From clothing to beauty to dining, here’s what’s set to join the Lakeside Village scene — and what you might want to see. | Photo courtesy of Continental Realty Corporation
In the last few years, more and more businesses have planted roots in Swan City. One of the biggest areas of new biz growth? Lakeside Village, which has welcomed at least five new businesses with several more coming soon, including:
Nordstrom Rack | Opening fall 2025 | This 30,000-sqft department store will take over the space formerly occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond.
Sola Salon Studios | Opening TBA | This group of leased beauty suites will be the new upstairs neighbors to bizzes Jos. A. Bank + Amelia Paige Boutique.
J. Crew Factory | Opening summer 2025 | This retailer will soon bring its collection of discounted fashion for women, men, and children to the space located to the right of Fish City Grill.
With BD’s Mongolian Grill closed, there’s a prime restaurant space available right on the main Lakeside Village roundabout.
Screenshot via Google Maps
Of course, when new doors open, sometimes others have to close. BD’s Mongolian Grill closed its Lakeside Village location in February, leaving an opportunity for a new restaurant to take its place. In a post by Lakeside Village, Lakelanders shared their thoughts on what restaurants they’d like to see there in the future, with the top choices being CAVA, Blaze Pizza, and Naked Farmer.
Now, we want to hear from you.
Asked
What new restaurant would you like to see in Lakeside Village next?
A. CAVA B. Blaze Pizza C. Naked Farmer D. Something else
2025 Polk Senior Games | Wednesday, March 5-Saturday, March 8 | 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | Locations vary | Free | Cheer on adults aged 50+ as they compete in sports and activities across Polk County.
Veterans Appreciation Happy Hour | 4-6 p.m. | Keel Farms, Plant City | Free+ | Veterans + active duty military members can enjoy a round of drinks together on the patio — just bring a military ID.
Thursday, March 6
Eating for Brain Health | 3-4 p.m. | Lakeland Public Library | Free | Keep brain fog at bay with the cooking tips you’ll learn in this workshop.
The Reserve Book Club | 6:15-7:30 p.m. | Kelly Branch Library | Free | Kristin Hannah’s bestselling book, “The Women,” is up for discussion this month.
Friday, March 7
Mom and Dad’s Timeout | 6-8 p.m. | Medulla Resource Center | Free | Kids will participate in activities alongside recreation staff while parents take a well-deserved break.
Swiftie Skate Night | 7-10 p.m. | Skate World Lakeland | $16 | You’ll have a marvelous time roller skating along to Taylor Swift tunes.
Saturday, March 8
Mind, Body, Movement: HIIT | 8-9 a.m. | Bonnet Springs Park | Free | Join the experts from Earn Your Stripes Fitness for a beginner-friendly, high-intensity interval training workout on the lawn.
LSO Symphony Series: “Welcome Home” | 7-9 p.m. | Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College | $29+ | Musicians Carolyn Wann Bailey and Julius Wirth Fuentes will return home to Lakeland for an evening of classic compositions.
Sunday, March 9
Little Mermaid Tea Party | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Enchanted Fairytale Hollow | $40+ | Children are invited to go under the sea in this tea party experience with the Little Mermaid.
Jordan Feliz | 7-9:30 p.m. | Victory Church | $17+ | This Dove Award-winning pop artist will bring his “Praise God for That” Tour to Swan City with special guests Riley Clemmons and Jon.
✈️ Here’s how to score a $196 flight deal to San Diego (or Key West, or Las Vegas)
Presented by Going
$196. That’s the average deal Going finds for its members to fly round-trip to San Diego. | Photo by Griffin Wooldridge via Pixabay
Psst — the secret to feeling amazing when you book this year’s vacation? Signing up for free flight tracking, so you’ll be notified when flights you have your eye on are seriously discounted.
The City of Lakeland’s Charter Review Committee proposed two notable changes to the city’s charter during Monday’s City Commission meeting, including adding language for the possible sale of city utilities + redrawing commission boundaries. Final recommendations from the City Commission will go up for a public vote in November. (LkldNow)
Edu
Junior Achievement is bringing more biz skills to Lakeland’s youth, with plans to build a $13.3 million experiential learning center at Tenoroc High School. The Barnett Family JA Discovery Center is expected to open in 2026 + serve ~25,000 students annually through its hands-on business + finance curriculum. (The Ledger)
Community
Talbot House Ministries is expanding its reach with a new 24/7 emergency shelter in Winter Haven focused on women and children experiencing homelessness. An opening date + location are TBD, but Talbot House shared that the center will have space for ~82 residents.
Real Estate
The Polk County Builders Association’s Spring Parade of Homes will take place Friday, April 25-Saturday, April 26 + Saturday, May 3-Sunday, May 4. Builders have just two days left to submit their initial forms for the showcase — stay tuned to see which Lakeland homes make the cut.
Holiday
Mardi Gras may have been yesterday, but there’s still time to get in on the fun. Check out events happening this weekend, or stop by Mitchell’s Coffee House for a seasonal King Cake Latte, featuring cinnamon, vanilla, whipped cream, and Mardi Gras sprinkles.
Small Biz
Calling all small biz owners. We’re gearing up for Small Business Week, a celebration of local enterprises from Sunday, May 4 to Saturday, May 10. If you own a local small business, let us highlight you by filling out this form by Sunday, March 16.
Cause
If your pup’s been needing a workout, you can now get their paws moving for a cause. For the remainder of the year, Race Paws will be donating 10% of its treadmill run sales to a local pet rescue — this month’s is Until Such Time, located off of Reynolds Road.
Asked
It’s not easy being green, but somebody has to do it. In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day coming up, we’re on the hunt for the best green food + drink around Lakeland. Drop us a line with your recommendations — we may just feature them in a future newsletter.
Sports
How’s your Spikeball serve? USA Roundnet will host its first national tour tournament of the year on Saturday, March 15 in Hunt Fountain Park. Register individually or as a team before this Friday, March 7 for the chance to compete for up to $2,500 in prizes.
Answered
536. That’s how many responses we received when we asked you to guess the oldest ballpark still in use for Spring Training, and 37% of you hit it out of the park with the correct answer: LECOM Park in Bradenton. As if we could strike you out.
Health
Emergencies happen when you least expect them, but Lakeland Regional Health is always ready. With award-winning emergency services (including a new Freestanding Emergency Department opening March 10), expert care is always within reach. Learn more about LRH’s emergency care.*
Category
Travel
🎸 We believe in Nashville
Grab your hats + boots — we’re headed to Nashville. | Photo via @157pictures
In case you missed it, Avelo Airlines will begin flights from Lakeland to Nashville tomorrow. To help you prepare for takeoff, we’re bringing you the must-dos for visiting Music City, USA — and we’re bringing in the big guns for recommendations: City Editors Dylan + Skylar from NASHtoday.
🗺️ Things to do
It’s no secret that one of the biggest tourism draws in Nashville is its rich country music history. Don’t miss visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 350,000-sqft space that traces the genre’s roots in Music City and beyond.
You can also experience a concert at two of the city’s most prestigious venues: Ryman Auditorium (often called the “Mother Church”) and the Grand Ole Opry. Pro tip: You can even step inside the iconic circle yourself on a tour.
Nothing gets me more jazzed up than when I hear a new business is coming to town. We try to share updates as much as we can in our newsletters, but make sure to save this guide, too — it’s like a walking “coming soon” directory in your back pocket.
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