This portion of boardwalk is one of my favorites at Bonnet Springs Park — it makes me feel like I’m walkin’ on the wild side. | Video by LALtoday
If you’re like me — a routine Lake Hollingsworth walker — you might need a new route while crews clean the lake in August. The pedestrian path we all know + love will be closed Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., but don’t worry, Lakeland has no shortage of great walking paths:
Bonnet Springs Park | The 1.7-mile Circulator traverses everything from a wide paved path to seashell-strewn offshoots and a marshside boardwalk.
Peterson Park | Yelp reviews for this park mention its beautiful elevated boardwalk and scenic lake views.
Lake Mirror | An oldie, a goodie, and a shortie. Pro tip: Cool off with a scoop from Mayday at The Joinery afterward.
Events
Events
Monday, Aug. 11
Adult Ballet Class | 10-11 a.m. | Ultimate Dance Center | $20+ | Take a single class, train for a month, or sign up for a full semester starting this week.
Monday Trivia | 7:30 p.m. | Cob & Pen | Free | Order a round of drinks and Ultimate Fries to fuel your trivia team for a win.
Tuesday, Aug. 12
Tasty Tuesday + Tunes In Munn Park | 4:30-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | $25 | Grab 10 tasting tickets to try dishes from your favorite downtown restaurants while enjoying live music in Munn Park.
Family-Friendly Paint and Sip | 7-10 p.m. | Botanical Brewing Taproom | Free | Purchase a kava or elixir drink, then put your creativity to the test in a guided painting lesson.
Wednesday, Aug. 13
Polk Young Professionals Awards | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Idlewood Venue, Bartow | $50 | See who wins this year’s Emerging Leader, Legacy Builder, and Philanthropic Champion awards.
Sunset Dance Series | 7-10 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park | Free | Thanks to instruction from pros Ronny + Jennifer Moquea, you can salsa dance the night away at the Event Center.
Thursday, Aug. 14
United Way Campaign Kick-Off | 3:30-5 p.m. | Bartow Civic Center, Bartow | Free | Campaign chairs Greg Littleton and Weymon Snuggs kick off United Way of Central Florida’s 2025-2026 season with trivia, hors d’oeuvres, and a presentation.
Trivia Thursdays | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Smith’s American Tavern | Free | Test your knowledge with themed and general trivia.
Friday, Aug. 15
Decades on the Dance Floor | 5-10 p.m. | Keel Farms, Plant City | Free | Dress up in the fashion from your favorite decade and dance the night away to music from the 1980s, 1990s, and early aughts.
Thomas Anders of Modern Talking | 8 p.m. | Polk Theatre | $100+ | Hear hits like “Cheri Cheri Lady” by this singer with support from a live band and Precious Wilson.
📈 This new investment method delivered an 89,900% return
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Austin Allison’s Pacaso has already earned $110 million+ in gross profit to date. | Image provided by Pacaso
VCs back startups for outsized returns. Regular people wait. But rule changes fixed that.
Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 people averaged a $2,370 stake. Today? That’s worth $1 million+, up 89,900%. No wonder 10,000+ people and the same VCs behind Uber and Venmo are taking the chance on Pacaso.
Founded by a former Zillow exec, they’ve earned $110 million+ in gross profit to date. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO. Invest for $2.90/share.†‡‡
$5.5 million. That’s approximately what Lakeland Electric spent in July due to extreme heat. Tuesday, July 29th saw a record power demand of 762 megawatts, up from the previous high of 757 megawatts in 2023. Residential customers paid an average of $2.40 more. (The Ledger)
Mansion Monday
We’ll just come out and say it — our jaws dropped at this family compound in north Lakeland. Four independent residences make this property a multi-generational family’s dream. The main house is 12,000-sqft alone, so it’s safe to say there’s room for entertaining. See also: the beach-entry pool + massive mudroom.
Four Florida beaches ranked among the top 10 nude beaches in the US. These include Playalinda Beach at Canaveral National Seashore, Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce, Haulover Beach in Miami, and Apollo Beach in Volusia County, just under 2 hours from Lakeland. Not for you? Try these instead. (USA Today)
Learn
Aiming for fluency in a second language? Meet with others practicing their conversational Spanish + English on Thursday, Aug. 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Lakeland Public Library meeting room.
Shop
Nintendo recently announced a pricing increase for the original Nintendo Switch family of systems + products due to market conditions in the US — think: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, the OLED model, and accessories. Mamma mia, we’ll see what Cyber Sage Video Games has in stock first.
Today Is
Today marks 159 years since the first public roller skating rink opened to the US public back in 1866. Thankfully, Lakeland has a lot more options to keep the kiddos entertained these days. (WUN)
The Word
"Coolcation.” A travel trend to beat the heat + take a trip to cooler regions of the world, like Iceland, Norway, and Alaska. Pack extra layers and travel like a pro through the Orlando International Airport. (Scripps News)
Try This
If you’ve been meaning to check the Kennedy Space Center off of your bucket list, consider this a sign: It was just named the top must-see attraction in Florida. Been there, done that? There are plenty of other local gems to explore.
Asked
Asked
Would you go to a nude beach?
A. Absolutely, I’m one with the earth B. Maybe abroad, but not in Florida C. Probably not, but I won’t yuck anyone’s yum D. Nope, it’s definitely not for me
There’s plenty to marvel at in the Wonder House. | Photo via @merineitsi
Nestled on two acres of land in Bartow is the Wonder House, a four-story stone and steel construction built by Conrad Schuck and his nine children in the 1920s.
The lore with this one runs deep. Here are some of our favorite fun facts regarding the mysterious + mystical house on Mann Road:
Conrad never drew up blueprints for the house — it was completed entirely from scratch using only his mind’s eye.
Conrad was known for collecting unique trinkets and oddities and displaying them proudly — snakes in jars, taxidermy, and a coffin were among his prized possessions.
Most of the construction was done by hand by Conrad’s children.
Intrigued? Book a tour for this Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 p.m. — tickets go fast.
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.
My friends at the Florida Men on Florida Man podcast recorded an interview with owners Drew + Kristin in the house itself, back in 2021. If you’re looking for a more recent episode to enjoy, you might recognize the hilarious guest they had on this summer.
‡‡Finance “investment method” disclaimer: This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar success. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
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