If you’re heading to one of these cities, it could be a few weeks before you can board at LAL. | Photo by LALtoday
Planning a fall vacay? You might want to listen up. Several of Lakeland International Airport’s passenger flights are taking a seasonal pause, meaning you’ll have to wait a few weeks before flying to these destinations:
San Juan, PR | Returning Wednesday, Oct. 1
Rochester, NY | Returning Friday, Oct. 10
Grand Rapids, MI | Returning Friday, Nov. 7
New York City/Long Island, NY | Returning Friday, Nov. 7
Not all flights are taking September off. You can fly out to Nashville, TN; New Haven, CT; and Wilmington, DE/Philadelphia, PA for a work trip or weekend getaway.
When you’re ready to board, use our guide to everything from gates to parking — it’s still free for now, by the way — to make your travels as smooth as possible.
Drinks with the Interim Director LIVE | 6-7 p.m. | The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art | Free | Hear Dr. Daryl Ward share about the connections between visual art + literary works, then make your own art.
Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Jupiter Hammerheads | 6:30 p.m. | Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium | $11+ | The home team will send the Hammerheads back to the sea while you enjoy Throwback Thursday tunes.
Harvest, Hoops and Boots | 4-8 p.m. | Lakeside Village | Free+ | Break out your boots and bring the sparkle for Harvest, Hoops & Boots at Lakeside Village, with country glam, cider sipping, line dancing, and shimmering cowgirl fun.*
First Friday: Septober Fest | 6-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | Free+ | Turn up the polka beats for this festive block party.
Saturday, Sept. 6
Family Trivia: Fandom Face-Off | 10-11:30 a.m. | Larry R. Jackson Branch Library | Free | Test your family’s knowledge of everything from superheroes to “Star Wars.”
Classroom Drop-In | 1-3 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park | Free | Use bird ID guides + birding scopes to identify the park’s feathered residents.
Night Sip & Shop | 5-9 p.m. | Keel Farms, Plant City | Price of purchase | Sip, shop, and support local vendors + featured food trucks.
Sunday, Sept. 7
Kölsch Day | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Keel Farms, Plant City | Price of purchase | Order $5 Kolsch beers, dine on food specials, and test your strength in stein hoisting competitions.
Girls’ Night Out Cake Decorating Class | 2-3:30 p.m. | Union Hall | $20+ | Do some delicious decorating with the fondant techniques you learn in this step-by-step class.
Fall weather combined with free THC seltzer? Yes, please.
Presented by Cycling Frog
Kick back and unwind this month with some hemp goodness. | Photos courtesy of Cycling Frog
Golden hour hits differently with something chill in hand.
From Hollis Garden strolls to downtown art crawls, Lakeland knows how to savor the season. Cycling Frog is offering a free THC seltzer (just pay $2 shipping) — perfect for lakeside sunsets, mellow porch hangs, or unwinding after an outing. These fruit-forward sips are light, legal, and tuned for peak autumn vibes.
Choose between Black Currant, Wild Cherry, or Ruby Grapefruit flavors, each loaded up with both THC and CBD. Grab your free can while supplies last.†‡‡
$3.20. That’s how much monthly Lakeland Electric bills will increase for the average customer after city approvals. The fuel rate and environmental compliance charge will rise to cover higher fuel costs, as well as costs for projects that bring the utility in line with regulations. (LkldNow)
Development
Vacant space in the former Searstown plaza will get new life when The Depot Arts District opens inside next month. The 10,000-sqft arts hub —a joint venture between the building’s owners + the Lakeland Arts Association — will feature 37 rentable studios, three galleries, and event space. (LkldNow)
Open
Another tag agency has opened to reduce wait times at Polk County Tax Collector’s offices. Express Auto Tags of North Lakeland is now open Monday-Saturday in the plaza behind Twistee Treat, offering title transfers and vehicle registration renewals.
Edu
Interest is already off the charts for Polk State College’s future Welding Program — and it doesn’t even have an official start date yet. Get your name on the preferred registration list before enrollment begins for the program, coming sometime in 2026.
Cause
Tee off for takeoff. The Lakeland Rotary Club’s 8th Annual Golf Tournament is on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Cleveland Heights Golf Course. Register to support Flight to Honor Polk County’s next mission, which will fly veterans from LAL to visit memorials in their honor in Washington, DC.
Stat
100%. That’s the success rate for Swan City Children’s Choir singers auditioning for Harrison School for the Arts. The choir is now accepting new members ages 9-18 through Tuesday, Oct. 7 ahead of its big performance on Friday, Dec. 5 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
When some of the big investors who backed companies like Uber and eBay before they IPO’d invest in a new company, people take note. That’s the case with Pacaso — 10,000+ everyday investors are already in. But the chance to join them ends Thursday, Sept. 18. Learn more about the opportunity.†‡*
Aside from megapacks and weekly coupons, did you know several retailers offer customers 55+ hefty discounts — sometimes up to 20% off? Learn about key Senior discounts and several more savings hacks older adults should know about to continue saving and building wealth at age 50+.*
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.
I visited New England in the fall of 2023, and I still think about how beautiful that trip was. If I were planning a flight from LAL this fall, I’d head to New Haven, CT (with our travel guide full of reader recs in hand) to stroll through Yale and try the city’s signature dish, apizza.
Did you know New Haven was one of the first planned cities in the US?
Photo from City of New Haven
‡‡Limit 1 can of seltzer. First-time customers only. Must be 21+.
‡‡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.
