06.21.2023

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Today’s Forecast

77º | Light thunderstorms and rain | 90% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:20 a.m. | Sunset 5:49 p.m.

🏖️ Summer is here

Summer events happening in and around Lakeland

Don’t miss fireworks lighting up the skies all over Lakeland. | Photo by Tom Hagerty

Summer’s here and LAL is so ready. From live music and Independence Day celebrations to family fun and festivals, summer is where Swan City thrives.

Get ready to get outside with this guide featuring 33 summer events happening between today — the official start of summer — and the end of August.

Holidays

Red, White & Kaboom | Monday, July 3 | 6-9:30 p.m. | Frances Langford Promenade, Lakeland | Free entry | Celebrate Independence Day with food trucks and live music, plus a fireworks show beginning at 9 p.m.

Lakeland Flying Tigers Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza | Tuesday, July 4 | 5 p.m. | Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland | $7-$60 | Cheer on the Flying Tigers as they face the St. Lucie Mets, then stay for a fireworks show and live entertainment after the game.

Two girls throwing balloons and smiling at a Taylor Swift-themed party — Celebrate your favorite artists, from Taylor Swift to Led Zeppelin.
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Photo by @skobza33

Concerts or live music

The Eras Party: Taylor Night | Saturday, June 24 | 9-11 p.m. | Rec Room, 202 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland | $7 | Come out for a Taylor-made dance party, Swift-inspired cocktails, and a night you’ll remember all too well.

Union Hall Presents: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac | Friday, July 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | $12-$15 | Local artists Anisette Mayer, Noan Partly, Robin Brooke, and Shelby Mason will perform the album “Rumours” and more favorite songs by this legendary band.

A woman doing yoga with the Southgate sign in the background — There are many opportunities for outdoor yoga this summer.
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Photo by @julio__garza, courtesy of @yoga_pointe

Active

International Day of Yoga with Yoga Pointe | Wednesday, June 21 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | Celebrate the International Day of Yoga with a sunset session — bring your own mat, towel, and water.

2023 Red, White & Brew 5K | Tuesday, July 4 | 7:04-11 a.m. | Fleet Feet at Lakeside Village, 1523 Town Center Dr., Lakeland | $15-$40 | Register for this annual Lakeside Village 5K where every 100th runner to finish will win a pair of shoes — pancake breakfast and awards presentation to follow.

27 more summer festivities

Asked

The most wonderful time of year to get out and explore the city is…

A. Spring
B. Summer
C. Fall
D. Winter
E. All of them

Select your season

Events

Wednesday, June 21

Line Dancing & Karaoke | Wednesday, June 21 | 5 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Boot scoot boogie on down to Union Hall for free line dancing lessons followed by karaoke at 8 p.m.
Green Drinks Lakeland | Wednesday, June 21 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Three Hands Mead Company, 111 S. Evers St., Plant City | Free entry | Learn about mead making at this sustainability-oriented networking event.

Thursday, June 22

87th Annual Miss Florida Scholarship Competition | Thursday, June 22-Saturday, June 24 | Times vary | RP Funding Center, 701 W. Lime St., Lakeland | $64 | Attend the Miss Florida Preliminaries to see which young women will compete for scholarship assistance at the Miss Florida Finals.
Andy Shreeve w/ Big Baby Bitez | Thursday, June 22 | 6-9 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free entry | Enjoy live music, locally brewed beers, and food truck fare on the Swan Brewing patio.

Friday, June 23

Juneteenth Talent Competition & Art Contest | Friday, June 23 | 6 p.m. | Polk State College Lakeland Campus, 3425 Winter Lake Rd., Lakeland | $10-$20 | Cheer on high school performers competing for prizes in a talent show and browse works by local artists.
Disney’s “Finding Nemo Jr.” | Friday, June 23-Sunday, June 25 | Times vary | Lakeland Community Theatre, 121 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland | $12-$15 | Just keep swimming to this musical adaptation of the Pixar movie performed by local young actors.

Saturday, June 24

Cars + Coffee | Saturday, June 24 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Grab a cup of joe and show off your ride or browse other cars.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Coming Soon

A new bar and restaurant called Peach House is planned for the former home of Red Door. City commissioners approved a conditional use permit for the spot on Monday. The owner — who also operates Revival in downtown Lakeland — said they are eyeing a fall opening. (LkldNow)

Number

$3 million. That’s how much the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County received in the state budget. The organization will use the funds to build a Mulberry facility to serve 200 at-risk youth. It will be the Boys & Girls Clubs’ tenth Polk County location.

Civic

Rob Hernandez has been chosen as Lakeland’s assistant city manager, bringing 30 years of experience in city management to the role. Prior to becoming a Lakelander, Rob managed cities throughout Florida and Georgia. (LkldNow)

Edu

Southeastern University has been named a 2023-2024 College of Distinction. The honor is given to schools based on student engagement, teaching, community, and outcomes. SEU also received nods for its business, nursing, and education programs.

History

Did you know that there was a golf course south of Lake Parker in the 1920s? Lakelander Gene Owen has requested that the city place a historic marker at the site of the former Lakeland Country Club on East Memorial Boulevard, which is now slated for residential development. (The Ledger)

Try This

This is the last week to visit Fancy Farms Market (5204 Drane Field Rd.) before it closes for the season. Visit Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. or Sunday from 1-5 p.m. to bring home U-pick flowers, fresh produce, and seasonal treats.

Weather

Meet Bret, the tropical storm currently moving towards the Caribbean. It’s expected to become a hurricane this week, but forecasters don’t believe Bret will impact Florida. Another wave following behind it has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical system. (WFLA)

Stat

90%. That’s how much of Florida’s citrus crop was lost last year, according to Rep. Scott Franklin. He sponsored a bill to get federal funding into the hands of struggling Florida citrus farmers through block grants. The bill now awaits Senate approval. (WFTS)

Biz

Hey, food start-up dreamers: Want to start a food business, but don’t know where to start? See Catapult’s How to Start a Food Business Guide. Get tips + info on vetting your concept, formalizing a plan, and growing your business. Bonus: The Catapult Kitchen helps food entrepreneurs launch their dream.*

Finance

Work smarter, not harder, by hiring an investment advisor. These are the top five firms in the US.*

Shop

It’s officially summer. To celebrate, shop our online store (Six & Main), where you’ll find many summer essentials such as new patio furniture by Palmetto Craft and delicious cocktail mixers by Simple Time Mixers. Now, that’s how you start the summer.

Stat

Our readers rate their quality of life

How do Polk County residents rate their quality of life?

Half of our readers said their quality of life is “great.” | Photo by @_guaro_

After sharing the results of the countywide United Community Needs Assessment (UCNA) report, we were curious how would our readers would describe their quality of life — so we asked them in a survey.

The first question asked readers to rate their quality of life on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best). The average score was 7.8.

In the next question, readers were asked if they agreed with the statements in the UCNA’s survey. The majority of respondents agreed with each statement. “Residents in my community can easily access outdoor facilities and parks” had the most agreement with 83%. “People in my community work hard to address local issues” had the lowest agreement with 50%.

When it came to describing their quality of life, here’s how the numbers shook out:

50.6% — Great
30.7% — Good
9% — Okay
9.6% — Needs improvement

If you didn’t get to share your thoughts, you can still respond to our quality of life survey.

See the UCNA's results

Shop

Eat

Bring the scoop shop to you with the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker. Use it to make everything from ice creams to milkshakes, smoothie bowls, and sorbets.

Travel

Wanna save 40-90% on flights? Sign up for Going — a free travel membership — and you can browse deals immediately (like a $300+ round trip to Barcelona).

Drink

A crushable summer beverage that won’t leave you with a hangover the next day? Try Ritual Zero Proof’s All Day Margarita made with alcohol-free tequila.

Outdoors

The perfect outdoor string lights do exist, and they’ve got a secret weapon: Solar power. Light up your yard with a 50-ft strand.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Connor

From the editor

Rilee and I got the chance to visit 4 Rivers Smokehouse yesterday, and it’s just as good as we’d hoped. I tried the brisket, pulled pork, baked cheese grits, and bread pudding — and I’m still stuffed. Try it for yourself today at the grand opening from 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

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