10.06.2023

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

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

Take a gander at these galleries

Museums in Lakeland

The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art features both world-renowned artists and local students. | Photo by @agbmuseum

October is National Arts + Humanities Month — what better time is there to highlight Lakeland’s museums? Whether you’re looking to learn something new about Swan City or plotting a way to spend your Saturday afternoon, here are nine museums to visit in and around Lakeland.

Arts and architecture

Polk Museum of Art, 800 E. Palmetto St., Lakeland | Free
See rotating and permanent exhibits featuring mediums from paintings and photography to quilts and pottery. You can also take gallery tours with docents, Florida Southern College students, or the museum’s curator.

Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 840 Johnson Ave., Lakeland | $5-$125
Florida Southern College is the world’s largest single-site collection of works designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Take a self-guided or in-depth tour of his structures, or see photographs and drawings in the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center.

History

Lakeland History & Culture Center, 100 Lake Morton Dr., Lakeland | Free
Visit this center inside the Lakeland Public Library’s Main Branch to learn about our city’s past through interactive displays. The current exhibit, “Ties That Bind,” covers the city’s beginning from 1880-1925.

Polk County History Center, 100 E. Main St., Bartow | Free
Our county’s history extends far past its creation in the 1800s. The History Center displays artifacts like a Paleoindian canoe from 1,500 years ago. Pro tip: The center will close for maintenance Oct. 19-23; plan your trip accordingly.

Blinky the alligator playground — Find this 100-ft Blinky playground at Florida Children’s Museum.
|
Photo by @lkldlense

Kids

Florida Children’s Museum, 600 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | $15
Bring the whole family to explore this 47,800-sqft facility packed with interactive exhibits. The daily schedule also includes activities like STEM challenges and storytimes.

Florida Air Museum, 4075 James C. Ray Dr., Lakeland | $10-$15
Visitors of all ages will enjoy the collection of airplanes from Florida’s long aviation history, and kids will love the family-friendly Discovery Zone.

3 more museums + what not to miss

Asked

How often do you attend local art galleries, museums, or art events?

A. Weekly
B. Monthly
C. 3-4 times per year
D. 1-2 times per year
E. I do not attend these events

Paint us a picture

Events

Friday, Oct. 6

Moxie Le Femme Presents: Serially Sexy — Moxie Loves You to Death | Friday, Oct. 6-Saturday, Oct. 7 | 7-11 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | $15-$20 | Lakeland’s premiere cabaret & burlesque variety show will perform its Halloween show — attendees must be ages 18 and up.
Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail | Friday, Oct. 6-Sunday, Oct. 8 | 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.

Saturday, Oct. 7

Live Hart w/ Top Dog Concessions | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 2-5 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free entry | Order hot dogs, burgers, and Philly cheesesteaks while enjoying live music.
Run for the Boo-lies | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 6 p.m. | Lake Hollingsworth Park, 929 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland | $35 | Run alongside Lakeland’s dogs to raise money for the Polk County Bully Project, then join an afterparty at The Yard on Mass.

Sunday, Oct. 8

BossFest | Sunday, Oct. 8 | 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Hilton Garden Inn, 3839 Don Emerson Dr., Lakeland | $35 | Calling all entrepreneurs — learn from a panel of experts and network with other business owners at this annual event.
I Smell Children ~ Porch Leaner! | Sunday, Oct. 8 | 4-6 p.m. | Painting with a Twist, 3670 Harden Blvd., Lakeland | $41-$60 | Create your own Halloween porch decor in this guided class featuring an homage to “Hocus Pocus.”

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Try This

💰 What would you do if you won $1 million?

The odds of winning the Two Million Dollar Puzzle are 150x better than playing the lottery jackpot. | Photo provided by Two Million Dollar Puzzle

What would you do with $1 million?

Maybe:

Retire early?
Pay for your kids’ college?
Buy an epic vacation home?
All of the above?

Good news: The Two Million Dollar Puzzle could make that dream come true.

How it works:

Assemble a real 500-piece puzzle.
Scan the QR code.
Get a cash prize ranging from $1 to $1,000,000 (yep; that’s six zeroes).

Every puzzle has a prize — with two featuring the lucky $1 million.

Here's your chance to win a milly

Puzzle responsibly.

News Notes

Civic

The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce and LkldNow are hosting Politics in the Park on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5:30-8 p.m. Head to the Coleman-Bush Building (1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.) to hear from candidates for the District A Northwest and District-at-Large 2 seats.

History

Get your tickets for a community forum, “Florida in the Era of the Revolution,” on Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Elks Lodge 1291 (4529 Harden Blvd.). Dr. J. Denham, Lawton Chiles Center for Florida History director + history professor at Florida Southern College, will speak.

Wellness

PunchWorX, a boxing program for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, has grown from five to 60 members since 2019. The group meets at the Kelly Recreation Complex on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Members join for physical benefits as well as the support of a community. (LkldNow)

Arts

Southeastern University’s School of Music will hold its annual fall Faculty Gala at All Saints Episcopal Church (202 S. Massachusetts Ave.) on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. Stop by the free event to hear performances from SEU School of Music faculty.

Fun Fact

Lakeland Electric was one of the first publicly-owned utilities in Florida. Today, it’s the third largest city-owned utility in the state. It all began in 1889, when coal was king — now, it’s leaning into renewable energy and sustainability. Read more with LE’s General Manager Mike Beckham in Energy, Oil & Gas magazine.

Edu

Students at Sandhill Elementary School in Haines City are on the track to being bilingual. The school immerses kindergarten through fifth grade students in Spanish and English education. According to second grade teacher Maritza Vazquez, students often become fluent in both languages. (Bay News 9)

Travel

If you’re planning a summer vacation, listen up. A new airline is launching nonstop routes from Orlando International Airport to Mexico next summer. Viva Aerobus will offer service to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon (think: Mountain views), and Merida, Yucatan (think: Mayan ruins) beginning May 9 and July 1, respectively.

Network

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, enjoy Gallery Night — a curated evening tailored for business owners and investors who value smart financial stewardship + impactful giving. Mingle with like-minded individuals, learn from financial experts, and engage with local artists at the Florida Children’s Museum. RSVP — space is limited to maintain an intimate and specialized experience.*

Active

Fall means perfect biking weather — and studies have shown that e-bike riders typically ride more often (and for longer distances) than traditional bike riders. This brand carries new and certified pre-owned e-bikes at up to 60% off retail; delivering them 99% assembled to your doorstep. Use code RUN for $100 off.*

Community

Your LALtoday Editors here. We care about Lakeland. We also care about the people in it. That’s why every day, we bring you positive, impactful news stories about our city — skipping the political talk, crime coverage, and biased reporting. Support our approach to local news by joining our LALtoday membership club.

Edu

AeroTech Academy + Amazon = aircraft techs

International AeroTech Academy and Amazon Career Choice partner to certify new aircraft mechanics

An old fashioned airplane in bright blue sits outside the airport.

Lakeland Linder Airport | Photo via @wacokitchenfl

Hello, this is your City Editor speaking — sit back, relax, and enjoy your read. The Amazon Career Choice Program is partnering with Lakeland’s International AeroTech Academy (IATA) to put Amazon employees through aircraft mechanic school.

Thanks to the partnership, employees aspiring to a career in aviation mechanics can focus on earning their certifications while their employer foots all or most of the bill. Training will be held at Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL).

So, why did this partnership come about? Amazon is hoping to address an industry shortage of aircraft mechanics. The presence of Amazon Air at LAL makes Lakeland and its aviation academy a clear choice for the partnership.

Interested Amazon employees can fill out an interest form in ~30 seconds. Upon submission of the form, interested candidates will receive help applying to IATA and Career Choice.

The inaugural class is officially in session, and a waitlist has been established for session two.

Share LALtoday

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

Facebook

Twitter

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_15}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.

Claim your rewards

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Rilee

From the editor

In case you missed it, this year’s Lakeland Christmas Parade will take a new route around Lake Morton. You might be wondering where to park, where to sit with your family, or what the city’s plans are for the swans — send us your questions and we’ll try to round up some answers. Consider it an early holiday present.

Missed our previous newsletter?

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY