A record 15,000 votes poured in for the fourth annual Best Of competition. While some businesses took home their fourth consecutive wins, others were honored for the very first time. Scroll through to discover who received a golden ticket and why you (our readers) named them the best in the Valley!
Glasbern Inn
Best Romantic Overnight Stay
Whether you’ve booked a luxury suite or a standard room, you will be delighted. All overnight guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast from the inn’s extensive menu—the Vanilla Crème Brûlée French Toast is legendary.
2141 Packhouse Rd., Fogelsville | 610.285.4723 | glasbern.com
Unangst Tree Farms
Best Christmas Tree Farm
Approximately 8,000 trees are planted every spring on this 112-acre farm.7317 Bethlehem-Bath Pike, Bath | 610.837.7531 | unangst-treefarm.com
Cigars International
Best Place to Stock Up on Stogies
Join the Cigar of the Month Club and receive a variety of premium, hand-rolled brands delivered to your doorstep.
535 Main St., Bethlehem | 610.419.2076 4078 Nazareth Pike, Bethlehem | 484.895.3933 | cigarsinternational.com
Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery
Best Place to Buy Art
With four annual showcases, Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery seeks to demonstrate practical use of contemporary art by presenting it in fully furnished homes. BHCAG sets out to challenge empty white-walled galleries, and will celebrate its three-year
anniversary this month. 459 Main St., Bethlehem | 610.419.6262 | bethlehemhousegallery.com
Musikfest
Best Beer and Food Festival & Best Festival for People-Watching
Respected for its music, worshipped for its food, attended for the people-watching.
Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival
Best Culinary Event
Experience cooking demonstrations, tastings from more than
25 of the region’s best restaurants, a champagne and spirits room, cigar bar, seminars and more!
Saucon Valley Country Club
Best Country ClubYou Wish You Belonged To
Sixty holes of golf, indoor and outdoor tennis, a fitness center, fly fishing, a four-pool swimming complex, ten indoor and outdoor eating venues and a beautiful view? Yeah, we wish we belonged here.2050 Saucon Valley Rd., Bethlehem | 610.758.7150 | sauconvalleycc.org
Strawberry Acres
Best Pick-Your-Own Orchard
Go solo or schedule a group tour and choose from peaches, apples, pumpkins and pears—perfect for family fun!
1767 Clearview Rd., Coplay | 610.261.2323 | strawberryacres.com
Grim’s Orchard & Family Farms
Best Pumpkin Patch for Fall Festivities
Explore the corn maze, shoot the apple cannon, play farmer paintball, go on a hayride, ride the dual cattle train and, of course, pick some pumpkins.
9941 Schantz Rd., Breinigsville | 610.395.5655 | grimsgreenhouse.com
Easton Farmers’ Market
Best Seasonal Farmers’ Market
Shake the hand that feeds you at the Easton Farmers’ Market, now open year round.
Centre Square, Easton | 610.330.9942 | eastonfarmersmarket.com
Photo by Colin Coleman
Bethlehem Golf Club & Mark Csencsits
Best Public Golf Course to Work on Your Swing & Best Golf Pro to Help You Work on Your Game
Mark Csencsits may be a golf pro now, but once upon a time he was just like any other befuddled beginner, trying to figure out how to turn bogeys into birdies. “I was extremely frustrated in the fact that I couldn't control this little white ball that wasn't even moving,” he recalls. In fact, initially his sport of choice was baseball. When that career fizzled out, he decided to give golf a go, and turned professional at age 29. “I thought hitting a fastball at 90 miles per hour would make me be a good golfer. I loved the challenge the game presented to me to get better.” And he’ll tell you there’s no need to travel all the way to Augusta, Georgia, or Pebble Beach, California to master the art of the slice, or to perfect a wayward putt. You can do your best Arnold Palmer impression right here in the Lehigh Valley. Csencsits meets with eager students at the Bethlehem Golf Club, which has been wooing golfers to its lush greenways for well over half a century. Founded in 1956, the course welcomes newcomers but is demanding enough to challenge even the most seasoned pros. Lesson one: There’s no such thing as a perfect swing. “Stop searching!” Csencsits says. “Search for knowledge to get better instead. Then do purposeful practice with a goal and plan in mind.”
400 Illicks Mill Rd., Bethlehem | 610.691.9393 | bethlehemgc.com
610.428.3434 | lehighvalleygolfpro.com
D&L Trail
Best Bike Trail
The scenic, 165-mile path stretches through five Pennsylvania counties.
2750 Hugh Moore Park Rd., Easton | 610.923.3548 | delawareandlehigh.org
Nazareth Dog Park
Best Dog Park
Allow for some off-leash fun at this fenced-in dog park that includes a separate area for smaller pets, as well as shade and benches for human friends.
Black Rock Rd., Nazareth | 610.759.0202 | nazarethboroughpa.com
Lehigh Parkway
Best Park for Walking & Jogging
Home to many of the area’s 5K walk-runs, visitors can enjoy six miles of trail here.
Lehigh Parkway E., Allentown | 610.437.7757 | allentownpa.gov
Trexler Memorial Park
Best Park to Have a Picnic
Nestle on one of the park’s many grassy areas and enjoy the surroundings as others bike, walk and explore. Restrooms available on site.
Springhouse Rd., Allentown 610.437.7757 | allentownpa.gov
Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley Hearts of Gold Gala
Best Annual Charity or Social Event
Wear gold to support the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley's efforts to provide programming and assistance to families affected by this disease. The Hearts of Gold Gala includes silent and live auctions, dinner, music and dancing for a good cause.
Downtown Bethlehem
Best Place to Take Out-of-Town Guests
With top-notch dining, festivals, breweries, shops and places to stay, your guests won’t want to leave.
Northampton Community College Community Education
Best Cooking Class to Learn New Tricks
They offer hundreds of classes—did you know you can even earn your certification in home brewing here?
3835 Green Pond Rd., Bethlehem | 610.861.5500 | northampton.edu
Blue Mountain Resort
Best Outdoor Activity
Whether it’s skiing and snow tubing in the winter or zip lining and mountain biking in the summer, Blue Mountain has something for all outdoor adventure seekers.
1660 Blue Mountain Dr., Palmerton 610.826.7700 | skibluemt.com
Scholl Orchards
Best Roadside Farm Stand
The smell of ripe peaches keeps people comin’ back!
3057 Center St., Bethlehem | 484.239.5934 | schollorchards.com
