Catasauqua This Week: Oktoberfest, the Phantoms' Home Opener, and Pumpkin Season

The last full weekend of September arrives with the promise of fall on every calendar: Blue Mountain and Seiple Farms launch their Oktoberfest and pumpkin seasons, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms open the preseason at PPL Center, and Celtic Classic fills downtown Bethlehem for the 39th year. In the boroughs, autumn cleanup plans are taking shape for October, and the school district has set its next board meeting. Here is what is happening in and around Catasauqua and North Catasauqua this week.

Local News and Community Happenings

The Catasauqua Borough Council wrapped its September business meeting Monday night at Borough Hall, and the WFMZ coverage from the weekend has the former Crane Iron Works redevelopment "poised to clear another hurdle," with the master site plan among the items before the borough. Agendas and minutes post on the borough's meeting portal at catasauqua.community.diligentoneplatform.com, so if you missed the meeting, that is the place to follow the paperwork trail.

Fall cleanup planning is also underway in the boroughs. Catasauqua has posted its leaf collection and yard-waste schedule for the coming weeks, and North Catasauqua publishes refuse and compost reminders on its news page, including container rules and collection-week notes. Both are worth a quick look as the season turns and the leaves come down.

One date to hold for October in North Catasauqua: the Betterment Committee's "Best of North Catasauqua Autumnfest and Car Show" has been a mid-October Sunday 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 committee had not posted the 2026 date as of this writing, so keep an eye on its page and the borough site for the announcement.

At the Catasauqua Area School District

A few dates for families to put on the calendar. 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. Then on Thursday, September 24, the varsity football Rough Riders travel to Notre Dame-Green Pond for a Colonial League game with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff, per the published 2026 schedule.

Looking ahead to October, the district is closed Monday, October 12, for Columbus Day, and the next board of education meeting is set for Tuesday, October 13, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the District Administration Office. The downloadable 2026-2027 calendar on the district's Calendar page has the full list of holidays, Act 80 in-service days, and board dates, so it is worth grabbing a copy now for the season ahead.

Things to Do in the Area

The signature event of the weekend is the 39th annual Celtic Classic Highland Games and Festival, Friday through Sunday, September 25 through 27, in historic downtown Bethlehem. It is billed as the largest free Celtic festival in North America, with five stages of Celtic music, pipe band competitions, Highland Games, parades, and food. Hours run Friday 4:00 to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and it is an easy drive up Route 22 from Catasauqua.

If you want to lean into the season, Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton runs its free Oktoberfest this Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, with German food, a biergarten for those 21 and up, hayrides to the pumpkin patch, stein-hoisting and keg-rolling contests, a kids zone, craft vendors, and live music, plus scenic chairlift rides for about $15 online. Closer to home, Seiple Farms in Bath opens its pumpkin and corn maze season on Saturday, September 26, running weekends 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through November 1, with hayrides to a 35-acre pumpkin patch, a 20-acre corn maze, farm animals, pony rides, and food, about a 10-minute drive from North Catasauqua.

Sports fans have a good one Saturday night: the Lehigh Valley Phantoms open the 2026-27 preseason at home against the Hershey Bears at PPL Center in Allentown at 7:05 p.m., the first chance to see this year's squad. And the Easton Farmers Market's 17th annual Hot Pepper Showdown takes over Scott Park Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with the infamous "Ten Deadly Peppers" eating contest starting around 10:30, plus pepper, hot sauce, and salsa vendors, music, and prizes. Free parking is available in the lots across from the park.

For music, Thursday night brings Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band to the State Theatre in Easton at 8:00 p.m., Boys Like Girls plays the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Friday at 8:00 p.m., and Black Veil Brides follows at the same venue Saturday. If you want an even bigger fall festival in the weeks ahead, ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest at SteelStacks in Bethlehem runs the following two weekends, October 2 through 4 and October 9 through 11.

Good Places to Eat Nearby

This week's picks start with a new-to-Catasauqua coffeehouse. Blocker's Coffeehouse at 309 Front Street serves coffee, espresso drinks, and baked goods in the borough, an easy morning stop on the way to work or a showing; call (610) 443-0707 or check blockerscoffee.com for hours.

Also worth a stop nearby:

• Cathys Creative Catering Cafe: a cafe and catering kitchen at 752 Front Street in Catasauqua, good for lunch and grab-and-go. Call (610) 443-0670 or see cathyscreativecatering.com.
• The Burger Shack: a burger joint at 2011 North 1st Avenue in Whitehall, just off the MacArthur Road corridor between Catasauqua and Allentown. Call (610) 443-2077 or see theburgershackpa.com.
• The Wise Bean: a cozy coffee shop at 634 North New Street in Bethlehem's North Side, a good caffeine stop on the way to Celtic Classic. Call (484) 522-4325.