Visit Central Florida

Pumpkin spice and everything nice 🎃

Where to find all things pumpkin spice in Lakeland
Two pumpkin spice lattes in mugs on table with a pumpkin muffin
Grab a Hillcrest pumpkin spice latte, no matter the season. | Photo by LALtoday
Pumpkin lovers, rejoice: It’s time to spice things up with fall-flavored coffee, drinks, food, and more. See how many of these local treats you can try this season.

☕️ For a caffeine fix

Black and Brew | Pumpkin latte with housemade pumpkin sauce

Concord Coffee | Pumpkin spice + pumpkin chai lattes

Hillcrest Coffee | Pumpkin spice lattes available year-round

La Imperial Bakery | Cafe con leche with pumpkin spice

Pressed Books & Coffee | “Murder on the Orient Express” pumpkin chai latte

Publix GreenWise Market | Pumpkin spice cream nitro cold brew

Flight of four fall milkshakes on a board

Try milkshakes in more fall flavors, like s’mores + cookie butter.

Photo by @axcaliber

🥧 Grab a bite

Ax Caliber | Muffins, pie, and fall-flavored milkshake flights

From Beverly Bakery | Allergy-friendly pumpkin spice cakes

The Juice Box Cafe | Fall Out Bowl made with pumpkin, banana, sweet potato, and almond butter

Mayday Ice Cream | The Great Pumpkin ice cream with a pumpkin cheesecake base

Milk and Honey Macarons | French cookies in pumpkin chai, pumpkin cookie butter, and white chocolate pumpkin flavors

Parkesdale Market | Pumpkin pie milkshakes + pumpkin butter

Tea Largo | Chia pudding bowls with real pumpkin, plus pumpkin pie smoothies + matcha

Twisted Sugar | Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with cream cheese frosting

Craft cocktails on a bar with different glasses

Sip through a menu of autumn cocktails at Lugo’s rum bar.

Photo by @lugoscraftdistillery


🍻 Raise a glass

Dissent Brewing | Pumpkin ale on tap

Publix GreenWise Market | Flight of pumpkin beers

Keel Farms | Hard cider with pumpkin puree, Madagascar vanilla & cinnamon

Lugo’s Craft Distillery | Pumpkin spice coquito + mojitos

🏡 For the home

Flower Cart | Colors of Harvest floral arrangement

Rafa Natural | Perfect Pumpkin scented soaps, lotions, candles, and more

Scout & Tag | Embroidered kitchen towels and spooky pumpkin decor

Did your fall favorite not make the list? Tell us what you’re sipping + eating this season and we may share them in a future newsletter.
Share the gourd news with another fall fan below.

Click here to have your event featured.

Today
  • Classic Albums Live: U2 - “The Joshua Tree” | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 7:30 p.m. | RP Funding Center | $29+ | Musicians from across the country will perform U2’s album “The Joshua Tree” exactly as you remember hearing it — note for note, cut for cut.
  • Jon Lehrer Dance Company | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Florida Southern College | $10+ | Enjoy a fun fusion of modern + jazz dance from this professional dance company. 🩰
  • Lunch Pop Ups at Catapult: The Cultivated Pig | Every Thursday until Nov. 18th | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Catapult Lakeland, 502 E. Main St. | Price of purchase | Dine with this BBQ duo and enjoy eats like chopped brisket tacos, pulled pork sandwiches + more.*
Friday
  • BigTime Juke Box | Fri., Sept. 23 | 7-11 p.m. | Duke’s Brewhouse, 4960 S. Florida Ave. | Free | Listen to this five-piece band bring the country, rock, and modern hits at Duke’s Brewhouse. 🎸
  • Glow Night | Fri., Sept. 23 | 8 p.m.-12 a.m. | Union Hall | $10 | Get your glow on as you dance under the neon lights to electronic music with live drums.
Saturday
  • An Evening With the Stars | Sat., Sept. 24 | 6 p.m. | Lone Palm Country Club, 800 Lone Palm Dr. | $75 | Join K9s for Cops at this memorial banquet featuring speaker Retired Staff Sgt. Keni Thomas. ⭐️
  • Buckler Arts & Craft Fair | Sat., Sept. 24 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | RP Funding Center | $6 | Grab your craftiest friends and head to this two-day arts and crafts fair — admission guarantees entry both Saturday and Sunday.
  • Documentary Screening — “Rodin: The Gates of Hell” | Sat., Sept. 24 | 12-1 p.m. | Polk Museum of Art | Free | Head to Lakeland’s art museum for a free screening of the documentary “Rodin: The Gates of Hell.” 🎞️
Sunday
  • Let’s Celebrate Expo | Sun., Sept. 25 | 12-7 p.m. | RP Funding Center | Free | This wedding + event expo features giveaways, inspiration, and a fashion show — $10 VIP tickets can be purchased for reserved fashion show seating and other perks.
Tuesday
  • Storytime | Tues., Sept. 27 | 10-11 a.m. | Florida Air Museum | Free | Junior ACEs are invited to this engaging and interactive storytime. 📚

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*
100+ MORE EVENTS

Your usual coffee could never 💅

Super-Coffee-Sept-2022
Super Coffee is designed to impress your taste buds. | Photo provided by Super Coffee
Not-so-fun fact: One Starbucks Frappuccino contains 52 grams of sugar and 370 calories.

Fortunately, there’s a better option — meet Super Coffee, the nation’s No. 2 bottle coffee brand behind Starbucks.

Think of it as the latest + greatest in latte innovation: Super Coffee is just as tasty (and caffeinating) as Starbucks, but with ten grams of protein, zero grams of sugars or artificial sweeteners, and nearly 200 fewer calories.

Bonus: LALtoday readers can try it for free — just pay shipping. ☕ *
SNAG YOUR SUPER COFFEE SAMPLE

Weather
  • 93º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain
Development
  • Lakeland Regional Health’s new center near I-4 and Kathleen Road has been approved to double in size. The campus, now planned to be 300,000-sqft, will include an ER, family medicine office, resident medical education, and potentially a nursing home. The first phase is expected to open in fall 2023. 🏥 (LkldNow)
  • Developers proposing new housing on the former site of the Wedgewood Golf Course are altering plans based on community feedback. Plans now call for 60 single-family homes and 1,148 apartment units, with four-story buildings moved toward the property’s perimeter. Public comments will be taken when revised plans are submitted. (The Ledger)
Civic
  • Want to be part of interviews for Lakeland’s next city commissioner? You’re in luck — interviews will be open to the public on Mon., Oct. 10 at 8 a.m. at City Hall. Hear the eight candidates answer questions before the interim commissioner is chosen on Mon., Oct. 17. (LkldNow)
Coming Soon
  • Have you heard? The Back Nine will be opening a new location in downtown Lakeland soon. While a time and place haven’t been announced, you can still visit the original location (7331 US Hwy. 98 N.) for food + a round of simulated golf. ⛳️
Open
  • Take a behind-the-scenes tour inside the new Bethany Center for Grieving Children in this video from the Junior League of Greater Lakeland. The community service group got to see the books that they donated to the center’s library for children in grief counseling.
Arts
  • Time is Rodin out to see the Polk Museum of Art’s sculpture exhibit. Visit Sat., Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. for Cinéma Art Historique to watch the film “Rodin,” and then stay for a Q+A discussion with museum curator Dr. Alexander Rich — registration is required. 🖼
Try This
  • You autumn be at Downtown Bartow’s Fall Festival this Sat., Sept. 24 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy crafts, games + giveaways from local businesses like Rafa Natural, or visit the pumpkin patch for the first pick of the season. 🍁
Drink
  • It’s the official first day of fall. Celebrate with a cup of Sweater Weather, an herbal tea with cinnamon, orange peel + apple from Color Theory Tea Co. Pro tip: Try it in Black & Brew’s Sweater Weather Craft Soda with apple juice, fresh orange, and sparkling water. ☕️
Watch
  • Love meat? That could be a contributing factor to decreased prostate health in men. Hear from Lakeland Regional Health urologist + urologic oncologist Peter Hinds, MD, about bolstering prostate health by consuming more of the right food (and less of others) in this one-minute video.*
Biz
  • Can we take you behind the scenes? This little blurb is called a Text Ad, and it’s one of the many ways that brands local to Lakeland (and beyond) can reach you through advertising in LALtoday. Learn more about how advertising (which helps keep this newsletter free to you) works here.
Trending
  • Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” broke records for new Prime memberships last week, with more sign-ups over a three hour period to view the Chiefs-Chargers game than on Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday. Tonight’s game? Steelers vs. Browns. Join the party with a 30-day free Prime Video trial. 🏈 (CNBC)*
Tech
  • Orlando International Airport’s new Terminal C features a series of digitally immersive experiences that bring greater Central Florida’s history + natural attractions to life. Take a peek at what The Moment Vault and Windows on Orlando look like — and maybe even get to the airport early to check them out. ✈️ *
Number
  • 30. The number of days between now and the opening of Bonnet Springs Park. Our countdown clocks are set for the Sat., Oct. 22-Sun., Oct. 23 Grand Opening Weekend of the highly-anticipated public park. Here’s a rundown on what to expect. 🌳 *
Eat
  • Working hard? Take it cheesy for dinner tonight. It’s Pizza Thursday, which means cheese pizzas are only $10 at Publix GreenWise Market. 🍕 *

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Punk’s not dead 🤘

Fall fun in and around Lakeland
Rock band performs before an audience in a tent at the Lakeland Punk Rock Flea Market
Don’t miss Lakeland band States Away’s performance. | Photo by @lakelandpunkflea
The Lakeland Punk Rock Flea Market is skating its way back to Swan City for the fifth year. Visit Swan Brewing on Sun., Sept. 25 from 12-6 p.m. for a rockin’ good time.

Shop from 40+ vendors from Lakeland and beyond, including 360 Unlimited, Bump Galletta, and Jesse Carl Vinyl. Live rock band performances will start at 12:30 p.m., and seven food trucks (like Blue Dog Craft Barbecue + Cuban B’s) will be dishing out the grub.

Kids, pets, and skateboards are welcome — there will even be a free skating area on site. Parking will be available on Lake Wire, Missouri Avenue, and in the downtown parking garages. Get your punk on, Lakeland.
MORE FALL EVENTS
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Connor.

Editor’s pick: This weekend, I’ll be traveling to Raleigh, NC (hey, RALtoday 👋) where the low on Friday is expected to be — brace yourself — 49°. As a native Floridian, I’m not quite sure what to pack, but I’ll do my best to bring some cool weather home with me.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn Lakeland’s cost of living, here.
Read More
Connect with us.

Editorial: Rilee Delgado, Connor Keith, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Kailey Burke | Advertise with us.

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