There are a brunch of options

Cruffins always + forever | Photo by @bornandbreadfl

In this town, brunchin’ ain’t easy but it’s necessary. Whether you’re on the hunt for fluffy eggs, fried chicken and waffles or mind-blowing Bloody Marys, the options can get as overwhelming as the lines at times. 🍳

Luckily, you have us to scout things out. We listed a whole bunch of brunch options (20 total), along with menu recs, pro tips, and an interactive map to track ‘em. Plan your weekend and pour those mimosas.

Note: All times listed are brunch-only.

Two pieces of avocado toast with a micro salad — Munch on some avocado toast while enjoying your bottomless mimosas at Frescos.

Bottomless mimosas

Pastry paradises

Born & Bread Bakehouse, 1113 Florida Ave. S. | 8 a.m.-1 p.m. | Bakery | $ | This carb-lover’s happy place is known for sandwiches, cakes, croissants, and creative creations like the cruffin. Plus, it’s vegan-friendly: Try the Banana Nate Muffins and B+B granola.

A table with biscuits and gravy and other dishes at Biscuits and Benedicts — Whether you’re craving biscuits or benedicts, you can stop by to get your fix.

For the fam

Biscuits and Benedicts, 1212 Florida Ave. S. | Tues.-Thurs., 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Fri.-Sun., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. | Southern comfort food | $$ | Grab a seat on the patio and peruse the full menu — did we mention there’s a special vegetarian menu, too?

Quick and easy

14 MORE BRUNCH SPOTS

Poll

What’s your brunch beverage of choice?

A. Gimme that mimosa
B. Coffee, and keep it coming
C. Lots of water - hydration please!
D. Tea for me

VOTE FOR THE MOST EGG-CELENT DRINK

EVENTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Today

Florida Philharmonia Orchestra Fall Concert | Tue., Oct. 25 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | St. Paul Lutheran Church, 4450 Harden Blvd, Lakeland | Free | Listen as the Florida Philharmonia Orchestra performs all eight movie themes from “Harry Potter,” plus pieces like “Sorcerers Apprentice,” “Danse Infernale,” “Berceuse,” and “Finale.”
Story Time at the Florida Air Museum | Tue., Oct. 25 | 10-10:30 a.m. | Florida Air Museum, 4175 Medulla Rd., Lakeland | Free | Junior ACEs ages 2-5 can hear a story and take part in an interactive learning experience.

Wednesday

“A Siren’s Peril: Underwater Portrait Retrospective” | Wed., Nov. 2 | 12-5 p.m. | ART/ifact, 820 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland | Free | “A Siren’s Peril: An Underwater Portrait Retrospective” features zombie-esque mermaids and mermen and runs from Oct. 31-Nov. 11 at ARTI/fact gallery.

Thursday

Chase Wagner Album Release | Thu., Oct. 27 | 7 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 Florida Ave S, Lakeland | $15.00 - $18.00 | Head to Union Hall for local artist Chase Wagner’s album release show for his debut album, “Suddenly I Saw You Clearly.”
T-R-I-V-I-A | Thu., Oct. 27 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free | Show what you know to win prizes while enjoying deals on beer, wine, and cocktails.

Friday

Halloween Bash | Fri., Oct. 28 | 6 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 Florida Ave S, Lakeland | $8.00 | Head to Union Hall for local art vendors, a costume contest, and performances by No.9, The Paperback Whale, Marrison, Lesa Silvermore, The Daisy’s, and Anisette Mayer.
Haunted Jail Tour 2022 “Doomsday” | Fri., Oct. 28 - Sat., Oct. 29 | 6:30-10:30 p.m. | Polk County Jail, 455 N. Broadway Ave, Lakeland | $12.00 - $20.00 | Join the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their annual Haunted Jail Tour with new unexplored areas — all proceeds will benefit the United Way of Central Florida.

Saturday

Mr. Central Florida | Sat., Oct. 29 | 5:30-9 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park Entertainment Center, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd, Lakeland | Free | Enjoy hors d’oeuvres catered by Frescos Southern Kitchen and Bar, complimentary libations, live entertainment, and an online auction while supporting Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center.
SUN ‘n FUN Spooktacular - Halloween Event | Sat., Oct. 29 | 4-8 p.m. | SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus, 4175 Medulla Road, Lakeland | $10.00 - $79.40 | Head to SUN ‘n FUN for frightful trails, trick-or-treating, s’mores, and other festive Halloween activities — for an extra festive weekend, set up camp for $79.40.
Fall Night Market | Sat., Oct. 29 | 4-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland, Lakeland | Free | Shop from 100+ local vendors in downtown Lakeland while enjoying live music, food, drinks, and more — this event will not include trick-or-treating.

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.

100+ MORE EVENTS

LEARN

Take your skills to new heights at ELEVATE ✈️

A man holding a book and a pen drawing an airplane

Meet the team at ELEVATE — and call ahead to tour their brand new facility. | Photo provided by ELEVATE

If you like your coffee and doughnuts sprinkled with opportunity, meet ELEVATE — a local aerospace and logistics incubator.

In partnership with the Aerospace Center for Excellence, the team at ELEVATE is committed to excellence, and with years of experience in the aerospace and logistics industry, they believe that purpose is the cornerstone of any successful business.

Their purpose is to mentor and guide young (and not-so-young) professionals on their journey to personal improvement. And that begins with access to top-notch workspaces (think: desks, offices, lounge spaces + world-class thinkspaces), collaboration, and mentorship.

There are four levels of membership available at their newly opened SUN N’ FUN location:

1️⃣ Virtual Membership: $50/month
2️⃣ Open Coworking: $100/month
3️⃣ Dedicated Desk Coworking: $150/month
4️⃣ Private Office Space: $250/month

Lakelanders can apply online to join or drop by 3985 Laird Blvd. to learn more. Pro tip: Call ahead to schedule a full tour of the facility.*

ELEVATE YOUR CAREER

NEWS NOTES

Weather

86º | Sunny | 10% chance of rain

Number

1.6 billion. That’s how many bees were impacted when Hurricane Ian destroyed hives and food sources. Florida beekeepers flocked to Winter Haven for help. Greater Good Charities has donated 275,000 pounds of syrup and 40,000 pounds of pollen substitute to feed the bees. 🐝 (WFTS)
28. That’s how many swans The City of Lakeland is putting up for sale on Fri., Oct. 28 to alleviate stress on the overpopulated Lake Morton swan community. Lakelanders interested in purchasing a swan must have a water source + a predator-free environment. Reach out to Tiffany Steele for more information. 🦢 (The Ledger)

Arts

Platform Art is hosting a Veteran’s Day Luncheon on Sat., Nov. 12 at 1 p.m., following the unveiling of the “Friends of Freedom” memorial. RSVP online by Fri., Oct. 28 to hear from keynote speaker, Dr. Aundrea Matthews, and recognize those who made the memorial a reality.
Dear Reader, we recently shared that Lakeland’s Sound House Studios worked on The 1975’s album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language,” but did you know they’ve also added Taylor Swift’s recent album “Midnights” to their list of accomplishments? Talk about Masterminds.

Watch

Did you miss the grand opening of Bonnet Springs Park this weekend? Catch up by watching our Instagram reels to see how we experienced everything from food to park features, performers, and more. Did we mention City Editor Connor even made a BSP ASMR video? 📹

Drink

The Brass Tap is hosting a Halloween party on Sat., Oct. 29. From drink deals to specialty cocktails like the Morgue-a-Rita and Zombini, there’s plenty of festive fun to look forward to this weekend.
It’s the season of boo-ze. Stop by LUGO’S Craft Distillery on Sat., Oct. 29 for Halloween-themed cocktails. Pro tip: Don your best costume and enter the biz’s raffle for a chance to win a free bottle of any LUGO’S Craft product. 🍹

Try This

Main Street Winter Haven is hosting Ladies Night: Downtown Disco on Thurs., Oct. 27. Tickets are $10 and include deals on food, drinks, and shopping from 30+ local businesses. Pro tip: Check out the Ladies Night highlight on Main Street Winter Haven’s Instagram account for more details.

Family

The grand opening of Legoland Florida’s new Pirate River Quest ride is just around the corner. Originally scheduled for Wed., Nov. 2, the ride will now open in early 2023 due to record-setting water levels along the park. 🏴‍☠️ (Bay News 9)

DYK

Did you know you can support LALtoday through our retail store? We’re celebrating Lakeland’s unique landmarks and history with our online shop. Show off your LAL pride with stickers, hoodies, mugs, and more. No need to wait. Start shopping.

Today Is

Taco Tuesday. Celebrate with 3 tacos for $5 at Publix GreenWise Market. 🌮 *

Shop

Here’s a friendly reminder that we’re less than a week out from Halloween. Have you bought your costume yet? What about the candy? And if you wanna be the coolest parent or grandparent on the block — while increasing your trick-or-treater’s nighttime visibility — grab this affordable 100-pack of glow sticks.*

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

Cause

Calling all outdoorsy types

volunteers with shovels and vests at Bonnet Springs Park

Many hands make light work — bring a group to volunteer with. | Photo by @bonnetspringspark

Have extra time on your hands or in the giving spirit? There are more than enough great causes in Lakeland to support with your time — especially if you’re an outdoorsy type. Here are a few ways to get involved + give back to your community in Lakeland.

Se7en Wetlands | Monitor the trails + facilities at the wetlands, or lead hikers and educate them along the way.
Bonnet Springs Park | Bring the new park to life by helping out with one-time projects or long-term volunteer positions.
SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo | Help out at one of the world’s largest aviation events as a gardener, airplane mechanic, or even a pilot.

28 MORE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Rilee.

Editor’s pick: Speaking of volunteering, there are still ways you can lend a helping hand to people (and even bees) who were affected by Hurricane Ian. If you’re looking to bee a part of the solution for Florida beekeepers, you can donate towards the cause here.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We took the purrfect trip to a new Lakeland cat cafe, here.

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.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

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