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Today is April Fool’s Day, and if there’s any place in Lakeland that seems better known for fiction than fact, it’s the loggia on the Frances Langford Promenade. What exactly is behind those mysterious metal gates?
The official story is city storage, but the unofficial stories have circulated for years. Comments on this Reddit post mention tunnels to the Terrace Hotel, a speakeasy, or even ghosts + vampires.
300,000. That’s how many passengers have flown from LAL since Avelo began service there in June 2024. Celebrate the milestone by booking a trip — Nashville is calling our name.
Traffic
Expect I-4 delays this week as crews work on the wildlife crossing at Exit 38, demolish the CSX railroad bridge near Exit 31, and resurface the interstate between US 98 and Galloway Road. See more projects underway throughout Lakeland. (LkldNow)
Development
Lakeland Regional Health plans to open two more freestanding emergency departments in the next 24 months. It will start with its first ER in Winter Haven’s Eagle Lake area next year, then one in Lakeland off Marcum Road in early 2028.
Award
The James Beard Awards announced its 2026 nominees yesterday, and Outstanding Bakery semifinalist Born & Bread Bakehouse didn’t make the next round. Good thing it’s open today, so we can console ourselves with what we think are award-worthy brown butter cinnamon rolls.
Community
GiveWell Community Foundation is celebrating a major milestone: It’s awarded more than $500 million in grants to nonprofits in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties. The total comes to $524 million since the foundation began in 1997. Here’s how to help it reach its next milestone.
Holiday
Chag sameach. Passover (or Pesach) begins at sundown today and runs through Wednesday, April 8. Chabad Jewish Center of Lakeland is hosting Passover Seder events tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., with registration open for non-members as well.
Quoted
“BRB, just delivering someone’s food!” That’s the sticker found on Florida Polytechnic University’s new autonomous robots. Through a partnership with Starship Technologies, the high-tech bots quickly deliver meals ordered through an app to those on campus.
Answered
Which Lakeland hotel held the city’s first bathtubs? That would be the Tremont Hotel, which was the height of luxury when it opened in 1885, the same year Lakeland was founded. Only 45% of readers guessed this one right.
Try This
Game on. Our Games website is back up and running. Try your hand at today’s crossword, or try to beat Editor Connor’s WordroW record of three guesses.
Category
Eat
Feast on these festivals
If shortcake is a main food group for you, enter Keel Farms’ blueberry shortcake eating contests. | Photo by Keel Farms
In Florida, there’s a food festival to satisfy anyone’s palate. Grab your tickets to the tastiest events on the menu for April.
Keel Farms Blueberry Festival
Head to this Plant City farm for u-pick, camel rides, and a vendor market on Saturdays + Sundays in April (except Easter Sunday on April 5). Admission is free, and parking is $10.
Sebring Soda Festival Life is the bubbles in downtown Sebring, where you’ll find fizzy family fun and 200+ craft sodas to sample. Get tickets to join Saturday, April 11-Sunday, April 12.
Festival del Sanguich
Latin sandwiches will go bread-to-bread in a competition during the Lakeland Flying Tigers’ Hispanic Heritage Night game on Friday, April 24. Admission is included with your game ticket.
Orlando Pickle Festival
This sour soiree on Saturday, April 25 at Festival Park promises “an aggressive amount of pickles,” including a themed market and pickle mechanical bull. Whatever that means.
A trendy square-cut tank under $15 that’s a great wardrobe basic for spring and summer. It’s double-lined, soft, and has the right amount of stretch to flatter curves. Stock up in black, white, or both.
If you hear of any swan rides or alligator ballet lessons today, keep in mind that it may be an April Fool’s joke. You won’t find any tricks in our newsletter today, but I’ll share any good pranks I see around town in tomorrow’s.
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