Musikfest

Musikfest is a big music party that happens every year in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It started in 1984 and is the largest free music festival in the United States. People can enjoy many kinds of music without needing to buy a ticket to get in.

The festival begins on the first Friday in August and ends on the second Sunday after that. Thousands of visitors come from all over the nation and the world to enjoy Musikfest. There are hundreds of free music shows with many different kinds of music. Each night, a famous musician performs on the Steel Stage.

Musikfest has strong ties to the area's German history. Many of the places at the festival have names ending in Platz, which means "place" or "square" in German. One popular spot is the Festplatz, a big area with dining tables where people can eat and listen to music, often from a polka band. Musikfest features music, food, and activities from many different cultures.

The festival is organized by ArtsQuest. This group works to support arts and culture in the Lehigh Valley and nearby areas. Money from Musikfest helps ArtsQuest and other groups, like the Banana Factory community arts center in South Bethlehem. Musikfest even inspired parts of the music film, Killian & the Comeback Kids.