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Celebrating our birthday at LALtoday

We’re looking back on five years of bringing you Lakeland’s top news and events.

We’re still starting our day with LALtoday and coffee five years later.

Photo by @thelaltoday

Table of Contents

This week marks five years since LALtoday first sent out a newsletter at 6 a.m. Since then, we’ve been sharing Lakeland’s local news updates, city history, food + drink recommendations, and more with you every morning. Stroll with us down memory lane to look back at a few of our “firsts.”

Newsletter

The very first time we appeared in your inbox, it was to welcome our earliest subscribers. In the inaugural newsletter, we promised to share need-to-know Lakeland information, from development updates to restaurant recommendations. Some things never change.

Here are five of our top stories since 2018:

Instagram post

After hitting “send” on our morning newsletter, we took to Instagram to share our very first post. Since then, we’ve shared 3,800+ posts and grown to over 28,000 followers. Push us towards that goal by following us to get even more local news every day.

Remember our launch party here at Cob & Pen? | Photo by @thelaltoday

Events

We’ve been helping you plan your week since the very beginning of LALtoday. Looking back at our first list of August events, you can see some that are still going strong, like the downtown Food Truck Rally or singer-songwriter nights at Hillcrest Coffee. Also on the list? Our launch party that we held at Cob & Pen that week.

You’re not supposed to share birthday wishes, but ours is to continue sharing more Swan City content with our readers for many more years. You can help support our mission by becoming an LALtoday member, forwarding our newsletter to a friend, or following along with our social media posts. Here’s to many more years.

More from LALtoday
We’re digging through the Lakeland Public Library photo archives to relive autumn memories from years gone by.
The Comedy Cathedral is set to open by spring 2026 with entertainment, classes, and community events designed to keep Lakeland laughing.
Whether you’re looking for a charming bungalow or a stylish mid-century modern stay, Lakeland’s short-term rentals offer something for everyone looking for a staycation.
You won’t find an official Turkey Trot in Lakeland, but there are plenty of fun runs and nearby races to break a seasonal sweat.
Here’s a list of local restaurants open on Thanksgiving.
See who will take the stage in Plant City when the festival returns in February 2026.
The rebuilt store includes 55,701 sqft of space for shopping, dining, and relaxing. Scroll through photos from opening day.
Take a look inside the Ludd M. Spivey House, formerly home to Florida Southern College’s president who made a historic impact on the campus.
Over the next 10 days, we’re launching a reader-driven campaign to sustain what we do best.
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.