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'Easton Out Loud' to spotlight city's food culture, arts, retail and more with special events. Starting next month, Easton will be turning up the volume — on fourth Fridays anyway. Easton Out Loud, a monthly program, will feature live music, food, drinks, art exhibits, games and activities for the family, beginning May 26 and running each month on the fourth Friday. Easton will be the third of the Lehigh Valley's cities to host a monthly program to bring people downtown with events that spotlight its attractions, food culture, the arts and retail offerings. Liz Wyant, manager of special events and promotions for the Greater Easton Development Partnership, said there will be plenty of family-friendly events. "Not only is this series a way of showcasing our fantastic retailers, venues and restaurants, but it's also a way for visitors to have a standing family fun night once a month," she said. Easton Out Loud will feature activities each month such as lip sync battles, a family-friendly outdoor movie, a "yappy hour" (a happy hour where you can bring your dog) or a pop-up beer garden. Many retailers will stay open later and offer promotions that match each month's theme. The debut Easton Out Loud on May 26 will have the theme Summer Fun. These types of monthly events can be effective ways for cities to showcase what's available downtown, retail analyst Jeff Green said. Visitors may see interesting museums or boutiques and decide to come back again another day to check them out. "It's using a day to get a bigger brand," Green said. "It's a branding technique. It brings awareness about the downtown." Easton joins Allentown and Bethlehem, which have monthly programs designed to spotlight the cities' retail and arts attractions. Allentown's Destination Arts: Third Thursday, a collaborative program between the city's businesses and arts community, launched in the fall. It features art classes, exhibitions and talks, along with musical performances and promotions at art venues, restaurants and retailers. It runs 5 to 8 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at sites throughout downtown Allentown. The goal of Allentown's program is to showcase arts opportunities and venues in the city — including Allentown Art Museum, Miller Symphony Hall, Baum School of Art and the Arts Park. "It is about engaging the arts and the artists that live among us," said Miriam Huertas, senior vice president, Allentown Initiatives, for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. "It's really meant to get everyone together." Destination Arts has brought a dramatic increase in attendance to the Allentown Art Museum. During the Third Thursdays, the museum has seen more than a 300 percent increase in visitors, said Chris Potash, the museum's manager of marketing and public relations. February's Third Thursday event brought an all-time high of 186 people to the museum. On Thursday, during this month's Destination Arts, the museum will host a jewelry maker in its Museum Store, an open mike event by the Allentown Public Theatre, an artist-book workshop, a tour through the galleries and a concert in the galleries by the Dan DeChellis Trio starting at 6 p.m. to help launch Allentown JazzFest. It's all free. Bethlehem's South Side has been home to a First Friday program since the late '90s. It's run by the SouthSide Shopping and Arts District. The group's website bills First Friday as an opportunity to "check out art galleries, boutiques, salons and shops, while enjoying food and wine samples, live music and special deals and events." Read the original article here.