Wine Trail Celebrates the Chambourcin Grape: Your Weekend

Did you know that the Chambourcin grape is the only grape all eight wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail grow?

Take this weekend to travel the trail and sample various styles of wine made from the Chambourcin grape. Each winery will celebrate this special grape in various ways.

At Clover Hill Winery, for example, they will hold cooking demonstrations to be paired with the 2012 Chambourcin and the Turtle Rock Red (also made from 100% Chambourcin grapes) Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Here is what else is going on in the area this weekend:

• Runners and fitness buffs take over the SteelStacks campus in South Bethlehem this as Runner’s World magazine hosts its second annual Half-Marathon & Festival. It will be a weekend featuring seminars, live music, a health and fitness expo and, of course, running. On Saturday morning, you can run a 5-K race, a 10-K race or bring your dog to run a mile with you on Saturday afternoon. The half-marathon winds its way through Bethlehem’s streets on Sunday.

• Join more than 1,000 people with ALS, family members, friends, caregivers and supporters at the Lehigh Valley Walk to Defeat ALS at 9 a.m. Saturday at Coca Cola Park in Allentown. Mayor Ed Pawlowski is planning to stop by to greet teams as they look to raise more than $160,000 for ALS research and patient care services.

• Dress up like an otter at the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville at its Ottertoberfest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It’s an autumn event featuring craft vendors, wine and craft beers, live music, otter-related kids’ activities, and family-friendly activities. Zoo-goers will be able to dance along with the Happy Dutchman German Band and Radio Disney.

• The homecoming dance for current Parkland High School students will be held on Saturday from 7:30-10:30 pm. The homecoming King and Queen are announced at this annual dance. The homecoming dance is semi-formal. Appropriate dress and student ID are required. The cost is $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

• "Blue Velvet," "Roses are Red" and "Mr. Lonely" are just a few of the songs that have made Bobby Vinton a popular singer for decades. He brings a full-stage musical gala, including an orchestra, to perform at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center at 8 p.m. Saturday night. Tickets are from $49.50 to $59.50.

• Penn State Extension’s annual Lehigh County Open Gate Farm Tour is Sunday. Take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to learn about local agriculture in Lehigh County. There is no charge to visit any of the participating farms between 1 and 5 p.m. It’s rain or shine! Dress casually and enjoy the day talking with local farmers and learning how your food is produced. 

• Local Monty Python aficionados will have a blast Sunday at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks as the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas screens three classic Python movies in succession. That’s "Monty Python’s Meaning of Life," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Monty Python’s Life of Brian," all on the big screen, beginning at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18, less for students, seniors and ArtsQuest members.