For the outdoorsy type

• Eat: Try fine dining at Nouvelle Cuisine, known for French and Belgian food like escargot + seafood-stuffed crepes.
• Experience: Rent a kayak or paddleboard to take a 5.5-mile ride down the Weeki Wachee River.
• Stay: Five-bedroom paradise with a private pool and lazy river (~$725/night)
• Pack: Powder sunscreen

For the foodie

• Eat: Luv Child offers tasty Cuban + Latino cuisines.
• Experience: Take the Florida Man pub crawl or party like Gatsby on The Roaring 1920s tour with Tampa Treks and Tonic.
• Stay: Key West-style home with a pool (~$299/night)
• Pack: Polarized sunglasses

For the explorer

• Eat: “Unique” doesn’t even begin to describe the culinary creations found at WAVE Asian Bistro — order your sushi as a burger, pizza, donut, and more.
• Experience: Head downtown for Plaid in the Park, a monthly celebration of Scottish culture.
• Stay: Dewberry cottage in downtown Mount Dora (~$224/night)
• Pack: Mesh tote

For the historian

• Eat: Did you know Ybor City is the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich? Stop by Columbia Restaurant — the world’s largest Spanish restaurant and Florida’s oldest restaurant — for a taste of this historic Floridian meal.
• Experience: Head to Improv Comedy Theater for a night of laughs in the historic Centro Español building.
• Stay: Bohemian apartment near historic 7th Street (~$94/night)
• Pack: Espadrille sandals

• Taking Victory to the Streets — Dinner | Tuesday, May 9 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Parker Street Ministries, 719 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland | Free | Parker Street Ministries invites the whole community to this day of giving, benefitting the neighborhood nonprofit — registration is closed, call for open spots.
• Spring Pop-Up Series: Our Noire Kitchen | Tuesday, May 9, Tuesday, May 16 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Catapult Lakeland, 502 E. Main St., Lakeland | Price of purchase | Spice up lunch with bold flavors created by this kitchen duo — look for bites like tacos and tostones.*

• Coffee Chat and Presentation | Wednesday, May 10 | 8:30-10:30 a.m. | The Well Lakeland, 114 E. Parker St., Lakeland | Free | Attend to learn from mental health professionals and enjoy specialty coffee from Quigley Coffee Cart.
• Yoga for Beginners | Wednesday, May 10 | 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.

• Harrison School for the Arts Spring Dance Concert | Thursday, May 11-Friday, May 12 | 7-9 p.m. | Harrison School For the Arts, 750 Hollingsworth Rd., Lakeland | $9-$12 | Watch guest artist Marion Tonner’s ballet, set to some of Gershwin’s most memorable work, in a World War II tribute to the sounds and innocence of prewar America.
• Lakeland Food Truck Rally | Thursday, May 11 | 6-9 p.m. | Munn Park, 201 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Head to Munn Park for live music, scavenger hunts, and bites from your favorite local food trucks, like Monsta Lobsta, Wheelin N Grillin, and more.

• Dixieland Night Market | Friday, May 12 | 6-11 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Shop from local artists and makers, grab a bite from a food truck, and enjoy live entertainment at Union Hall and The Pink Piano.

• Hundred Acre Wood Fitness Scavenger Hunt | Saturday, May 13 | 8-10 a.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | Teams of three to five members can work together to gather clues by completing fitness challenges — registration is recommended.
• 44th Mayfaire 5K Road Race & Walk 2023 | Saturday, May 13 | 7-9 p.m. | Lake Mirror, 215 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland | $18-$43 | Celebrate Mayfaire by-the-Lake with an evening run around Lake Morton and Lake Mirror.

• $22.3 million. That’s how much Polk State College received from the 2023 Regular Legislative Session for its Haines City Campus and updates to the Lakeland campus. Florida Polytechnic University was allotted $11.2 million for a new building dedicated to studying, internships, and an auditorium. (The Ledger)

• Angela Fields, the founder of CurlyCoilyTresses, was featured in Black Enterprise for her natural haircare line. The sister of former mayor Gow Fields launched her business in 2014 — since then, the vegan, silicone-free product line has been mentioned in Oprah Daily, Beauty Independent, and other publications. (LkldNow)

• 80%. That’s how much of the instruction at Mi Escuela Montessori school is given in Spanish. The bilingual charter school is adding two new grades — seventh and eighth — within the next two years. (LkldNow)

• Lakeland mom Stacey Angulo recently opened her home to her adopted son Marven’s birth family following civic unrest in his country of origin. In addition to Marven’s birth mother and sister, Stacey hopes to bring a mother and daughter who have been without electricity for a month to the States. (WFLA)

• Are you ready to have the time of your life? “Dirty Dancing in Concert” is coming to the RP Funding Center this winter. Tickets are already on sale — get yours now.

• The Polk Transportation Planning Organization wants to know how you’d like to see transportation improved throughout Polk County. Share your thoughts on the Transportation Improvement Program’s 2024-2028 projects here through Thursday, June 8.

• The Hidden Gem Wellness Space is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, May 27 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Stop by the space at 6645 S. Florida Ave., Ste. 4 (near Curry Mango) to celebrate the new biz with food, drinks, chair massages, and goodie bags.

• No 2. That’s what LEGOLAND’s Brickbeard’s Watersport Stunt Show ranked on USA Today’s list of the 10 best entertainment offerings at US theme parks. Never been? Here’s a sneak peek of the show.

• Mitch Mclellan, a Frostproof citrus farmer, hopes to be the first to commercially grow avocados in Polk. Currently, avocados are only grown near Miami’s warm climate. However, Mitch feels that the warm winds coming off of Lake Cinch will protect his avocados from succumbing to cold temperatures. (Fox 13 News)

• Did you know you don’t actually need 20% down to close on your mortgage? With Publix Employees Federal Credit Union, you can turn your dream home into reality. Learn more and get prequalified.*

• What’s your at-home happy hour style — cocktail or mocktail? All that matters is that it makes you happy. For the cocktail lovers: Try this Blackberry-Zinfandel Cobbler Cocktail recipe. And for the mocktail-ers among us: Try this Honeydew-Jalapeno Mock-jito recipe.*

• Here with some moti-vacation-al messages for your next trip is Orlando International Airport’s (MCO) color-coordinated travel wisdom. What color are you? (Personally, we’re right there with you, Pink.)*

• Payne Air is offering special financing on a new Carrier AC system — just in time for the summer heat. Purchase a new Carrier system and get 0% interest for 36 months with approved credit. Snag the deal.*

• Have a heart for kids and being a part of creating an enriching learning environment? Polk County Catholic Schools is hiring multiple full time and part time positions, including teachers, receptionists, after care assistants, and more. See positions + apply.*

• Two words: Free bowling. Sign up for Kids Bowl Free to connect with local bowling alleys where kids can receive two free games of bowling every day this summer. Plus, grab a Family Pass + up to four adults can join in on the fun.

• 14,000 sqft of new gallery, classroom, and art laboratory space
• Renovations to the building’s facade
• New flooring
• Special events spaces
• Updated galleries along the second floor
• Classrooms
• Office space