Presented by the Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association and Historic Bethlehem Inc.

Step back in time and celebrate the spring arrival of a Lehigh Valley native, the American shad, at Bethlehem's 19th annual Shad Festival.

Situated in the city's picturesque 18th Century Industrial Area, this unique event offers an afternoon of fine food, fishing lore and family festivities. Dine on a hearty meal of planked shad, learn shad fishing techniques, see the latest shad fishing equipment, and watch gourmet shad cuisine created by local chefs.

Children can try their hand at casting, or making a shad dart or fishy art. Freshly smoked shad and shad roe are available on sale, and a skilled filleter is ready to teach you how to separate a shad's hundreds of bones from its highly prized flesh.

You can also tour a colonial tannery and the country's oldest municipal pumped waterworks. And you won't want to miss the most shocking experience of the day when Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission personnel electroshock Monocacy Creek to reveal its native trout population. You'll be surprised!

Thousands of people attend this unique event every year, but only 850 have the opportunity to enjoy the planked shad dinners, which are available at $10 per person on a first-come, first served basis. This year, 25 dinners of boneless shad with shad roe are available, too. Make your reservations now!

So, why not reel yourself and your family into the Christmas City on May 5 for an experience you'll long remember - the Bethlehem Shad Festival.

• Bethlehem Garden Club
• City of Bethlehem
• Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association
• Deschler's Seafood
• Historic Bethlehem, Inc.
• JWS Technologies
• Laneco, Inc.
• Minuteman Press
• Monocacy Creek Watershed Association
• Nestor's Sports Shops
• PA DCNR/Bureau of State Parks
• PA Fish and Boat Commission

• Hearty portion of planked American shad
• Baked Potato
• Fresh Watercress Salad
• Fresh Baked Bread
• Mint Tea

Tickets are non-refundable, and are held in your name until the day of the festival. Cancellation of the event because of inclement weather will be announced on Lehigh Valley radio stations WAEB (790 AM) and WLEV (96 FM). Persons living outside the Lehigh Valley can call the 24-hour Shad Hotline (610) 954-0577 or 954-0578, or call the office of HBI (610) 691-5300. There is no rain date for the festival.

From Philadelphia: Take Route 309 North to Interstate 378. Follow I-378 into Bethlehem; cross the Hill-to-Hill Bridge over the Lehigh River and take the Main Street exit. Turn right at the end of the bridge and make a downhill turn under the bridge and into the parking lot on the right. Cross the footbridge across Monocacy Creek and enter the festival. Reserved dinner tickets are at a table at the end of the footbridge. (If you're taking the NE Extension of the PA Turnpike, get off at Quakertown and pick up Rt. 309 North. Then follow the rest of the directions.)

From Harrisburg and West: Take Interstate 78 East to Route 22 East. Follow Rt. 22E to the Interstate 378 South exit for Bethlehem. Follow I-378 to the Center City exit for Bethlehem. Turn right at end of the ramp and go one block to Union Blvd. Turn right again; pass underneath bridge overpass and turn right almost immediately onto Conestoga St. Follow about 1/4 mile to four-way Intersection. Turn left at intersection and then left again into the parking lot underneath the Hill-to-Hill Bridge. Cross the footbridge into the festival and pick up your dinner tickets at the table at the end of the footbridge.

From New Jersey, New York: Take Interstate 78 West to Route 22 West. Follow Rt. 22 W. to the Interstate 378 South exit for Bethlehem and then follow the directions given for people traveling from Harrisburg and West.

Parking for all festival patrons is in the large lot underneath the Hill-to-Hill Bridge.

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