Plus, freebies for your birthday.
 
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Lakeland Christian School

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90º | 20% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:12 a.m. | Sunset 7:34 p.m.
 

Downtown art goes digital

Discover downtown Lakeland’s public art (from your phone)
A hand holding a smartphone showing a sculpture Lakeland's downtown public art trail. The real sculpture is seen in the background.
Look for “Tribute to the Volunteer Spirit” near Lake Mirror. | Photo by LALtoday
We know Lakelanders love their public art. Luckily, there’s a ton to discover in downtown Lakeland — and now, there’s a new resource making it even easier to find art near you.

The City of Lakeland Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department recently added the new Downtown Public Art Trail to its website. Using this page, you can take an interactive walking tour of 25+ art pieces with no ticket or guide required. All you need is your smartphone.

First, open the webpage + turn on your phone browser’s location service to find where you are. The tour will lead you piece by piece through downtown, hitting these spots and more along the way:
  • Barnett Park
  • Lake Mirror Park
  • Hollis Garden
  • Lemon Street
  • Munn Park
  • Veterans Park
Pro tip: The tour begins at Barnett Park, but you can jump in wherever you’d like. Just make sure your location services are turned on so the map will show what’s closest to you.

A screenshot of a webpage showing a point on a map, a photo of a sculpture of the Buffalo Soldiers, and a description of the artwork.

You don’t even have to be downtown to dive into each piece — you can take a virtual tour from the comfort of home with this site.

|

Screenshot via City of Lakeland

When you find each piece, the site acts as a virtual art expert, giving you the piece’s name, a brief description, and the medium, plus a photo to know you’re in the right spot.

Keep an eye out for an alligator, horses, swans, and more along the way. By the end of the tour, you’ll practically be ready for a shift at the AGB. If you can’t get enough public art, there’s even more to enjoy — just check out the murals of Lakeland and the Swansation statues.
 
Events
Friday, Sept. 13
  • Fortune Cookie Day | Friday, Sept. 13 | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Picassoz Art Cafe | $10.50 | Paint your own ceramic fortune cookie for a discounted price.
  • Sangria Night | Friday, Sept. 13 | 5-10 p.m. | Keel & Curley Winery, Plant City | Free entry | Dance + sip the night away with Latin music and sangria flights.
  • Line Dancing Night | Friday, Sept. 13 | 7-10 p.m. | Camp Margaritaville, Auburndale | $5 | Jump in line for an hour of instruction before hitting the floor for free dance.
  • Candlelight: A Tribute to Adele | Friday, Sept. 13 | 9-10:15 p.m. | Lake Mirror Auditorium | $56+ | “Rumour Has It” a string quartet will perform an hour of Adele’s greatest hits by candlelight.
Saturday, Sept. 14
  • Mind, Body, Movement: Sound Bath Meditation | Saturday, Sept. 14 | 8-10 a.m. | Bonnet Springs Park | Free | Ignite the Fire Inside Wellness will lead a Spanish sound bath experience at 8 a.m., followed by an English experience at 9 a.m.
  • Imperial Polk Genealogical Society | Saturday, Sept. 14 | 1-2 p.m. | Lakeland Public Library | Free | Join in person or over Zoom to learn strategies for genealogy research using “Records and Repositories.”
  • Bartow Antiques & Collectibles Market | Saturday, Sept. 14 | 8 a.m.-2 p.m. | Downtown Bartow | Free entry | Shop vintage + retro collectibles at this monthly market.
Sunday, Sept. 15
  • Pottery Classes - Pumpkin Mug & Bowl | Sunday, Sept. 15 + Sunday, Sept. 29 | 2-5 p.m. | Marvelous Mud Pottery Studio | $120 | Create your own clay pumpkin mug and bowl set in this two-part class.
  • Kayley Bishop | Sunday, Sept. 15 | 7 p.m. | Union Hall | $10+ | This singer will transport you to Nashville with her soulful voice + heartfelt lyrics.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Lakeland Christian School
 
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News Notes
Traffic
  • FDOT shared plans for its $270 million widening project on US Highway 98 North in a community workshop this week. Over the next four years, crews will transform it into a four-lane divided highway toward Dade City, with two roundabouts and crossings for pedestrians + wildlife. (LkldNow)
Award
  • Work it. Polk County received its first Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America. The county is one of just six organizations in the US to win the Platinum award this year for its employee wellness support.
Civic
  • The crowd at Monday’s City Commission meeting will be younger than usual when the city’s new Youth Council Members take their oath of office. This group of high schoolers appointed by commissioners will give feedback on issues that affect young Lakelanders.
Edu
  • Five PCPS students are National Merit Scholarship semifinalists thanks to their high Preliminary SAT scores. The seniors from Bartow + Haines City IB programs are part of just 16,000 students nationwide vying for $26 million in scholarships.
Cause
Try This
  • Do the boot scootin’ boogie over to Keel Farms for its Honky Tonk event on Friday, Sept. 27 from 5 to 10 p.m. Hit the dance floor for line dancing with a live band, take a spin on the mechanical bull, and sip Keel Farms’ ciders + wines.
Plan Ahead
  • The early bird gets the worm — or, in this case, the tickets to Taste of Winter Haven. Tickets are already available for this local favorite foodie event on Feb. 13, 2025. Secure your spot to try local cuisine at Venue 650.
Ranked
  • Southeastern University has once again been named a College of Distinction. The university underwent a rigorous selection process that examined its campus community, curriculum, support networks + more — and they came out with flying colors. See why.*
Active
  • Join Lakeland Regional Health and the YMCA of West Central Florida on Saturday, Oct. 5 for Hoopin’ for Health — a 3-on-3 basketball tournament promoting fun, fitness, and friendly competition. Register your team (or join the cheering crowds). Here’s hoopin’ your team does well.*
Seasonal
Finance
  • Rates just dropped. Now could be the perfect time for you to tap into your home equity — calculate your payment.*
Seasonal
Your CBD Store Lakeland
 
Try This

🎶 Celebrate good times, come on

Celebrate your birthday with Lakeland deals and freebies
A hand holding a container of ice cream in front of a Publix Super Markets sign
Adding candles to your ice cream? Legen-dairy. | Photo by LALtoday
Birthdays aren’t just about gifts — but they sure do make the day even more fun. Celebrate becoming another year older and wiser with these local freebies + deals available on your birthday, suggested by our readers.

Family Fun Center
You don’t have to be a kid to sign up for the Birthday Club and receive a free round of mini golf or laser tag each year.

Fred’s Market
Celebrate buffet-style by signing up for this restaurant’s loyalty club. You’ll get a free dinner on the night of your birthday.

Publix
By joining Club Publix, you won’t just get a freebie once a year — the supermarket also celebrates your half-birthday with a discount on ice cream or a bar cake (the carrot cake is calling our name).

Nothing Bundt Cakes
Join the eClub for a free Bundlet cake — we won’t tell anyone if you decide not to share.
3 more birthday freebies
The Buy

The Buy 9.13.24 (Affiliate)
This digestive enzymes powder + hand mixer. One scoop of dairy-free supergreens holds over 30 organic nutrients to help balance your gut and increase your immunity.
More worth The Buy
Answered

How big is the CRA’s Midtown district?

Meet the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency
An aerial view of the Mass Market area and surrounding streets.
Mass Market is one of the CRA’s next target areas within Midtown. | Screenshot via Google Maps
Only 25% of readers aced this trivia question. The Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency’s Midtown district covers 4,463 acres. It’s the largest of the three districts, including spots like Tigertown, the Medical District, and even Bonnet Springs Park.
Get to know the CRA
 
The Wrap
 
Connor Jacobson

Today’s edition by:
Connor
From the editor
Cue the confetti — my birthday is coming up on Monday. Thankfully, I just got the email from Club Publix with my free ice cream or cake perk, so I think I’ll celebrate this weekend with a carton of Moose Tracks. Or Black Jack Cherry. Or Barnie’s Coffee. Decisions, decisions.
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