Steel Ice Center
The Steel Ice Center houses daily public indoor ice skating on the South Side, along with open hockey sessions.
Bethlehem Municipal Golf Club
Public golf course within the city. For those looking for just a round on the links on the cheap, the city course will do the trick. Also see Saucon Valley Country Club below.
Bethlehem Skateplaza
The new, 750 ft. long skateplaza offers BMX riders and skateboarders a safe place to ride. Located across from the Sands Casino.
Dutch Springs
Dutch Springs is an water/adventure park located on a 50-acre lake. It offers scuba diving, an Aqua Park filled with large inflatable objects, rock climbing and more. There are campgrounds on-site and they host picnics and parties.
Illick's Mill Park
One of Bethlehem's city parks, Illick's Mill Park offers ice skating seasonal, pool seasonal, the Bethlehem Municipal Golf Club see above, a driving range, baseball fields, and a nature trail that runs along the Monocacy Creek.
Rose Garden Park
Rose garden Park is on 8th Ave and offers playgrounds, a bandshell where the Music in the Park concerts are held, and the DAR House, a replica of the first log cabin built in Bethlehem.
Sand Island Park
Sand Island Park is located along the Lehigh River and offers playgrounds, hiking trails, basketball and tennis courts, and plenty of room for fishing.
Sands Casino Resort
Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is a casino that has recently opened on the South Side. The under-construction casino complex will not be completely finished for a few years. The complex includes 3,000 slot machines, 89 tables, a 300-room hotel May 2011, 200,000 square feet of retail space, over 40 stores at The Shoppes at Sands, 6 restaurants, 2 night clubs, a cineplex, 46,000 square feet of convention space, 18 meeting rooms, a concert hall, and a National Museum of Industrial History when everything is complete. The casino opened on May 22, 2009, but the rest of the complex opening is still far off.
Saucon Valley Country Club
Saucon Valley Country Club is a world-class golf course just south of the city. The club's courses have been named among the best in the state, and the Old Course played host to the 2009 U.S. Women's Open. Inquire within for information on tee times and greens fees.
The closure of Bethlehem Steel has left many workers to find new jobs in the past few years. The Sands Casino Resort offers many different jobs at its casino complex. Lehigh Valley Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital also provide many jobs.
If you were to give a typical building in each of Bethlehem's two main destinations, the Historic district would be "18th-century industrial museum" and the South Side would be "college bar" or as of late, "casino". If you don't fit either of those and especially if you have kids you'll still find stuff to do; you'll just need a car and maybe a GPS to get there. Most of the city's parks, recreational facilities, sports teams, etc. are on the outskirts of the city, and the bus system leaves a lot to be desired here.
Bethlehem is home to two major institutions of higher learning. The larger of the two is Lehigh University (http://www3.lehigh.edu/de...), with a student population of 6,500. It is largely known as an engineering school, and in athletics it has a storied wrestling program. The smaller is Moravian College (http://www.moravian.edu/), located in downtown. It is now a small liberal arts college, but it was once the first seminary for women in the U.S. when it was founded in 1742, making it the 6th oldest college in the country. Other smaller schools in Bethlehem are the International Institute for Restorative Practices (http://www.iirp.org/index.php) and Northampton Community College (http://www.northampton.edu/), which has two campuses, Bethlehem Township and Southside.
Local High School Athletics
Bethlehem's three largest high schools, Bethlehem Catholic, Freedom, and Liberty, all participate in the Lehigh Valley Conference, a highly competitive athletic division often ranked among the best in the state and nation. In 2008, Liberty High School won Pennsylvania's Division AAAA state championship in football. In addition to football, Bethlehem's girls and boys basketball and wrestling events are also very highly attended.
Lehigh Valley Outlawz
The Outlawz are a minor league arena football team that plays in Stabler Arena. The team plays its season in the spring from March-June, and is the only minor league team in the city in any sport.
Events
Musikfest
Musikfest is an annual 10-day music festival that takes place in the beginning of August. Over 1 million people visit the festival every year. All of the hundreds of concerts, save the headlining acts, are free of charge, and take place at various "platzes" set up around the historic district. Past performers include Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Clinton, Ludacris and much more. The food is top-notch if expensive as well, with everything from fried oreos to gyros, and there are activities for children as well. Check out the polka tent for the festival's only dance floor and the famous "Chicken Lady," a local legend.
Fireworks
Fireworks are shot off from Sand Island Park on July 4th, the end of Musikfest, and New Year's Eve.
Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show
The Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show runs from March 31-April 3, 2011. It is an annual display of over 200 vehicles.
Harvest Festival
Takes place at the beginning of October.
Historic Bethlehem ArtWalk
Held on the last Saturday of the month, May-August. Local artists and musicians line the sidewalks during each ArtWalk.
Celtic Classic
Celtic Classic is an annual festival in Bethlehem celebrating Celtic heritage. The festival is host to the U.S. National Highland Games and provides an environment filled with a wide variety of traditional elements. Included are traditional musicians, food vendors, clothing vendors, artists, and more. If you have a kilt, wear it. For the adventurous, taste the haggis, a traditional Scottish dish.
Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp
Philadlelphia Eagles Training Camp is located at Lehigh University in South Bethlehem from July through August. Spectators can watch the Eagles practice and meet players on special autograph days. There are also activities for kids. Bring a cooler; temperatures reach into the 90s, and do not wear any other team's jersey unless you like getting heckled or hospitalized by notoriously rowdy Eagles fans. This is the best opportunity to see the Eagles close up, and it attracts thousands to each practice. Admission is free.
Rooftop Beach Party
Tickets are $10 to get you into this party, bringing the beach to Bethlehem. Held July 9, 2010 from 5:30-8:30PM.
Rooftop Fancy Flea Market
This flea market, held July 25, 2010, features many items at a small price.
Russian Days Festival
Celebrated at the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, this festival includes Russian food and beer, arts and crafts, and desserts. Admission is free. Held September 10-12, 2010.
Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival
Held June 5-6, 2010.
Loop-a-palooza
September 18, 2010. Hop-on and off the Bethlehem Loop and enjoy refreshments and music.
Annual Bethlehem Bach Festival
Takes place during the first weekends in May.
Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale
July 23-25, 2010. Stores feature many discounts and bargains during this 3-day event.
Blueberry Festival
The The Blueberry Festival is held each July and features a classic car show and various products made from blueberries.
Historic Haunts of Downtown Bethlehem
Held Saturdays and Sundays in October, 2010. Hour-long ghostly walking tour.
Lehigh Valley Home Show
The Lehigh Valley Home Show features builders and other home improvement ideas. It runs annually from April 3 to April 5.
St. Nicholas Fall Greek Food Festival
Local church festival featuring authentic Greek food. Held September 16-19, 2010.