09.25.2023

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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.

🎵 Don’t miss a beat

Give these Lakeland live music venues a listen

Head to the Polk Theatre for live music downtown.

Hear that? It’s the scintillating sound of Lakeland’s live music venues beckoning you to a performance you’ll never forget.

From Union Hall to the RP Funding Center, there’s a stage for any type of tune. To get to know them all, you must do three things:

Put your hands in the air, wave ‘em like you just don’t care, then lay your eyes (and ears) on our guide.

Big sound, big venues

Polk Theatre | 121 S. Florida Ave.
Capacity: 1,400
This Mediterranean-themed theater has been around since 1928. While it’s known for showing films, you can also catch concerts or other live performances inside this piece of local history. Elvis Presley himself stopped by for a show in 1956.

RP Funding Center | 701 W. Lime St.
Capacity: 2,200-6,000
This venue has played host to music acts like U2, The Grateful Dead, and The Rolling Stones in its long history. Elvis also made a stop here — can we just call him a Lakeland regular? Check out the calendar for shows in the Jenkins Arena and Youkey Theatre.

Local acts take the stage

Screen Shot 2019-07-25 at 3.42.41 PM — BYOB to rock out at Music Ranch.
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Photo by @themusicranch

Union Hall | 1023 S. Florida Ave.
Live musicians, DJs, and open mics are regular happenings at this Dixieland spot. Not a professional? No worries. You can take the stage at karaoke on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. with the help of DJ Kep.

Leo’s Live | 5263 S. Florida Ave.
Entertainment is the name of the game here. Drop in for a full-service bar, eight pool tables, and live music Tuesday through Saturday. Bring your dancing shoes to their upcoming shows.

Up close and personal

Screen Shot 2019-07-22 at 2.31.59 PM — Be near the action at The Pink Piano.
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Photo by @ranemadepics

The Pink Piano | 1015 S. Florida Ave.
Catch live shows at this intimate destination Wednesday through Saturday. Enjoy wine, beer, and cocktails while you listen, or join the open mic nights on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.

6 more stages

Asked

Do you prefer small intimate venues or large concert arenas/stadiums for live music events?

A. Small intimate venues
B. Arenas
C. Stadiums

What's your favorite?

Biz

Tickets now available for Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night 2023

Lakeland entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses pitch their big ideas at Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night.

Lakeland entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses can pitch their big ideas at Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night for the chance to win up to $10,000 in funding. | Photo by Catapult

Time to swim with the sharks. Tickets are now available for Catapult’s Launch Pitch Night, the semi-annual Shark Tank-style business pitch event, happening on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Guests will get to see live business pitches from startups and small businesses to judges from local financial institutions for up to $10,000 of micro-grant funding.

The Launch Micro-Grant Program was created to help entrepreneurs scale their business operations by providing access to capital to aid in the purchase of a business asset. Through funding and expertise, judges determine grant recipients by assessing a variety of factors.

Key dates to know:

Monday, Aug. 21: Applications opened
Monday, Sept. 18: Applications closed
Thursday, Oct. 19: Pitch Night happens

Buy tickets

Events

Monday, Sept. 25

Family Feud Trivia | Monday, Sept. 25 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Keel Farms, 5202 Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City | Free entry | Survey says you should make dining reservations to guess the most popular answers.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Music Together Again | Tuesday, Sept. 26 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall, Robert Davis Performing Arts Center at Florida Southern College, 1100 Johnson Ave., Lakeland | Free | FSC Music faculty members will perform together for the first time since 2019.

Wednesday, Sept. 27

Line Dancing & Karaoke | Wednesday, Sept. 27 | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | If your boots were made for dancing, bring them for lessons at 5 p.m. and karaoke at 8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 28

Pits & Pints | Thursday, Sept. 28 | 5-9 p.m. | The Yard on Mass, 802 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Enjoy craft drinks and entertainment at the Yard — a portion of proceeds will benefit the Polk County Bully Project.

Friday, Sept. 29

Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail | Friday, Sept. 29-Saturday, Nov. 4 | Times vary | Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail, 2837 S. Frontage Rd., Plant City | $27-$57 | Celebrate this attraction’s 10th season with three outdoor haunted trails, a new haunted hayride, escape games, and axe throwing.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Opening

Publix Super Market at Oakbridge is reopening for business this fall, roughly 14 months after it initially closed to be rebuilt. Look forward to a tentative opening date of Nov. 9 — just in time to stock up on everything you need for those holiday parties. (The Ledger)

Award

Katie Worthington Decker, the Senior Vice President of the LEDC, was awarded the Winter Haven Banker’s Cup Woman of the Year Award last week. Katie served as the President and CEO of Winter Haven’s Chamber of Commerce for eight years prior to joining the LEDC.

Cause

Black & Brew’s Annual Pumpkin Latte Giveaway will return from Monday, Oct. 2-Wednesday, Oct. 4. Visit any location from 7 to 11 a.m. and make a donation of $1 to United Way of Central Florida to receive a free 12-oz Pumpkin Pie Latte.

Edu

Mi Escuela Montessori, a public charter school in Lakeland, serves ~200 students between kindergarten and eighth grade. ABC Action News spoke with Kelly De La Cruz, the school’s founder and executive director, about its three-year anniversary. According to De La Cruz, being bilingual helps with problem-solving and other schools. (WFTS)

Number

$4.85 million. That’s how much the City of Fort Meade earned in a sale of the Fort Meade Mobile Home Park earlier this month. The city formerly acted as landlord for the residents of the 23-acre 55-and-up community. The new owner, Wildflower Communities, has renamed it Fort Meade Estates. (The Ledger)

Eat

Caramel Mountain Tracks, Deep Dish Apple Pie, and Eggnog. Those are three of the nine seasonal ice cream flavors you can get at Publix for a limited time. Pick up your favorite soon — they’re only available while supplies last. (WFLA)

Environment

Look up, Lakeland. The Great American Eclipse will occur on Saturday, Oct. 14, when the moon will cover the sun. You’ll have to travel out west for the best views, but Central Florida will have a 50-60% chance of catching a glimpse of the “ring of fire.” (The Ledger)

Drink

This brand believed there was a way to take water and make it a little more perfect by infusing it with fruit essences (but none of the gross diet sweeteners, calories, or sugar). And the fruit flavors really taste like fruit. Groundbreaking. Plus, new customers get 36 bottles for $36 + free shipping.*

Seasonal

Travel and Outdoors

Lakeland, city of love… bugs

Two black bugs with red heads connected by the ends cling to a white flower.

Isn’t it romantic? | Photo via Judy Gallagher on Flickr

What are all these black bugs with red heads flying around and cluttering our cars? They’re lovebugs, and we’re in the midst of one of their semi-annual flights.

April-May and August-September are lovebug mating seasons. During this time, lovebugs attach to each other facing opposite directions and remain attached for as long as 12 hours until the mating ritual is complete. The male detaches and dies while the female lays the eggs in moist, damp areas. It’s not dinner for two at Bay Street Bistro, but if it works for them…

Lovebugs are lovers, not fighters, so they don’t bite and are totally harmless… but be sure to clean them off your car on the way to your fall events or they could damage your paint.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Connor

From the editor

Anyone else stocking their freezer with the new Publix ice cream flavors? I’ve got my eye on the Marshmallow Candy Cane & Cookie Blast so I can pretend it’s already winter.

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