Pro tip: Park downtown near Mojo Federal before walking over to the Polk for easy access. | Photo submitted by Reader Jasson P.
Ready to shake up your weeknights? Allow us to plan them for you. We’ll act as your personal concierge, guiding you to this week’s top entertainment, along with a few of our favorite nearby restaurants to hit up for dinner and a show.
Monday, May 19
Mondays are for monkeying around. The Polk Theater is showing “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” at 6:30 p.m., and Mojo Federal is within walking distance. Stop there first for succulent barbecue — and don’t skip the banana pudding for dessert.
Tuesday, May 20
Downtown Lakeland has your entertainment and dining covered during Tasty Tuesday. Pick up 10 tasting tickets and eat your way around downtown from 4:30 to 9 p.m., stopping at places like Palace Pizza + Tsunami Sushi for samples. Then, bring your bites to Munn Park for a live concert.
Sauvage bills itself as a “jungle pub,” with plenty of creative cocktails + bites on the menu.
Take a quick trip over to Winter Haven for Daisy Fever’s performance at the Historic Ritz Theatre at 6:30 p.m. This flowery tribute to 1970s music will pair perfectly with a seat at the new Sauvage bar and a Spring Flowers Frozen Saturn cocktail.
Thursday, May 22
Every Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Hillcrest Coffee’s bungalow becomes an intimate music venue, and Space Panda is up this week. Keep the homey feel going with dinner at Reececliff Family Diner, where there are no frills, just classic Southern eats.
You can bring outside food to the drive-in, but buying concessions is another way to support this decades-old biz.
Keep things casual on Friday at the Silver Moon Drive-In. This week, you can see two horror movies on Screen 1 starting at 8:45 p.m.: “Final Destination Bloodlines” + “Sinners.” Grab some scary good tacos from Mega Mercado on your way, and stock up on popcorn at the concession stand.
Asked
Asked
Which pairing piques your interest this week?
A. Polk Theatre + Mojo Federal B. Tasty Tuesday + tunes in Munn Park C. Historic Ritz Theatre + Sauvage D. Hillcrest Coffee + Reececliff Family Diner E. Silver Moon Drive-In + Mega Mercado
Housing Public Meeting | 6 p.m. | Coleman-Bush Building | Free | Share your thoughts on housing and community development needs with city staff to impact the next program year.
Tuesday, May 20
Storytime | 10-10:30 a.m. | Florida Air Museum | Free | Bring Junior ACEs by for an interactive learning experience and enjoy free museum + playground admission.
Wednesday, May 21
Mental Health Community Symposium | 8:30-11:30 a.m. | Black Swan Venue | Free | Peace River Center experts will present on identifying your limits and tips to reduce anxiety.
Thursday, May 22
Beer, Bubbles and Bites | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Downtown Winter Haven | $30 | Sample craft beer and sparkling wine paired with light bites at more than 25 downtown businesses.
Friday, May 23
“Begin” Book Launch | 5-7 p.m. | Pressed | Free+ | Celebrate the release of this new children’s book by author Ida Mundell + illustrator Bump Galletta with a launch party.
Saturday, May 24
Run for Their Lives 5K | 7-10 a.m. | Peterson Park | $40+ | Run down Three Parks Trail with your leashed pet to raise money for the animals of SPCA Florida.
Celebrate 20 years of food, wine, and music at euphoria in Greenville, SC. | Graphic by 6AM City
Get your taste buds ready, Lakeland. We’ve partnered with euphoria Food, Wine & Music Festival to treat one lucky winner + a guest to an epic weekend celebrating 20 years of euphoria in Greenville, SC (Thursday, Sept 18-Sunday, Sept 21).
The euphoria 20th anniversary experience — valued at $1,900 — includes:
One mor Chick-fil-A is in the works in south Lakeland. The fast food company has submitted plans for a currently vacant site north of Shepherd Road, which could also include possible ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Chipotle locations. (The Ledger)
Community
Many Lakelanders + local organizations are hoping for a senior center with centralized services and activities, but the funding raised from the city has not been enough to cover the cost. Do you think Lakeland needs a senior center? Take our poll. (LkldNow)
Mansion Monday
Last week, we asked which lake you would most want to live by, and Scott Lake was the write-in choice of many readers. This 4-bedroom home — just blocks away from the lake — features an open-concept kitchen + living area, plus closets we could live inside.
Stat
12.1%. That’s how much one Polk County city’s population increased from 2023 to 2024, earning it the No. 6 spot on the US Census Bureau’s list of fastest-growing cities and towns. Surprise, surprise: It wasn’t Lakeland topping the list this time — it was Haines City.
Edu
Don’t have a cow. Future Farmers of America programs at several Polk schools were named Premier Chapters by the Florida FFA Association, including Lake Gibson High School. Chapters were selected based on achievements in education, involvement, and community partnerships.
Kids
United Way of Central Florida’s Success by 6 Summer Read-a-thon is back. Be one of the first to sign up to get free pizza + Italian ice, and track as many books as possible with your little reader to enter grand prize giveaways. FreeCrayola Experience tickets, anyone?
Biz
The Silver Moon Drive-In is looking to join the ranks of Bonnet Springs Park and Camp Margaritaville by vying for Best Drive-In Theater in the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards. It’s up against 19 drive-ins from across the country — vote daily until Thursday, June 5 to help its chances.
Fun Fact
Advertising with LALtoday is like speaking through a microphone to 35,000+ engaged local citizens. Further, it doesn’t require a long-term contract. Head to our Self-Service Ad Portal to get your message here in as little as two days.
Read
Tired of the typical news cycle? Nautilus offers a refreshing alternative: deep, narrative science stories that nourish the mind and soul. Join 750,000+ curious minds and subscribe free today.*
A pack of light blocking stickers to dull light pollution in your home. The pack comes with multiple sizes that can be used to cover light emitted by digital alarm clocks, charger ports, and other electronics.
I have a confession to make: I may be the new Crave Cookies store’s biggest fan. While the cookies are fabulous — and I have my eye on the waffle crisp cookie on this week’s menu — it’s the dirty sodas that have me coming back over and over. Try my current favorite, the Crantastic, with Diet Coke, cranberry + lime.
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