You don’t need a winter coat for the snow at Lakeside Village. | Photo by LALtoday
Get your fuzzy socks and hot cocoa ready, Lakeland. From family fun to holiday performances and festive parties, winter is where Swan City thrives.
Gather the family and friends and celebrate what makes the holiday season special with this guide to winter events happening between December and February.
“The Nutcracker”
Performers from Florida Dance Arts will perform this classic ballet filled with magic, whimsy, and adventure on Saturday, Dec. 21 and Sunday, Dec. 22. Tickets are $40.
Central Florida Comic Con
Release your inner fan at this celebration of all things nerdy from Friday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 19 at the RP Funding Center.
11th Annual Top Chef of Polk County
Watch local chefs compete for top honors while raising funds for Achievement Academy. The competition kicks off at 6 p.m. at Bonnet Springs Park’s Event Center on Monday, Feb 24.
Clay Class: Elf Trio | 5:30-7 p.m. | Picassoz Art Cafe | $25 | Transform raw clay into three holiday elves in this hands-on class.
Christmas Lane | Thursday, Dec. 5-Tuesday, Dec. 24 | 6-10 p.m. | Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds, Plant City | $10+ | Explore this festive upgrade of the festival grounds complete with more than 1.5 million lights.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” | Thursday, Dec. 5-Sunday, Dec. 22 | Times vary | Theatre Winter Haven, Winter Haven | $33 | Local actors will perform this holiday classic in the style of a live 1940s radio broadcast.
Friday, Dec. 6
The School of Music’s Christmas Concerts | Friday, Dec. 6-Saturday, Dec. 7 | 7-9 p.m. | Southeastern University | $20+ | Catch these concerts featuring all of SEU’s major ensembles, including the full orchestra and choirs.
Just Laughs Comedy Showcase | 8 p.m. | The Stage Room | $10 | Enjoy an evening of laughter at this monthly comedy showcase.
Saturday, Dec. 7
Stories and Stones Historic Cemetery Tour | 9-10:15 a.m. | Roselawn Cemetery | Free | Get a guided tour to learn about Lakeland’s past through the stories of its bygone residents.
Camphor Heights Holiday Festival | 10 a.m.-9 p.m. | Dobbins Park | Free+ | Find Santa, trolley train rides, a mobile Florida Children’s Museum, and a holiday movie at this neighborhood celebration.
Bonsai Workshop | 2 p.m. | Austin’s Backyard Garden | $80 | Learn to create your own bonsai dish in this hands-on workshop.
Sunday, Dec. 8
“The Crystal Nutcracker” | 3 p.m. | The Polk Theatre | $25 | Performers from Crystal’s World of Dance will put on this show about Clarice + her Nutcracker Prince.
Discover perfect-for-you jewelry at this hidden gem
Presented by The Jewelry Box of Lakeland
Finding a special gift is easy and convenient with The Jewelry Box’s concierge services. | Photos provided by The Jewelry Box
Want to take the guesswork out of gifting jewelry? Meet The Jewelry Box of Lakeland, a unique way to shop locally for high-quality jewelry in all price ranges.
This store doesn’t have a traditional storefront — instead, owner Denise Curls offers private consultations in-person or online with an appointment. During your personalized experience, you can:
City commissioners will hold a second public hearing before voting on whether to grant a permit for developers to build a food truck court east of downtown. Read up on the proposed project + attend the meeting in person at City Hall on Dec. 16, or watch on the city’s website. (The Ledger)
Traffic
East Lake Parker Drive closed at the US 92 intersection early this morning for crews to complete a recently rescheduled Florida Gas Transmission project. Drivers can expect the road to be closed for one week — detours are in place on Fairway Avenue.
Development
Shopping in Winter Haven is about to be even more of a pleasure. Plans have been filed to build a fifth Publix store in the city near Thompson Nursery Road. According to planning documents, the location is projected to be ~50,000 sqft + include a drive-thru pharmacy and liquor store. (The Ledger)
Number
$1.1 million. That’s how much repairs are expected to cost at minimum to repair the RP Funding Center’s hurricane-related damage. City commissioners approved using American Rescue Plan funding to cover the cost of repairs. Meanwhile, FEMA has approved $10.8 million to subsidize Polk County’s hurricane debris removal. (WFLA)
Ranked
Three Florida Poly professors are reinforcing their spots as the cream of the crop in the science world. Dr. Ajeet Kaushik, Dr. Muhammad Rashid, and Dr. Patrick Zhang have been named to Stanford University’s annual list of top published + cited scientific authors, placing them in the top 2% worldwide.
Watch
Enjoy festive flicks on the big screen all month long at the Polk Theatre. This year’s lineup includes everything from old-time classics like “Frosty the Snowman” to newer favorites like “Elf.” Pro tip: Look for films marked with an asterisk — special concessions will be sold during those showings.
Wellness
Imagine scheduling your next doctor’s appointment, requesting prescription refills, viewing test results, and more right from your device. With a free Watson Clinic MyChart Patient Portal account, all of this is possible. Learn more and sign up in minutes.*
Pour one out this holiday season with festive libations like the Can’t Catch Me Gingerbread Berliner from Dissent Brewing. | Photo via @dissentlakeland
Earlier this week, we shared spots around Lakeland that are fully embracing the holiday spirit when it comes to their menus, and more spots have begun to jingle bell rock into our DMs. Make sure to add these spots to your holiday flavor food tour.
Haven Coffee Roasters | Sleigh on over to this shop in Winter Haven to try festive flavors like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree latte made with rosemary syrup or the Buddy’s Breakfast Latte that combines white chocolate and maple.
Rogue Coffee | This western downtown spot is bringing the holiday cheer with seasonal specials like Santa’s Milk & Cookies, Candy Cane Mocha, and its fan-favorite hot cocoa.
Dissent Brewing | This brewery is serving up warm winter spices in a new way with the Abuelita’s Coquito Cream Ale and Can’t Catch Me Gingerbread Berliner.
Champagne bottle savers. They fit all standard bottle necks to keep your sparkling wine from going flat — the perfect hack for upcoming holiday events and New Year’s Eve parties.
With Spotify Wrapped dropping yesterday, I got to thinking about the Lakeland-inspired daylists we made earlier this year. Maybe we need to do a holiday version next — it could be the perfect soundtrack for our city’s upcoming winter events.
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