LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman takes off painters tape in preparation to paint Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
The 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound fiberglass chick that is the star of Bethlehem’s New Year’s Eve PeepsFest will arrive in style this year, after Lehigh Career & Technical Institute students graced its new storage crate with a painted fireworks display.
Four LCTI students created and executed the design concept as a community service project.
“I want kids to be inspired by what we did,” said Aubrie Briody, one of the LCTI student painters.
LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Solimar Chung and Aubrie Briody prepare to paint fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Aubrie Briody paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Solimar Chung paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Solimar Chung paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Solimar Chung paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman,left, and Aubrie Briody prepare to paint fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung paint fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Solimar Chung paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Lehigh Career & Technical Institute teacher Keith Lyons speaks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, about the project to create a box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Solimar Chung paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Aubrie Briody prepares to paint fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Aubrie Briody paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman takes off painters tape in preparation to paint Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Aubrie Briody paints fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Aubrie Briody prepares to paint fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman takes off painters tape in preparation to paint Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
LCTI senior Kylie Ackerman takes off painters tape in preparation to paint Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Lehigh Career & Technical Institute teacher Keith Lyons speaks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, about the project to create a box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
A box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration is under construction Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
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LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Solimar Chung and Aubrie Briody prepare to paint fireworks Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Teacher Keith Lyons and LCTI seniors Kylie Ackerman, Aubrie Briody, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones are creating the box to store the 4-foot, 9-inch, 400-pound Peeps chick that gets dropped during ArtsQuest’s annual New Year’s Peepsfest celebration. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
After Just Born approved the students’ sketch, they projected the design onto the crate to produce a New Year’s Eve cityspace that features a disco ball, fireworks and human-sized Peeps.
The new design will allow the Peeps chick to be on display at the family-friendly holiday event, rather than hidden in a tractor-trailer, Just Born logistics manager James Rutt said.
The project as a whole offered an opportunity to get students who specialize in design, painting, warehouse and distribution involved.
“It touched a whole bunch of different occupations in the school,” Rutt said.
Kylie Ackerman, Solimar Chung and Joney Jones worked alongside Briody to paint the crate under the guidance of instructor Keith Lyons.
“I’ve always loved to draw, since I was little,” Chung said, adding that the Peeps were her favorite part to paint.
The design program at LCTI has allowed Chung to engage in tactile learning.
“I just really took a liking to it when I started doing hands-on activities,” Chung said.
Chung is working to apply her design skills toward revamping her bedroom. She hopes to pursue a career in interior design.
“Just Born as a whole really does support workforce development among students,” Corporate Affairs Specialist Courtney Angle said.
Sherwin Williams donated $450 worth of paint for the project.
The newly adorned crate is “really a piece of art,” Angle said. “We’re hoping it will last for many PeepsFests to come.”
Making Peeps last is a favorite activity of Ackerman’s, who said she likes to wait a week or two to enjoy the confection.
“I love stale Peeps,” Ackerman said. “It’s so weird, but they’re amazing.”
