• Story Time at the Florida Air Museum | Tuesday, Nov. 15 | 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.
• Tasty Tuesday | Tuesday, Nov. 15 | 4:30-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | $25 | Dine through downtown by purchasing tasting tickets from local restaurants — get 10 samples for $25.

• Line Dancing & Karaoke | Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 5 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 Florida Ave S, Lakeland | Free | Learn some new moves from 5-7 p.m., then sing your heart out starting at 8:30 p.m.
• Musical Animals and Nature | Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Branscomb Auditorium, Robert Davis Performing Arts Center, Florida Southern College, 1100 Johnson Ave., Lakeland | $5-$10 | The Florida Southern College Orchestra will perform pieces inspired by animals and nature.

• Zen Awakening Festival 2022 | Thursday, Nov. 17-Saturday, Nov. 19 | 1-11:45 p.m. | Zen Meditation Fields, 2505 W. Bella Vista St, Lakeland | $88-$333 | Visit this four-day music and arts festival to connect with performances, meditation, yoga, and 100+ workshops — on-site camping is available.
• Wine, Chocolate and Cheese | Thursday, Nov. 17 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, 401 Ave. B NW, Winter Haven | $30-$35 | Pick up your Tasting Passport and try wine and cheese or chocolate pairings from 30+ downtown Winter Haven businesses.

• Sixx L Sixx w/ Smokin’ Chanchos | Friday, Nov. 18 | 7-10 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W Pine St, Lakeland | Free | All ages are welcome to listen to live music from Sixx L Sixx and order from the Smokin’ Chanchos food truck.

• Dixieland AlleyFest | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | Dixieland Village, 1035 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free | Stroll through Dixieland to shop from local businesses, artists’ booths, antique shops, and grab a bite from food trucks.
• 35th Annual Margarita Ball | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 5-11 p.m. | Frances Langford Promenade, Lakeland | $45 | Bring a toy donation and enjoy an evening of live music, hors d’oeuvres, margaritas, and more from local restaurants and bars.

• Museum + Events: Give guided tours, archive our collections, upkeep the museum, become a docent, or help with special events.
• Education: Inspire young aviators with Story Time, field trips, and events of all kinds.
• Maintenance: Beautify the grounds as a Flower Babe, or serve in maintenance as a plumber, carpenter, or mechanical worker to operate large machinery/vehicles.
• Creativity: Take your administrative and creative talents out of the office and serve in the area of social media + graphic design.*

• 85º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

• Lakeland Regional Health has purchased a 2.2-acre property at 6150 S. Florida Ave. to be used for a freestanding emergency department. Construction on the new location, which has access to South Florida Avenue and County Road 540A, will start in 2023. 🏥

• This has a nice wing to it. The Anchor Bar, the home of the original Buffalo wing, is planning to open a franchise in Lakeland. The location and opening date are TBA, but we’re already working up an appetite for its traditional wings, pizza, and burgers. 🍗 (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

• Lakeland is now home to the Buffalo Soldiers Monument following Saturday’s unveiling ceremony featuring re-enactors on horseback. You can visit the memorial at Veterans’ Memorial Park (along Lake Beulah Drive), which is open daily from dawn to dusk. (LkldNow)

• Learn about the origins of your favorite Christmas carols at the Songs of Christmas Past Lunch & Learn today at 12 p.m. in the Polk County History Center (100 E. Main St., Bartow). Pack a lunch to visit in person, or send an email for the link to join virtually. 🎼

• Hear about school safety from Sheriff Grady Judd and Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid at the “Breaking Down Silos” event. Register for a spot on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m. in the Polk State College Center for Public Safety (1251 Jim Keene Blvd., Winter Haven). (The Ledger)

• Southeastern University is striking up the band with two performances this week. Don’t miss the Brass Quintet Concert on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and the Percussion Ensemble Concert on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Both are free and take place in the Buena Vida East Band Room. 🥁

• Polk County is seeing a rise in both flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases. More are being affected earlier in the flu season than usual, and Lakeland Regional Hospital has seen 50-60 RSV cases per month, on average, since the school year began in August. (The Ledger)

• Take to the streets at the Holiday Night Market happening downtown on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 5-10 p.m. Curated by Buena Market, Downtown Lakeland, Art Crawl, and Lakeland Punk Flea, you’re sure to find the perfect gift, specialty food + beverage, or live performance. ❄️

• The Lakeland Magic hosted the Austin Spurs at home this weekend, winning Friday’s game and falling behind in Saturday’s. The Magic are on the road for their next four games, but you can get tickets now for their next home game against the Mexico City Capitanes on Friday, Nov. 25. 🏀

• Florida A&M University is hosting a recruiting event tomorrow, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. in Lakeland’s Coleman-Bush Building (1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.). High school students can learn more about becoming a Rattler at this event — no registration required. (The Ledger)

• Credit Utilization Ratio. Okay, technically three words, but this is the figure lenders use to determine how well you manage credit. Learn what number you should strive for. 💵 *

• Daunted by a long holiday shopping list? Quick cash idea: List your extra storage spaces on Neighbor. You can rent out anything from closets and sheds to driveways and parking spots. Bonus: Listing your space is free. 💸*

• Looking for hands-on holiday fun for the whole family? Make a gingerbread house (without having to worry about clean up) at Publix Apron’s Gingerbread Houses event on Fri., Nov. 25. 🎄*

• Payne Air is offering Cool Cash rebates on new Carrier Systems now through Sat., Nov. 19. Get up to $1550 off new systems plus 36 months of no interest with approved credit. Snag the deal.*

Where to dine-in

Where to carry out