This roundup was published September 23, 2026 and its events have been superseded. For current events, see the latest What's Happening in Whitehall: Early October.

What's Happening in Whitehall: Late September into Mid-October

A hay wagon draped with straw and warm string lights at the edge of a Whitehall area park field on an autumn dusk evening

Whitehall is in the sweet spot of fall this week: the township's Fall Festival lands at Whitehall Parkway on Sunday, the Zephyrs host Bethlehem Liberty under the lights Thursday night, and October opens with haunted hayrides back at the Parkway, the Easton Garlic Festival across the river, two weekends of Oktoberfest at SteelStacks, and the township's Halloween parade. This roundup, researched Wednesday, September 23, covers things to do in Whitehall, what is on at the Whitehall-Coplay School District, good places to eat in and around town, and a dated list of current events to plan around.

Things to Do in Whitehall Right Now

The township's own celebration lands this weekend: Whitehall Township's Fall Festival on Sunday, September 27 at Whitehall Parkway (4689 South Church Street). It is the township's annual fall festival with free admission: a DJ plays the park from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, The Castaway Band takes the stage from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, and food and beverage trucks and local vendors line the parkway, per the parks and recreation events calendar. It is the late-September date to put on the family schedule.

The spooky season then starts in earnest at the same park. Haunted hayrides return to the Whitehall Parkway on Fridays and Saturdays, October 2 through October 31, from 7:00 to 11:00 PM. The ride runs about 40 minutes and costs $15 per person, and proceeds benefit the Whitehall Fire Department. It is a long-running township tradition, listed on the recreation programs page and covered locally by LVP News and The Scare Factor as a regional fright-season stop.

One more date to circle well ahead: the township's annual Halloween Parade steps off Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 PM, per the parks and recreation events calendar. The full fall recreation lineup, including aqua aerobics at the high school natatorium through November 12, stays on the township parks and recreation pages, so bookmark the calendar as more programs and dates get added through the season.

A small-town autumn street festival with white vendor tents, strings of warm bulbs, and pumpkin displays between brick storefronts

Around the Lehigh Valley This Weekend and Next

This weekend, the valley's biggest festival weekend of the fall lands in downtown Bethlehem: the Celtic Classic Highland Games and Festival, Friday through Sunday, September 25 to 27, in the Colonial Industrial Quarter (305 Conestoga Street), with highland games, pipe bands, and Celtic music across five stages and free admission. Get there early if you have never caught it; it draws crowds from across the region.

October stacks up quickly after that. Oktoberfest at SteelStacks, in its 16th year, runs October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks (101 Founders Way, Bethlehem), with free admission to the gated outdoor festival, German-style food and brews, four biergartens, live polka music, local artisans, and the fan-favorite dachshund races. Hours are Fridays 5:00 to 10:00 PM, Saturdays 12:00 to 10:00 PM, and Sundays 12:00 to 6:00 PM. Ticketed highlights include the Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championships on Saturday, October 10 at 6:00 PM and the Oktoberfest 5K on Sunday, October 4 at 10:30 AM with registration required.

Two brand-new-to-this-series stops are worth the drive. The Easton Garlic Festival fills Centre Square in downtown Easton (Northampton and 3rd Streets) on Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with free admission, 120-plus vendors, garlic-themed food and beverages, live music, and cooking contests. And the weekend after, Harvest Fest 2026 fills Historic Downtown Bethlehem on Saturday, October 10 from 12:00 to 5:00 PM with live music, local shopping, family activities, and wine, soup, and beer tasting trails.

For halloween-season outings: Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park in Allentown runs select nights from September 18 through October 31 (weekend blocks September 18 to 19, September 25 to 27, October 2 to 4, October 9 to 11, October 16 to 18, October 23 to 25, and October 30 to 31). Park admission is required to enter, haunted mazes need a separate Haunted Attractions Pass from about $10, and a bundle with admission and maze access runs from about $55 to $60; the park's daytime, family-friendly Tricks and Treats runs on weekends separately. And for a classic pick-your-own day trip, Grim's Orchard and Family Farms in Breinigsville, about 10 miles from Whitehall, runs its Fall Festival weekends through late October with hayrides, an eight-acre corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and fall harvest activities.

Whitehall-Coplay School District: What's On

The district closes September with a home football game and a professional learning day, then rolls into October with the end of the first term and fall break. On the district calendar:

  • Thursday, September 24: varsity football hosts Bethlehem Liberty at 7:00 PM at Zephyr Stadium, an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference league game under the lights.
  • Monday, September 28: professional learning day, so schools are closed for students; that evening, the regular school board meeting convenes at 7:00 PM in the Board Room at the Education Center, 2932 Zephyr Boulevard, and is streamed live on the district website.
  • Friday, October 2: varsity football on the road at Louis E. Dieruff; the team returns home Friday, October 9.
  • Friday, October 9: end of the first term for students and staff.
  • Monday and Tuesday, October 19 to 20: fall break, no school, a natural long weekend for a family trip.
  • Monday, October 26: committee meetings at 5:00 PM followed by the regular board meeting at 7:00 PM, both in the Education Center Board Room. Under the revised schedule effective October 12, committee meetings moved from the second to the fourth Monday, so this is the first meeting under the new rhythm.

Fall soccer, field hockey, cross country, golf, tennis, and volleyball teams are all in season across the district. The district calendar at whitehallcoplay.org and each school's own calendar page are the authoritative sources for early dismissals, picture days, game times, and special events, so confirm there before making plans.

Zephyr Stadium light towers glowing over the turf and empty bleachers on a late-September dusk

Good Places to Eat in and Around Whitehall

Festival weekends call for easy dinners, and the area around Whitehall is well stocked. A current lineup of local favorites:

  • Angel's Pizza & Italian Restaurant, 5511 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall: a long-running slice-and-Italian spot right on the corridor.
  • Whitehall Diner, 3026 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall: the all-hours standby on the corridor, easy before or after a game.
  • Maraschino Diner, 1162 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall: the family-run newcomer that opened in 2024 in the former Lehigh Valley Diner building, worth trying if you have not yet.
  • Samuel Owens Restaurant & Bar, 128 Chestnut St, Coplay: a proper sit-down dinner in the neighboring borough for a relaxed evening out.
  • Assante Ristorante Italiano, 2050 Main St, Northampton: Italian dining with a comfortable room right up Main Street.
  • Santa Fe Taco Co, 2022 Main St, Northampton: tacos and street-style Mexican food, quick and reliably good.
  • Main Street Family Restaurant, 2023 Main St, Northampton: solid family-style fare, a dependable stop on the way to a festival.
  • Northampton Diner and Family Restaurant, 1205 Main St, Northampton: dependable family-style breakfast and lunch a few minutes up the road.

The Quick List: Current Things to Do

  • Zephyrs football at home: Thursday, September 24, 7 PM vs Bethlehem Liberty at Zephyr Stadium, an EPC league game under the lights.
  • Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival: September 25 to 27, Colonial Industrial Quarter, downtown Bethlehem, highland games and pipe bands, free admission.
  • Whitehall Township Fall Festival: Sunday, September 27 at Whitehall Parkway, free admission, DJ and The Castaway Band, food trucks, and vendors.
  • Professional learning day and school board meeting: Monday, September 28; schools closed for students, board meets at 7 PM at the Education Center and streams live.
  • Haunted hayrides at Whitehall Parkway: Fridays and Saturdays, October 2 through 31, 7 to 11 PM, about 40 minutes, $15 per person, proceeds benefit the Whitehall Fire Department.
  • Oktoberfest at SteelStacks: October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11, Bethlehem, free admission, four biergartens, dachshund races, and the Oktoberfest 5K on October 4.
  • Easton Garlic Festival: Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, 10 AM to 6 PM at Centre Square, Easton, free admission, 120-plus vendors and cooking contests.
  • End of first term and fall break: first term ends Friday, October 9; no school Monday and Tuesday, October 19 to 20.
  • Harvest Fest: Saturday, October 10, 12 to 5 PM in Historic Downtown Bethlehem, live music, shopping, and tasting trails, free.
  • Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park: select nights September 18 through October 31, Allentown; park admission required, mazes need a separate pass from about $10 or a bundle from about $55 to $60.
  • Whitehall Township Halloween Parade: Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 PM, per the parks and recreation events calendar.
  • Grim's Orchard Fall Festival: weekends through late October, Breinigsville, hayrides, corn maze, pumpkin patch, and fall harvest fun.
  • School board meeting: Monday, October 26, committee meetings at 5 PM and the regular board meeting at 7 PM in the Education Center Board Room, under the schedule revised effective October 12.

"From the Zephyrs under the lights Thursday to the township's Fall Festival, haunted hayrides, the garlic fest in Easton, and two weekends of Oktoberfest, the next two weeks give families in Whitehall a full fall calendar: free festivals, game nights, and the parks at their prettiest. It is a wonderful stretch to be out and about in the Lehigh Valley."

Tim Tepes, Associate Broker

If you are house hunting in the Lehigh Valley, this is an ideal few weeks to visit Whitehall: festivals nearly every weekend, the schools in their fall rhythm, and the parks at their prettiest. 4365 Spruce St sits a few minutes from the township parks, Zephyr Stadium, the schools, and the MacArthur Road dining corridor. Come see the neighborhood while the calendar is full, and let's talk about whether it is the right fit for you. Event dates, times, and prices can shift, so confirm details on the township, district, and venue pages linked above before you make plans.

Tim Tepes
Tim Tepes
Associate Broker · PA AB062628L

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