqua. And for music fans, country singer Martina McBride plays the State Theatre in Easton on Saturday, September 26, at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are available through the box office and the State Theatre website.

Good Places to Eat Nearby

This week's picks lean local. Sazon Dominicano Restaurante at 215 Bridge Street is right in Catasauqua and serves Dominican plates in a casual setting; call (610) 443-0230 for hours. It is an easy stop if you are in the borough for the council meeting or a home showing.

Also worth a stop nearby:

• Angel's Pizza & Italian Restaurant: a longstanding pizzeria at 5511 MacArthur Road in Whitehall, on the corridor between Catasauqua and Allentown. Call (610) 262-2104.
• El Jefe's Taqueria: tacos and Mexican plates at 506 East 3rd Street in Bethlehem's South Side, a good stop on the way home from the Celtic Classic. See eljefestaqueria.com or call (610) 419-2000.
• Sprinkles Ice Cream Shop: a small-town ice cream shop at 626 East Main Street in Bath, just up Route 512 from Catasauqua. Call (610) 724-7686.