FESTIVAL UNBOUND

The History of Festival UnBound

In October 2019, twenty years after the closing of Bethlehem Steel, Touchstone launched the inaugural ten-day Festival UnBound, using the arts as a vehicle to explore questions of community and identity: Who are we, now that the Steel is gone? What are the challenges ahead, and what are the values that hold us together as we shape our future?

Over the next five years, Festival UnBound evolved into an annual multi-day celebration full of arts-infused events, performances, and hands-on workshops for all who call the Lehigh Valley home. Featuring visual arts, live music, participatory dance, original theatre, workshops, and more, this hyper-local smorgasbord of arts took place at venues all throughout the Lehigh Valley. And now in our seventh year, after dipping our toes into year-long programming with the Big Read last year, Festival UnBound has officially transitioned to UnBound Year-Round! This expansion, with events throughout Touchstone’s 2025-26 season, allows us to reach new audiences, find new partnerships, and allow the art and conversation to continue all year, instead of being limited to a single week. We hope you’ll come along for the ride!

Festival UnBound Sponsors

Gold Sponsor
Air Products
Donald B. & Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation

Silver Sponsor
Amaranth Foundation
Community Action Development Bethlehem
Keystone Savings Foundation
Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh Valley Public Radio

Bronze Sponsor
Anonymous
Highmark Corporate Giving
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Copper Sponsor
Astound Broadband
Embassy Bank
Lehigh University College of Health
Lehigh Valley with Love
Working Dog Press

Community Sponsor
Bonn Place Brewing Company
Color Me Mine
Jenny’s Kuali
Lehigh Valley Interior Construction
Molly’s Irish Grille and Sports Pub
SWBR Marketing & Media
VillaNovak Creative