Getting there
Skip the parking headache. LANTA runs shuttle service with 14 stops around Bethlehem, including fare-free rides on the Gold Line connecting north and south, plus the Blue and Green Lines within the festival footprint. It runs until midnight on weekdays and 12:30 a.m. on weekends. — Stephanie Sigafoos, Managing Producer
Eat the things you can't get on a random Tuesday
Seek out vendors you can't find in the Valley any other day of the year. Magnolia's Soul and Spice is serving alligator and crawfish tacos and crawfish empanadas. — Hasanna Birdsong, President and CEO
That said, the classics earn their reputation for a reason: Aw Shucks corn, Flying V poutine, ice cream on a waffle, and Island noodles all made multiple staffers' lists. — Megan Frank, Senior Multimedia Journalist, and Cate Reifsnyder, Director of Education
New this year at Handwerkplatz: La Kang Thai French Cuisine, known locally from its Palmer Township and Hellertown locations. Get the drunken noodles. — Hasanna Birdsong
Don't just watch the headliners
Musikfest's free stages are stacked with acts worth building your afternoon around, not just background noise on your way to the main event. Check the app, look at the lineup, and if something sounds interesting, go find it. — Javier Diaz, Director of Video and Broadcast
A few specific picks: don't sleep on the Groove Merchants (blues/R&B/soul) Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Stadtplatz, then stick around for Don Cunningham & Associates' Rolling Stones tribute at 9:30. If you like tribute bands, Greggie & the Jets (Elton John), We May Be Right (Billy Joel), There, There (Radiohead), and Life After Dead (Grateful Dead) are all playing free stages this year and are good enough to do ticketed shows at the Musikfest Café.
For something different, catch the School of Rock Easton's Bank Street Band at Plaza Tropical, Friday, August 7 at noon, and Ellery Collins, a former School of Rock kid now home from college, at Yuengling Lagerplatz that same day at 2 p.m. — Hasanna Birdsong
For a dark-horse pick, catch The Clarks. A 40-year Pittsburgh institution with major-label releases and a Letterman appearance, you might recognize their sound from "The Pitt" Season 2 promo. Free show, Sunday, August 2. — Jeff Frederick, Senior Videographer
Skip the lines, know the perks
Become an ArtsQuest member. Better bathrooms, shuttle access. Small thing, makes a difference over a long day. — Hasanna Birdsong
Get a mug (if you don't have one) and refill it at Lost Tavern. It's usually colder and cheaper than buying fresh. Wander a block off the festival grounds to Main Street while you're at it: Dear Santa, The Foo Foo Shoppe, and Grandpa Joe's Candy (good with kids) are all worth the detour, and Clusters Popcorn is excellent. — Melissa Leffel, Production Assistant
Pack a rain poncho. You'll be glad you did. — Cate Reifsnyder