The Weekend: Celtic Classic and More

Here's what's happening in and around the Nazareth area this weekend:

• The Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival returns to downtown historic Bethlehem this weekend for its 26th year. The festival kicked off at 5:15 p.m. Friday with the annual Haggis Bowl. The showing of the Tartan Parade begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and leads guests from Main Street to Highland field. Highlights include the U.S. National Highland Game Championships, and a variety of celtic music, including the annual pipe band competition. For more information, visit www.celticfest.org or download the free Celtic Classic Festival iPhone app.

• The Nazareth Market on the Square runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy local produce and local music in the center of town.

• The National Canal Museum celebrates Smithsonian Magazine's Museums Live! day with free admission all day Saturday, as well as $5 tickets for the canal boat ride. 

• The free museum program also applies to Easton's Sigal Museum, but you'll need to print out a ticket to do so. Visit smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

• Mixing nature and art, the Wildlands Conservancy is hosting a free program from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday that will allow you to hike and sketch the bison at their home in the nature preserve in North Whitehall.

• Saturday is National Public Lands Day, an opportunity for people to volunteer at a national, state or local park to participate in a cleanup or beautification effort. There are 40 such projects going on across Pennsylvania on Saturday. More details here.

• Halloween Haunt and Boo Blast at Dorney Park, 4000 Dorney Park Road, South Whitehall. Boo Blast is for young kids; Halloween Haunt is not for anyone under 13. Boo Blast is free with park admission and open noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. (Planet Snoopy is open until 8 p.m. on Saturday). Dorney is offering a September special of $25 per ticket for four or more tickets purchased online. New this year is the Mansion House Hotel where kids can wander haunted hallways in search of friendly ghosts. Boo Blast also features:

• Pumpkin painting
• Mask making
• Hay bale maze
• Petting zoo

• Extra $5 admission required

• Kids can hunt for treasures on a life-sized pirate ship