Take us out to the ball game 🎶

Lakeland’s 89-year love story with the Tigers

Henley Field in Lakeland (1965) | Photo via the Lakeland Public Library

Spring training tickets go on sale on Thursday, Feb. 16 for the Detroit Tigers. The schedule features 15 home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium — but more on that later.

The Tigers’ return to LAL marks the 87th year that Detroit has called Lakeland its second home. This is the longest-standing relationship between a team and its host spring city in the Major Leagues and one of the richest in MLB history.

In honor of the month of love, let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit Lakeland’s longest-standing love story. 💕

A black and white photo of the Lakeland Flying Tigers circa 1937. — Detroit Tigers (Spring 1937)

1923 | The Cleveland Indians arrived to train at Henley Field and brought an economic boom to the city in 1923. In 1927, the Indians and Lakeland parted ways.

1934 | Lakeland invited the Detroit Tigers to come train for a year. The team ended up signing a 37-year contract to stay in LAL.

1966 | The Tigers moved into Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Before it was the spring training field for the Detroit Tigers, the land under the stadium was where thousands of pilots across the globe were trained. To pay homage to the original use of the land, the team was renamed the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

A black and white photo of airplanes circa 1942. — Airplanes at the Lodwick School of Aeronautics in Lakeland (1942)

2014 | The Tigers signed on to train in Lakeland for 20 more years, marking what will be a 100-year spring training relationship by 2036.

2023 | As Detroit and Lakeland kick off their 87th year together this month, you can celebrate this love story by cheering them on and purchasing tickets here.

2023 home game schedule

Feb. 25 | Phillies
Feb. 26 | Orioles
March 1 | Pirates
March 2 | Orioles
March 4 | Blue Jays
March 7 | Cardinals
March 8 | Nationals
March 10 | Yankees
March 14 | Red Sox
March 16 | Phillies
March 17 | Yankees
March 20 | Blue Jays
March 22 | Braves
March 24 | Pirates
March 26 | Rays

The full schedule can be found here.

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Feb. 16

T-R-I-V-I-A | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free | Show what you know and enjoy an extra long happy hour.
Author Talk with Grace M. Cho | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 1 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Hear from this award-winning author as she discusses her memoir and answers audience questions with the Lakeland Public Library.

Friday, Feb. 17

MAP Student-Led Tour | Friday, Feb. 17 | 1-2 p.m. | Polk Museum of Art, 800 E. Palmetto St., Lakeland | Free | Tour the Polk Museum of Art with student docents from Florida Southern College — registration is required.
Sixx L Sixx w/ One Stop Food Truck | Friday, Feb. 17 | 7-10 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free | Start your weekend off with cold beer, cool music, and hot food truck bites.

Saturday, Feb. 18

Architectural Tour at Polk County History Center | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Polk County History Center, 100 E. Main St., Bartow | Free | Join this tour of the History Center to discover its neoclassical architectural elements, ongoing restoration, and historic preservation resources.
Gone Country for kidsPACK 2023 | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 6-10 p.m. | White Horse Ranch, 5718 Yates Rd., Lakeland | $0-$100 | Break out your Western wear to enjoy dinner, games, auctions, and entertainment — proceeds benefit kidsPACK.

Sunday, Feb. 19

“Something Rotten” | Sunday, Feb. 19 | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Buckner Theatre, Florida Southern College, 1100 Johnson Ave., Lakeland | $10-$20 | See the comedic creation of the world’s first musical in this production by Florida Southern College students.
Bridal Show | Sunday, Feb. 19 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | Meet with 70+ local vendors and enter giveaways as you plan your dream wedding.

Monday, Feb. 20

Yoga for Beginners | Monday, Feb. 20 | 10-11 a.m. | Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin L. King Jr. Ave., Lakeland | $5 | Bring your mat and some water to this yoga class for all levels focusing on breath, alignment, balance, and strength — must be 16 or older.
Alzheimer Association’s In-Person Caregiver Support Group. | Monday, Feb. 20 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Schalarmar Creek Clubhouse Garden Room, 4500 US-92, Lakeland | Free | Connect with other caregivers at this group that meets on the third Monday of each month.

We have a calendar filled with events and 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

A peek into the history of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland’s Sorosis building

A man and woman stand in front of the Sorosis building on their wedding day

The Sorosis building hosts everything from weddings to baby showers and birthday parties. | Photo provided by Junior League of Greater Lakeland

In 1927, Lakeland’s first community center opened. Designed by Lakeland architect W.B. Talley, the Italian Renaissance building was originally named after the first incorporated women’s club in America: The Sorosis Club of New York.

Fast forward to 2005. Members of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland decided to buy the building and share it as a gift to the community. Today, Lakelanders can host events and explore a piece of history for themselves.*

RENT THE EVENT SPACE

Weather

86º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain ⛅️

Development

Do you have thoughts on the future of Downtown West? Attend today’s public forum at The Yard on Mass (802 N. Massachusetts Ave.) from 6-7:30 p.m. to share what you’d like to see in the area. (The Ledger)

Civic

The City of Lakeland is looking for public feedback via this online survey on one of Lakeland’s favorite topics: Parking downtown. Click the link to provide your feedback on downtown’s parking scene, and in case you need a refresher, check out our guide. 🚗

Opening

Grab your quarters, your bags, and your shopping list — Aldi’s new location at 4532 S. Florida Ave. opens today. Pro tip: This highly-anticipated new storefront might experience a high volume of shoppers in its first few days or weeks of operation.
Unfiltered Lakeland is opening its doors on Saturday, Feb. 25. Stop by the grand opening party to shop from local vendors and welcome the coffee shop to its new home at 801 E. Main St., formerly home to The Poor Porker. ☕️

Community

Southeastern University is co-hosting “Preach That: A Symposium on Preaching in the Black Church” with the Florida-Cocoa Church of God in honor of Black History Month on Friday, Feb. 24 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Register online for the day-long event featuring lectures, lunch, and a book.

Coming Soon

Get ready to bring your pooch to Lakeside Village’s newest pet-friendly establishment: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming. Visit the 1,885-sqft storefront this spring for luxurious spa treatments, gourmet pet treats and food, and more. Learn more about the biz online. 🐾

Edu

WonderHere’s new farm location means new learning opportunities for students, including everything from toddler farm school to robotics and theater. The school, run by two Southeastern University grads, will soon feature a coworking space for parents of enrolled students. Learn more on LkldNow. (LkldNow)

Biz

Have a business idea, but don’t know where to begin? Here are 10 things you need to know to launch a business in Lakeland. Pro tip: If you need an office space, Catapult has membership plans to help you get the work done.*

Drink

Hosting an at-home happy hour this weekend? Get tropical with this refreshing Pineapple Mojito Sangria recipe. 🍹 *

Travel

How does Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and Going will notify you when flights are 40-90% off. Bonus: You can browse deals immediately after signing up (like a $500+ flight to Italy). 🍝*

Wellness

Level up your sleep hygiene and wake up feeling well-rested with a little help from two top-rated products: This blackout sleep mask with ~9,000 five-star reviews and this sleek white noise machine complete with 31 different soothing sounds. 💤 *

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

Thirsty Thursday, anyone? 🥂

Don’t worry, be happy: Our favorite Lakeland happy hour deals

Play old favorites like pinball during Rec Room’s Happy Hour. | Photo by @recroomlkld

Cheers, Lakeland. Check out these happy hour drink specials, foodie deals, and more.

🌙 Late-night gems

Cob & Pen | Daily, 4-6 p.m., 10 p.m.-12 a.m. | College students can score 25% off their tab by showing a valid student ID.
Rec Room | Tues.-Wed., 4 p.m.-2 a.m., Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.-12 a.m. | Drop by on Thursdays to score BOGO wells, mules, and PONG Beer.

🍵 Endless possibili-teas

Hillcrest Coffee | Mon.-Thurs., 1-3 p.m. | Order a $2 iced black tea and lemonade this afternoon.
HTeaO | Daily, 2-4 p.m. | Teas are half-priced daily from 2-4 p.m.

🍔 Hungry for meal deals

Grillsmith | Daily, 4-7 p.m. | Order the $8 Margarita Flatbread and “Build Your Own Martini” for $6 during happy hour.
Ovation Bistro & Bar | Daily, 3-6 p.m. | Order $7 small plates to share and enjoy two-for-one well drinks, beer, and wine.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Rilee.

Editor’s pick: If you’re looking for your next hump day happy hour, try Patio850 next Wednesday. The biz offers bottomless wine, sangria, and small bites weekly at Wine Down Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. or 6-8 p.m.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We hit the books and studied Lakeland’s school options, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Rilee Delgado, Connor Keith, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Kailey Burke | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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