Ring in the New Year at Peepsfest from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 30 and 31. The sweet celebration will return to the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem with a new outdoor ticketed format and new family-friendly activities.

“We are excited to welcome the community back to this fun family event,” said Patrick Brogan, chief programming officer of ArtsQuest. “We are proud to partner once again with Just Born Quality Confections, the worldwide company based in our home of Bethlehem. There’s no sweeter way to celebrate the New Year.”

This year’s festival will take place entirely outdoors, and tickets will be required to ensure a safe and quality experience for all in attendance. Tickets will be limited and include Just Born Quality Confections goody bags for all kids under 12, one coupon to redeem a free s’mores kit for all kids under 12 and access to live music and entertainment and Peeps sampling stations.

Everyone’s favorite event, the Peeps Chick Drop, will take place each day 5:30 p.m. The whole family can also enjoy activities like the Peepsfest scavenger hunt, the Leaning Tower of Peeps, cornhole, Jenga and crafts by local groups from around the Lehigh Valley.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating Peepsfest in person again this year,” said Meg Dowd, corporate affairs manager at Just Born Quality Confections. “The Peeps Chick Drop has become a beloved New Year’s Eve tradition for our local community, as well as families across the country, so we can’t wait to welcome fans back to the Peepsonality-filled celebration to close out 2021.”

This two-day festival will feature live musical performances. As per tradition, the massive Peeps Chick, weighing in at 400 pounds and standing 4 feet and 9 inches tall, will descend for the countdown to the New Year both Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, followed by a display of fireworks.

New this year will be the Peepsonality family fun run/walk Dec. 30. Tickets will include early entry into the event, an opportunity to sample unique Peeps flavors, photo opportunities with Lehigh Valley mascots and a special prize for the participants with the most “peepsonality.”

The 13th annual Lehigh Valley Peeps diorama competition will be completely virtual this year. The online gallery display and voting was Dec. 20-27. Families, students and businesses were encouraged to participate.

Tickets and additional details are available at steelstacks.org/Peepsfest.

ArtsQuest will continue to follow the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and safety guidelines. Face coverings are highly recommended for this event, per the SteelStacks website. Visit?artsquest.org/safety?for the latest updates.