The Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) has unveiled a new online digital collection celebrating the history of one of the city’s most beloved traditions: Musikfest.
Available free to the public, the new Musikfest Digital Collection allows users to explore the festival’s rich history through historic photographs and digitized program booklets. The collection currently features photographs from the 1996 festival as well as official Musikfest programs from 1984 through 1999, with additional years planned for the future. The archive is available online at omeka-s.bapl.org/s/musikfest.
The collection documents the growth of Musikfest from its founding in 1984 into what is now the nation’s largest free music festival. Visitors can browse images from Festplatz, Kinderplatz, Volksplatz, and many others, providing a unique look at how the festival and the city have evolved over the decades.
“This collection helps preserve an important part of Bethlehem’s history while making it available to anyone, anywhere,” said Josh Berk, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Area Public Library. “For longtime residents, it’s an opportunity to relive favorite memories. You might even find yourself or a friend in the pictures from thirty years ago! For newer community members and visitors, it’s a really fun look at how Musikfest has grown alongside our city.”
The Musikfest Digital Collection is part of BAPL’s growing Local History Digital Collections, which preserve and provide public access to historically significant photographs, documents, and other materials relating to Bethlehem and the surrounding communities. The library plans to continue expanding the Musikfest archive with additional photographs and program guides in the future.
The collection is freely accessible online and may be explored from any computer or mobile device. Users with questions about the collection or other local history resources are encouraged to contact info@bapl.org.
