Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast

Hosted by Lehigh Valley with Love

Entrepreneurship Society Culture News Comedy Interviews

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Episodes

200

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast. The aim of this podcast is to connect you to stories and personalities living in or affecting the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, encompassing the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton and many other wonderful communities in-between. We talk to business owners, musicians, authors, students, politicians, and maybe even you. Info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com www.LehighValleywithLoveMedia.com/Podcast

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 13, 202626 min

The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem Celebrates 20 Years of Community

Advertisement Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem is celebrating 20 years in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2006 by Jesse Thompson, the studio began as a third-floor yoga space in the former Cantelmi’s Hardware Building and has grown into a home for yoga, Pilates, teacher training, wellness, and community. Owner Rachel Abott, founder Jesse Thompson, longtime teachers, students, and members of The Yoga Loft community reflect on the studio’s beginnings, its evolution, and the relationships that have kept it going for two decades. From Rachel’s path from student to owner, to Jesse’s original vision, to the teachers and students who helped build the studio’s identity, this conversation celebrates the people who made The Yoga Loft what it is today. More information about The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem: https://theyogaloftofbethlehem.com/   Advertisement Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list  

June 8, 20267 min

Saquon Barkley’s Alpha Invitational Comes to Whitehall June 20 and 21

Advertisement Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! The Saquon Barkley Alpha Invitational is coming to Whitehall High School June 20 and 21, bringing youth flag football, family fun, vendors, music, and community together where Saquon’s story began. We talk with Tonya Johnson, Saquon Barkley’s mom and Vice President of the Michael Ann & Saquon Barkley Hope Foundation, along with board member Rachael J. Pritzker, about why this event matters, how the foundation is giving back, and what it means for Saquon to continue investing in his hometown. Advertisement This one is about football, family, opportunity, and making sure the next generation sees what is possible. so annMore info and tickets: https://masbhopefoundation.com/upcoming-events Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list  

June 5, 20267 min

Mike McGrath Signs Off: You Bet Your Garden’s Final Episode on WDIY

Advertisement Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! Mike McGrath is signing off from You Bet Your Garden on WDIY with a final episode that looks back on 30 years in public radio, a career rooted in organic gardening, and the kind of advice that made him a trusted voice for gardeners everywhere. In the interview, Mike reflects on his time as editor of Organic Gardening, his years on public radio, and how the show eventually found a home at WDIY. He also shares one last piece of classic Mike McGrath gardening advice: “No trends.” Build raised beds, use real soil, grow without poisons, and do not take advice from random people on the internet.   Advertisement The final episode of You Bet Your Garden is now available through WDIY. Listen and learn more at https://www.wdiy.org/show/you-bet-your-garden. Wishing Mike well and thanking him for decades of smart, funny, fiercely organic advice. Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list  

June 4, 2026Episode 38213 min

Legends & Legacy: Inside Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 35th Anniversary Season

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is celebrating its 35th anniversary season in 2026, and Artistic Director Jason King Jones joined the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast to talk about the milestone, this year’s “Legends & Legacy” theme, and why Romeo and Juliet continues to connect with audiences generation after generation. Advertisement Founded in 1992 at DeSales University, the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival has grown into one of the region’s premier summer theater destinations, blending Shakespeare, musicals, dramas, and contemporary productions into a packed annual season.   This year’s lineup includes Romeo & Juliet, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, Million Dollar Quartet, Moriarty, and more running through August 2 in Center Valley. During the conversation, Jones talks about balancing classic works with modern audiences, what makes live theater special in the Lehigh Valley, and why PSF continues to attract both longtime theatergoers and first-time visitors. Learn more about the festival at https://pashakespeare.org/ Advertisement Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list  

June 1, 202627 min

Why Farmers Markets Matter More Than Ever in the Lehigh Valley

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! “People are social, and there’s not a whole lot of other opportunity to just go somewhere and socialize with all of your neighbors.” Lisa Surma Borick said it simply, and she’s right. Farmers markets are not just places to buy produce, baked goods, flowers, meats, soaps, coffee, mushrooms, or whatever else ends up in your bag on a Saturday morning. They are places where people see their neighbors. They are places where kids grow up knowing the vendors. They are places where customers do not just say they are going to buy something. They say they are going to see someone. We spoke with Lisa Surma Borick of the Nazareth Economic Development Commission and Nazareth Farmers Market, and Emily Roland, Farmers’ Market Manager with the Greater Easton Development Partnership and Easton Farmers’ Market, about why farmers markets still feel so important right now.   Easton Farmers’ Market has roots dating back to 1752 and is known as America’s oldest continuously operating open-air market. Nazareth Farmers Market was reestablished in 2010 and has grown into a weekly gathering place in the center of town. But the bigger story is not just history. It is what these markets do every week. Advertisement Emily talked about the work people do not always see: selecting vendors, balancing farmers with prepared food and specialty vendors, handling permits, road closures, parking, layouts, special events, and all the details that make a market feel easy for the people walking through it. Lisa talked about how markets create ownership. People say “my market.” They know the vendors by name. They bring their kids. They make the market part of their weekend rhythm. The conversation also gets into the phrase “buy fresh, buy local” and what it actually means. Supporting a farmers market helps local farms, small businesses, makers, bakers, and families. It keeps money closer to home. It also supports food access programs, including SNAP matching programs that help more people buy fresh food while also helping farmers bring in more income. As Emily said, “It’s so much more than buying.” That is why farmers markets matter more than ever. They are not just about food. They are about people, place, access, relationships, and community. GUESTS: Lisa Surma BorickNazareth Downtown ManagerNazareth Economic Development Commission / Nazareth Farmers Market Emily RolandFarmers’ Market ManagerGreater Easton Development Partnership / Easton Farmers’ Market WEBSITES: Nazareth Farmers Market:https://nazarethfarmersmarket.com Nazareth Economic Development Commission:https://nazarethpanow.com Easton Farmers’ Market:https://eastonfarmersmarket.com Greater Easton Development Partnership:https://eastonpartnership.org HOSTS: George WackerLehigh Valley with Love Media Jeff WarrenCo-host, Off The Record with Lehigh Valley with LoveNorthampton County CommissionerHost of The Philly Sports Table Advertisement Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list  

May 30, 20265 min

Tired of Swiping? Date My Mate Lehigh Valley Brings Real-Life Dating to Easton

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! Tired of swiping? Melissa Smith of Balance & Bloom joins us to talk about Date My Mate Lehigh Valley, a new singles mixer coming to Wanderlust Beer Garden in Easton. The event mixes speed dating, open mic energy, social networking, and a little friendly embarrassment as presenters take the stage to pitch their single friends with short, funny presentations. After that, the room opens up for a mix and mingle where people can meet, talk, and see what happens. Date My Mate Lehigh Valley takes place Thursday, June 18 from 6 to 9 PM at Wanderlust Beer Garden, 1600 Sullivan Trail in Easton. Tickets are $35 and include entry, the mixer, and one drink. Learn more at https://www.balanceandbloom.life/ Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Advertisement Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list

May 15, 202621 min

Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley & Pocono Builds Confidence One Step at a Time

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! Girls on the Run has the word “run” right there in the name, but this program is about a lot more than running. On this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, George Wacker is joined by his daughter Dahlia, a first-year Girls on the Run participant at her elementary school, for a conversation with Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley & Pocono Executive Director Liz Fones, coach Jennifer Leffler, and Laney, a program alumna who now gives back as a junior coach. Yes, there is running. Yes, the season ends with a 5K. But the real work happens during the practices, where trained coaches help participants build confidence, make friends, set goals, talk through emotions, and learn how to handle the kinds of social pressure that can show up early in elementary and middle school. Liz explains that the program gives girls tools at a critical age, especially as they begin thinking more about how they fit in, what others think of them, and how they see themselves. Jennifer, who has coached for many seasons, talks about helping girls navigate friendships, peer pressure, negative self-talk, and the simple but powerful idea of changing “I can’t do this” into “I can’t do this yet.” Laney shares how her own experience with Girls on the Run helped her meet new people, build a love of running, and eventually return to the program as a junior coach. She now runs cross-country and track in high school, and talks about how running gives her a way to deal with stress and reset when life feels overwhelming. Dahlia also shares what she has enjoyed as a first-year participant, including making new friends and getting to be part of something that gives girls a chance to try running in a supportive way. The episode also looks ahead to the Girls on the Run 5K Celebration at DeSales University on Sunday, May 17. The event brings together girls, coaches, families, running buddies, mascots, music, and plenty of cheering as participants complete the season together. Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley & Pocono serves communities across the region and is open to girls of all abilities. The organization also emphasizes that financial need should not stop a girl from participating, with scholarships and support available for families. Learn more about Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley & Pocono at: https://www.gotrlehighpocono.org/ Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company Advertisement Advertisement Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list

May 12, 202621 min

Todd Albright on Country Blues, Twelve-String Guitar, and Godfrey Daniels

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! Country blues guitarist and vocalist Todd Albright joins the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast ahead of his Saturday, May 16 performance at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. Todd is a Detroit-based twelve-string guitar player rooted in the pre-war blues tradition, drawing from artists including Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, and others. In this conversation, we talk about what draws him to early folk and blues music, why the twelve-string guitar became such an important part of his sound, and how he approaches songs with deep history behind them. Todd also talks about country blues as foundational American music, the connection between ragtime, folk, and blues traditions, and what audiences can expect in the intimate listening room setting at Godfrey Daniels. Todd Albright performs Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 8 p.m. at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, with guest Arthur Terembula opening the night. More information and tickets: https://godfreydaniels.org/event/todd-albright-may-16-2026/ Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company Advertisement Advertisement Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list

May 5, 202640 min

Sir Dominique, Mariposas Galacticas, and Wood Flower Talk Music, Promotion, and Live in the Garden

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! Live in the Garden returns to Bethlehem’s Rose Garden for its fifth season this spring and summer, and this episode features three artists from this year’s lineup: Sir Dominique, Mariposas Galacticas, and Wood Flower. The conversation ties into Next Stage PA, the statewide artist development initiative helping emerging artists grow through performance opportunities, mentorship, and hands-on professional development. In this episode, the artists talk about how their bands took shape, how they think about identity and visuals, what platforms they actually use, and what it takes to promote music and live shows in a way that feels real. Sir Dominique and Mariposas Galacticas will perform May 16 at Live in the Garden, and Wood Flower will perform June 6. Live in the Garden lineup and info: https://lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com/live-in-the-garden-2026-returns-to-bethlehem-rose-garden-with-full-lineup/ Band links Sir Dominique: https://unitedmasters.com/a/sirdominiquejordan Mariposas Galacticas: https://mariposasgalacticas.bandcamp.com/album/asi-se-goza-con-las-mariposas Wood Flower: https://woodflowerbluegrass.com/   Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company Advertisement Advertisement Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list

April 24, 202622 min

Healthcare in the Lehigh Valley: Costs, Care, and the Patient Experience

Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! “It’s really like being dropped into a storm without a map.” In this episode of Off The Record, George Wacker and Jeff Warren talk healthcare in the Lehigh Valley through the lenses of policy, frontline care, and the patient experience. Guests: Mike Schlossberg, Majority Whip in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Denise Williams-Dianna, nurse at St. Luke’s Alyssa Glaser, co-founder of Life Always Facing Forward The conversation touches on access to care, prevention, screening, and what treatment can feel like when real life is already heavy. For more on Life Always Facing Forward: https://www.laff4hope.org/ Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company Advertisement Advertisement Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list