Now’s your time to shine — Rec Room has opened a private karaoke room with space for up to 25 guests. Reservations are now open, starting at $60/hour, but you can book the room for half off on Manic Mondays. If you hear “All By Myself” being belted downtown tonight, that’s just me doing my best Celine Dion impression.
Events
Events
Monday, Aug. 4
Public Skate | Times vary | Lakeland Ice Arena | $15+ | Beat the heat by ice skating around Lakeland’s only real ice arena.
Acoustic Open Mic Night | 6 p.m. | Gram Parsons Derry Down, Winter Haven | Free | Beginners, longtime performers, and singer-songwriters are invited to play up to three acoustic songs.
Tuesday, Aug. 5
Lakeside Kids Club | 10-11:30 a.m. | Lakeside Village | Free | Come dressed as a mermaid or pirate for a morning playdate with Princess Ariel, a pirate character, and DJ Scuba Steve.
Wednesday, Aug. 6
Stuff the Bus Lakeland | 7-9 a.m. | RP Funding Center | Free | Keep the wheels of education turning by loading a bus with school supply donations.
Thursday, Aug. 7
Summer Basic Backyard Chicken Workshop | 5:30-8 p.m. | UF/IFAS Polk County Extension, Bartow | $17 | Enjoy dinner and learn all about raising chickens in Florida, from the latest laws to caring for your flock.
Friday, Aug. 8
Y2Karaoke | 7 p.m. | Union Hall | $10+ | Only hits from 1995 to 2005 are allowed on the mic, and the audience will vote on the best throwback costume.
Saturday, Aug. 23
Fine Art at the Magnolia | Saturday, Aug. 23-Sunday, Aug. 24 | Times vary | Magnolia Building | Free | This indoor art show is back for its ninth year, featuring 19 acclaimed artists from painters to potters.
Monday, Aug. 25
Terrace Wine Tasting: Jackson Family Wines | 6-8 p.m. | The Terrace Grille | $40 | Taste every nuance in six wine selections along with passed hors d’oeuvres in the Mezzanine.
Whether you prefer to DIY or enlist help from a pro, making home improvements can have a big impact on your property’s value. | Photo via Pexels
Whether you’re thinking of selling your home in the next few years or further down the road, there are plenty of home improvement projects you might consider to increase its value, like:
Updating the kitchen. Think: adding an island or energy-efficient appliances.
Remodeling the bathroom. (Psst, we’re all about terrazzo right now.)
Amplifying your curb appeal. From repainting the front door to sprucing up your landscaping, a first impression goes a long way.
The votes are in, and the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition People’s Choice Award goes to “Daydreamer in Red” by Jessica Bradsher. Find this work near the corner of Lemon Street + Kentucky Avenue, along with 10 more sculptures by artists from across the country.
Traffic
Today, CSX begins a series of three-day closures at railroad crossings around US Highway 98 South. Plan to take detours while crews make infrastructure improvements to the crossings, starting with Commerce Point Drive and ending at Main Street. See the schedule.
Biz
Lakeland is becoming a testing ground for IKEA’s new mini-showrooms within Best Buy stores. The north Lakeland Best Buy is one of just 10 test sites where you’ll be able to shop IKEA products and design home spaces this fall. Think there will be meatballs? (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Mansion Monday
Ever wanted to live in a treehouse, “Swiss Family Robinson"-style? This southwest Lakeland home with a rustic exterior but contemporary indoor details may be the next best thing. We also love the stocked pond, screened-in sitting room, and ATV trails, offering a true indoor-outdoor lifestyle.
Number
$80,000+. That’s the total of unclaimed funds sitting at the Polk County Clerk of Court’s office. More than 100 court checks and civil cash bonds are waiting to be returned to their rightful owners. Check for your name on the list to claim funds before Monday, Sept. 1.
Edu
Winter Haven’s Language and Literacy Academy for Learning expanded its campus, making room for up to 425 students — a 42% increase from before. The public charter school serves students with disabilities up to 22 years old through free educational + therapy services. (WFTS)
If you didn’t win our recently closed Storm Season Giveaway, don’t worry: Lakeland Electric still has all you need to get prepared for Hurricane Season. Start with this helpful hurricane preparedness guide.*
Job
Are you the one we’re looking for? We’re on the hunt for a sales-driven leader to help us land significant brand partnerships at a national scale as a Sales Executive. From a competitive benefits package to 401k matching, we’re a pretty amazing company to work for. Join our team + apply today.
You’re looking at a fresh mozzarella bagel from Uncle Nick’s with sausage, egg, cheese, and cream cheese. | Photo by LALtoday
Brunch doesn’t always have to mean hours spent over bottomless mimosas with your besties. Sometimes it’s grabbing a bite to go and turning your car into your favorite restaurant. Take yourself on a solo brunch date this week and grab a bagel from one of these eateries.
Uncle Nick’s Italian Deli and Bagels | There are more than 20 bagel flavors made fresh daily here. My order is a bacon, egg, and cheese on a cheddar everything bagel.
Mary’s Bagel Café | You can feel good about becoming a regular here. In addition to its menu of New York City-inspired bagel creations, this cafe has also been giving away free lunches to kids in need all summer.
Born & Bread Bakehouse | Plan a brunch date for Wednesday, when this bakery reopens for the week. Place a preorder so you don’t miss the everything cragel sandwich — it’s a layered, croissant-style take on the classic bagel.
The organization hack you need for calm, clarity, and less clutter:
🥪 Simplify your sandwich + snack bag drawer with SpaceAid’s bamboo bag storage organizer.
☕ Make your coffee station extra cute with a coffee organizer complete with a slide-out drawer for coffee pods.
🧳 Don’t overlook compression packing cubes for your next trip — you’ll fit twice as much and keep luggage organized.
🧹 This best-selling magnetic chore chart looks cute on the fridge and helps the family stay on task.
👛 Slip a purse organizer into your tote bag for instant relief from a jumble of lipstick, gum, and snacks (no judgement).
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
“If you’re paying for parking hopefully there is security keeping an eye on the vehicles as well,” said reader Elaine B. in response to the upcoming changes. What do you think?
Who let the dawgs out? Me. 👋 Lakeland Ice Cream Company South started its Dirty Dawg Pop Shop on Friday, so I had to be one of the first to try it. When they told me about this secret menu item (a s’mores Dr. Pepper with marshmallow fluff + chocolate), I couldn’t resist. I hear the shop will have monthly specials, and maybe even drinks named after customers’ dogs, soon.
You won’t find this frothy bev on the official Dirty Dawgs menu, but just ask for it.
