Fans of art, culture, history, and people who want to cook with two women named Marie, have a place to visit in the Slate Belt.

The Bell Tower Cultural Center in the Martins Creek section of Lower Mount Bethel Township is entering its second full year with events lined up throughout the 2025.

Located at 2904 Church Road, the center is housed at a former church donated by the congregation of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

The center is a project of the Three Church Hill Arts and Historical Society. Events focus on music, art, history, cooking, gardening and other educational and entertainment programming.

“The community is very rural,” Bell Tower Cultural Center vice-chairman James Palmeri said. “We didn’t have a true community center. We said, ‘We don’t have a facility right now. Let’s start one.’”

Events are open to the public, including those who do not live in Lower Mount Bethel Township.

The first event of 2025 will be part of the Out to Lunch series on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m.

A $7 ticket buys a person lunch and a seat to hear local historian Marc Blau tell the story of how his parents escaped the Holocaust. The Out to Lunch events are open to people 55 years old and older.

Other events are open to all ages like the Saturday, Jan. 18, free family concert and sing-along with The Ukelele Band from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, Jan. 12, at 4 p.m. will feature musician Steve Brosky performing as part of the center’s Sunday Music Sessions.

On February 22, the “Two Maries” will hold a cooking class demonstrating how to make Italian wedding soup and bread. Palmeri said these cooking events have been popular and usually sell out.

“They’re two very funny Italian women from Martins Creek,” Palmeri said. “They play off each other hilariously.”

Other scheduled events include book readings and classes on art and gardening.

Registration is required for most of the events. Information for events and how to register can be found on the center’s website belltowerculturalcenter.org.

Palmeri said the center has coordinated with the township recreation program and local organizations so center events do not overlap with other community events.

The center received financial help for drinking water issues on the property from the Rotary Club of Easton. Palmeri said Northampton County has indicated it will provide funding in 2025 to help with needed costs to maintain the church built in the 1800s.

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John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.