July 22, 2024

Today’s Forecast

94º | 64% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:44 a.m. | Sunset 8:22 p.m.

🫖 Here’s the tea — it’s Drink Up Week

Craft cocktails on a bar with different glasses

Which deal will you snag? | Photo by @lugoscraftdistillery

Drink Up Week is finally here and we have a feeling it’ll be the toast of the town.

Here’s the tea — today through Friday, July 26, we’re celebrating the entrepreneurs, mixologists, venues, and beverages that make Lakeland go ‘round.

As you know, we’ve created an interactive map of can’t-miss deals offered by local businesses in Lakeland. Here are the top deals our LALtoday editors have their eyes on — and what they plan to pair with these drinks.

A map of Lakeland showing points of interest offering deals during Drink Up Week — We’ve got a handy map to every Drink Up deal.
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Photo via Proxi Map + data via Google

Connor is heading to Pour Bear Coffee to meet up with the team for a co-working session, and this time, coffee’s on her since all drinks are BOGO 25% off.

Amelia’s rounding up her friends to head over to CRAVE Hot Dogs & BBQ for Thursday Night Trivia and 50% off all local drinks on the beer wall — which also includes Keel Farms wines.

We hope you enjoy sipping your way through our city this week. Cheers to you and happy Drink Up Week, Lakelanders.

Events

Monday, July 22

Movie Mondays | Monday, July 22 | 2 p.m. | Larry R. Jackson Branch Library, 1700 N. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free | Escape the heat to watch “Abominable” while enjoying themed snacks.
Phat Mondays Open Mic + Live Band Karaoke | Monday, July 22 | 7-9 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free entry | Grab grub from Fat Maggie’s + sing your favorite songs with a live band, or share original music.

Tuesday, July 23

Ice Cream & Pool Lakeland Community Event | Tuesday, July 23 | 5-7 p.m. | Welcome Canary, 1030 Browning Rd., Lakeland | Free | Take a dip in the pool, grab an ice cream treat, and take a tour of this apartment complex’s amenities.
Getting Started With Personal Finance | Tuesday, July 23 | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Lakeland Public Library, 100 Lake Morton Dr., Lakeland | Free | Learn the “Rules of the Road” for investing from a financial advisor.

Wednesday, July 24

Bridge | Wednesday, July 24 | 12:30-4 p.m. | Peggy Brown Building, 215 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland | $0-$5 | Bring your own Bridge game, play with a group, or take a class to learn how to play.

Thursday, July 25

“The Wedding Singer” | Thursday, July 25-Sunday, Aug. 4 | Times vary | Theatre Winter Haven, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Lakeland | $33-$38 | This romantic musical comedy will take you right back to the 1980s.

Friday, July 26

Sunset Dance Series: Swing | Friday, July 26 | 7-10 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | LKLD Lindy Hop will lead you through decades of dance instruction and a social dance.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Edu

Polk is considering building four new schools to help accommodate the county’s exponential growth over the last several years. The four locations under consideration include one in Auburndale, two in Haines City, and one in the Poinciana area. (The Ledger)

Number

$214,000. That’s how much Polk County will pay CMHM Architects to design a new 4,000-sqft Fire Rescue EMS Station in the Lakeland Hills area of north Lakeland. A construction timeline is TBA.

Award

We’re feeling powered up. The American Public Power Association honored Lakeland Electric last week with a Mutual Aid Commendation. The award comes after lineworkers traveled to Tallahassee in May to support the city’s recovery efforts following three tornadoes.

Health

BayCare’s South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City opens on Saturday, Aug. 10. The 424,000-sqft hospital is nearly double the size of the current facility and will feature 26 ICU beds, 30 emergency care beds, a labor + delivery center, and more. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Community

Silvermoon Drive-In is looking for community members to share their memories for an upcoming Lakeland-themed documentary series with WEDU PBS. Stay tuned — your favorite daily newsletter might also be involved.

Correction

Free iced coffee + roses? Welcome Canary speaks our love language. If you couldn’t see the details on Friday due to technical issues, mark your calendars now for the next free events (ft. ice cream, a pool party, and bubbles).

Featured Deal

Embrace tranquility all night long at SUN KAVA during Drink Up Week. The local kava bar is serving up discounts, including $5 off the Brownie Crumble Bula Milkshakes in countless flavors + $3 off Happy Smoothies. See the vibe.*

Wellness

Don’t let summer heat drain you. Native Hydrate electrolyte drink mix contains all nine essential amino acids, keeping you optimally hydrated and full of energy.*

Finance

Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*

Seasonal

If you love boating season as much as we do, but are less in love with your boat coverage, set sail for your local GEICO office on South Florida Avenue + explore Marine coverage options.*

Answered

Culture

Downtown Lakeland street lined with vendor tents and shoppers

Are shopping night markets an “in” or an “out” this summer? | Photo by LALtoday

We recently passed the mic to our readers and followers to hear what their ins + outs are for this summer in Lakeland (besides reading LALtoday, of course). Here’s what they had to say.

🌳 Reader Wendy F.'s in is sitting under the shade of a tree — might we suggest one of these local parks as an option?

🦢 Being chased by a bird around Lake Morton is out according to @mchammer_97 — you okay, friend?

💵 Lastly, @jazzgrissette shared that supporting local small businesses is very much in this summer — we couldn’t agree more.