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POLK TOP 10

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

Theatre Winter Haven from Oct. 6 - 30. Welcome to the opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Purchase tickets in advance. theatrewinterhaven.com 863-294-7469

OKTOBERFEST

Oct. 7 at 6pm in Central Park in Downtown Winter Haven. Main Street Winter Haven’s 15th Annual Oktoberfest will have over 40 Florida Craft, local, and German beers! Buy a tasting ticket and sample as many of the beers as you’d like. The Brass Heart Band will be performing polka and favorites. Purchase bratwurst and German fare to complete your night. Lederhosen welcome. mainstreetwh.com

POLK STATE FALL FEST

Oct. 8, 9am - 3pm at the Polk State Winter Haven campus. The event is free and open to the public with fees from craft booths going to the Polk State College Foundation to benefit the College’s deserving students. The event features family-friendly games, haunted houses, bounce houses, shows, and presentations from local law enforcement and EMS. Polk State College clubs and athletics programs will also participate.

HERBAL MOCKTAILS

Oct. 8, 3:30pm at Bok Tower Gardens. Learn to make ancient herbalist hand-crafted drinks! Taste five different herbal mocktails including Oxymels, Shrubs, and Switchels. These hand-crafted drinks and mocktails use fresh herbs, fruits, honey, vinegar, and syrups. These healthy drinks were traditionally prescribed throughout the ages to promote healing and preserve botanical ingredients. Register in advance. boktowergardens.org

STEPPING OUT FOR EDUCATION

Oct. 14, 7pm at the RP Funding Center. Funds raised will be used to support the programs of the Polk Education Foundation. This year’s event will include the program and competition followed by a dessert bar and open dancing while votes are tallied. Local celebrities will perform one dance to be judged by the audience, and, professional judges. The couple who raises the most funds will be named the People’s Choice Award Winner. polkschoolsfl.com/pef/steppingout

CYPRESS GARDENS

October 17 through Saturday, October 22, 9am to Noon each day at the historic Woman’s Club Building, 660 Pope Avenue at Lake Howard Drive in Winter Haven. The Museum of Winter Haven History joins the citywide celebration of waterskiing and will share special memories and memorabilia from former Cypress Gardens skiers in an exhibition called “Remembering Cypress Gardens Special Exhibit.” Free and open to the public.

3RD THURSDAY MARKET

Oct. 20 from 4- 7pm. The market will feature a variety of produce, artisan food vendors, plants, local makers, and a food truck. Located in downtown Lake Wales in the parking lot on Stuart Avenue and Scenic Highway. Just look for the bright “orange” mural every month on the third Thursday. Presented by Lake Wales Main Street. More info on FB @LakeWales3rdthursdaymarket

WORLD WATER SKI SHOW

The 2022 International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation World Water Ski Show Tournament will be the largest tournament to date. It will be the first event to combine an Individual and Team competition. It will serve as the capstone event for the 100th anniversary of the invention of the sport of waterskiing. Oct. 21 - 23 on Lake Silver in Winter Haven. worldwaterskishow.com

BONNET SPRINGS PARK

The Grand Opening celebration of the new Bonnet Springs Park is Oct. 22 & 23 beginning at 9:30am. This free weekend of festivities will enable the entire family to escape and explore the park. Guests will enjoy three stages, dozens of local vendors and food trucks, face painting, strolling performers, activities in nature, mascot meet and greet, and more! Check their socials and website for more info, beginning and ending times are subject to change. bonnetspringspark.com

POLK AT NITE HALLOWEEN

Oct. 27 from 5-8pm at the Polk Museum of Art. An exclusive Halloween cocktail party while taking a last look at Rodin: Contemplation and Dreams. Costumes are highly encouraged as we bid farewell to this amazing exhibit in style. Enjoy beats all night long by DJ Jenks, small bites, and one beverage ticket for a craft cocktail from Red Door Lakeland. Cash bar available after free drink redemption. Purchase ticket at centralfloridatix.com

ORLANDO TOP 10

PHANTASMAGORIA FEAST ON THE 50

HOWL-O-SCREAM

Select nights in October at SeaWorld. Test your bravery through five haunted houses, seven scare zones, three live shows, roller coasters at night, and roaming haunts throughout the park. Try to seek refuge from the scares and grab a drink at one of five themed interactive bars. For an additional fee, you can be a VIP and get frontof-the-line access with a tour guide. This is for mature audiences only, no costumes. seaworld.com Oct. 6-8 at the Dr. Phillips Center. Victorian Horror Troupe Phantasmagoria will bring to life the tales and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe through their storytelling, Phantastical dance, explosive stage combat, puppetry, projections, original music, and more! From the haunted words of “The Raven” to the sheer terror of “The Tell Tale Heart,” along with a selection of other whimsical, macabre, and terrifying stories and poems, you are invited to celebrate an evening of Poe’s works. drphillipscenter.org Oct. 6, 5:30pm at Camping World Stadium. Attendees will enjoy unlimited food and drink from caterers and restaurants around Orlando. Alumni clubs from schools in the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 (as well as B-CU, FAMU and UCF) will compete for the most spirit in the Official Alumni Village. The Kids’ Zone will have inflatable games, face painting, and more. The silent auction will have experiences and sports memorabilia up for bid. Purchase tickets in advance. campingworldstadium.com

ORLANDO MAGIC 5K

Oct. 8, 7:30am at the Amway Center. Celebrate the start of basketball season with a run to benefit the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. After the race, all participants are invited to enjoy the Orlando Magic Fan Fest on Church Street. This is fun for all ages with music, entertainment, activities, and more. The 5k and Kids’ Run also includes a ticket to an Orlando Magic game. Register at orlandoMagic5k.com.

AUTUMN ART FESTIVAL

Oct. 8, 9am-5pm. The Winter Park Autumn Art Festival is the only juried fine art festival exclusively featuring Florida artists. Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The community-oriented sidewalk show presents visual art and live entertainment the whole family can enjoy. The festival is held in Central Park along the historic Park Avenue in downtown Winter Park. cityofwinterpark.org

“WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC

Oct. 16, 8pm at the Dr. Phillips Center. “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” pulls from his back catalog of 14 studio albums. Weird Al promises to deliver a different set list every night, with no two shows the same. The show will feature Yankovic’s non-parody material – the somewhat more obscure songs that are adored by his long-time fans. drphillipscenter.org

GORILLAZ

Oct. 21, 7:30pm at the Amway Center. This is the Gorillaz’s first stateside trip since 2018 and is the band’s only scheduled tour on the horizon. The world’s most successful virtual act will be brought to life by Damon Albarn and the 14-piece Gorillaz live band accompanied by Jungle, supporting the tour as special guests for their Florida dates. Purchase tickets in advance. amwaycenter.com

HALLOWEEN EXPERIENCE

Oct. 21-31. The Winter Garden Halloween Experience is a familyfriendly celebration in Downtown Winter Garden. Enjoy seven nights of an outdoor animated Halloween Light Show on City Hall; a hay maze; fall- and spooky-themed photo locations, decorations, and light displays; a Spooky Caboose; a Halloween Celebration at the fall-themed Farmers Market; a Downtown Harvest Sidewalk Sale & Stroll; and more! Costumes are welcome any day. cwgdn.com

MAGIC OPENING NIGHT

Oct. 22, 7pm at the Amway Center. It’s the Orlando Magic’s Opening Night! Watch the Magic kick off their season as they take on the Boston Celtics at home. They have one more home game in October against the Charlotte Hornets on the 28th at 7pm. If you can’t make it to either game, listen to it live on the radio at WYGM 96.9FM or 740AM. Purchase tickets in advance. nba.com/magic

ZOO BOO BASH

Oct. 22, 23, 29, & 30 from 9am - 3 pm at the Central Florida Zoo. This is the perfect way for children and families to safely show off those Halloween costumes and trick-ortreat while enjoying the fun of the Zoo. The Zoo will have plenty of notso-scary decorations and activities, including trick-or-treat stations. Costumes are encouraged for all guests. All activities are included with Zoo admission. Purchase tickets in advance. centralfloridazoo.org

TAMPA TOP 10

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT

Select nights in Oct. at Zoo Tampa. Family-friendly fun featuring the Swamp Witch, spooky wildlife, live shows full of magic and laughs, wicked treats, and eerie places to discover throughout the park. Purchase tickets in advance. Entry is limited. Reservations are the only way to guarantee access. zootampa.org

SCREAM-A-GEDDON

Open every day in October in Dade City. Six completely terrifying haunted houses in one location. Purchase local craft beer from Chuckles or Bobo at Bonzo’s Beer Garden. Visit the Monster Midway for the food trucks, monsters around every corner, midway games, photo spots, and more. Recommended for adults and teens. You can opt-out of being touched by actors in the haunted houses. screamageddon.com

UNCORKED

The Uncorked: Tampa Wine Fest is Oct. 1 from 7 - 11pm at MOSI. Enjoy over 100 wines and champagnes from across the globe, full afterhours access to the museum, including interactive exhibits and planetarium shows, favorite local food trucks, a DJ, and more! Early entrance available for additional fee. Food sold separately. Ages 21+ only. uncorkedwinefestivals.com

OKTOBERFEST

Oct. 7 - 9 at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Three full days of a waterfront Biergarten. Festival goers are encouraged to wear their best dirndls and lederhosen! Participate in the outrageous Bavarian games, including Stein Hoisting, Keg stacking, Tug-O-War, Brat Toss, and Carry the Wench. This event supports Are You Safe, a local Tampa non-profit organization that assists domestic violence victims. oktoberfesttampa.com

LIGHTNING

The Tampa Bay Lightning are back three times in October. Watch them play the Florida Panthers at 4pm on Oct. 8. They take on the Philidelphia Flyers at 8pm on Oct. 18. Your last chance is Oct. 22 when they play the New York Islanders at 7pm. All games played at Amalie Arena. Purchase tickets in advance. amaliearena.com

BLOCK PARTY

Oct. 9, 3-6pm at the Straz Center. The Straz Center Block Party is a free, family-friendly celebration of the arts. Watch local musicians perform live music, dance, and circus, with visual art, food and drink for purchase, and more—two stages with music ranging from folk to rock. Opera Tampa will host a variety show featuring drag queens to usher in a new season at the Straz. Weather permitting. strazcenter.org

CRACK UP CANCER

Oct. 13, 7:30pm at the Tampa Theatre. This is the 15th Annual Comedy Benefit, 100 percent of net profits go to the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation. Mike Rivera has been named America’s Most Hilarious Teacher and will serve as Master of Ceremonies, followed by Al Romas. Headlining the event will be Jamie Kennedy of Scream and Malibu’s Most Wanted. fcsf.org/events

DRACULA

Oct. 19 - Nov. 13 at the Straz Center. Story by Bram Stoker, adapted by Steven Dietz. A group of Londoners attempt to stop the wicked Count Dracula as he makes his way through their city. This adaptation takes audiences on a thrilling ride enhanced by humor and daring special effects. Dracula is a sleek tale of suspense, seduction, and spectacle with neo-Victorian flair. strazcenter.org

TACO & MARGARITA

Oct. 22, noon at Raymond James Stadium. The Tampa Taco & Margarita Festival features tacos, margaritas, live music, live pro wrestling, a taco-eating contest, 60+ vendors to shop, and more. VIP available for additional purchase; this gets you early entry, taco & marg perks, and access to the indoor lounge. Tequila Expo area is available for an additional purchase as well. Purchase tickets in advance. tampabayfest.com

HALLOWEEN RUN

Oct. 30, 7:05am at Fort De Soto Park in St. Pete. The Halloween Distance Classic is a Halfathon, 10K, and 5K that start at North Beach. They are pure out-andback 13.1 mile, 6.2, and 3.1 mile tours of Ft. De Soto Park on paved trails and access roads. You will NOT be running on the sand. Halloween costumes are encouraged but not required. floridahalloweenhalfathon.com

World Water Ski Show Tournament

No sunset or lake silhouette is more fitting than that of “The Water Ski Capital of the World” to honor the 100th anniversary of the sport. The waters of Dick Pope Sr.’s tropical haven and skiing sanctum, Cypress Gardens, were the stage for many shattered records, celebrity guests, and film and television productions throughout the years. The magic lives on as later this month, thousands of spectators and athletes the world over will descend on Winter Haven for the 2022 International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) World Water Ski Show Tournament.

The Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team, City of Winter Haven, and Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing are partnering to host the World Show Ski Championships. International teams and individuals will compete on Lake Silver in the largest tournament to date and the first event to combine an Individual and Team competition. Competitive teams include the USA, Belgium, Germany, Canada, and Sweden, with Mexico joining as an exhibition team.

Preceding the tournament on the evening of October 18, Visit Central Florida and the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team will host a “Night with the Stars of Show Skiing’’ at Nora Mayo Hall. The red carpet dinner will honor professional show skiers. The Opening Ceremony will be held at the original Cypress Gardens Ski Stadium at LEGOLAND Florida on Wednesday, October 19. Festivities will include a parade of athletes, welcome speeches, live music, skiing demonstrations, and fireworks.

The International Food & Drink Street Festival hosted by Main Street Winter Haven will occur the following day, Thursday, October 20, at 5:30 pm on Central Avenue in Winter Haven. Admission to the family- and dog-friendly festival is free. Attendees can expect drink tents, live music, and international food from local restaurants and vendors.

The tournament will officially kick off on Friday, October 21, at Lake Silver, with the Individual Swivel Ski event followed by Adagio Doubles. Countries new to the WWSST will join in on the Centennial Celebration of the sport of waterskiing by performing their exhibition shows on Friday as well. Saturday, October 22, all competitive teams will compete. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, October 23, with teams placed by their Saturday scores, followed in the late afternoon by the Individual Freestyle jump competition, ending with a Medal Ceremony.

For a full schedule of events and more information about the IWWF World Water Ski Show Tournament, visit worldwaterskishow.com.

CYPRESS GARDENS WATER SKI TEAM PREPARES

Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team president Mark Voisard expects between three and five thousand people at the World Water Ski Show Tournament, and he’s excited to show off the beautiful Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. He and the team have been busy making ready for the event by preparing the site. The ski team will run the Southern Hospitality tent and concession stands at the tournament, and according to Voisard, “We’ll be doing some skiing during breaks in the action at the Worlds.”

Voisard, a former Cypress Gardens show director, was instrumental in forming the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team – and keeping the legacy alive.

Mark Voisard hails from Deerfield, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His uncle owned a resort several hours north in Eagle River, Wisconsin. When Voisard was six, someone gave his uncle a homemade boat which he outfitted with a 45 horsepower Mercury motor and got out on the water. That’s when he first learned to ski. “I had to put tennis shoes on because they didn’t have any kid’s skis,” Voisard remembered. At 16 years old in 1970, Voisard became a founding member of the Chain Skimmers Water Ski Show Team in Eagle River, Wisconsin. In 1976, the team became the Wisconsin State Champions.

After graduating college, Voisard set his sights on Cypress Gardens. He was hired to ski at the park, and when they called and asked when he could come, Voisard said he’d be there in two weeks. His first day was March 1, 1977. “We had a bunch of our guys from Eagle River come ski with us down here. My brother skied here,” he said. “When I got here, I was focused on skiing because there was so much to learn,” Voisard said. “They were doing things already that we hadn’t even thought about doing.” Soon after arriving at the Gardens, Voisard started flying the Delta Wing Kite. “We flew two kites every show, and we had four shows a day. So, with eight chances to fly – you get a lot of flying in.” Spectators can still see Voisard fly today during Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team shows. Mark became the Cypress Gardens show director for 15 years and worked at the park for some 30 years.

In 1982, Voisard won the Men 2 National barefoot tricks and starts titles and has officiated over 30 National Show Ski Association tournaments. Voisard has officiated ten national and two world championships.

Another feat Mark and show ski champion, Cheryl Orloff, took on was the first five-tier pyramid. “Nobody had ever done it before. First of all, you have to do a double-top four-tier,” he said. The direction of the pyramid spurred advancements in safety for the skiers, including the Flo-Mo vest and the use of braided handles – both of which have been adopted by the greater water ski community. “There’s a little more safety every time we do something like that,” Voisard said. With one boat pulling another boat and a total of 17 people – they successfully performed the first five-tier pyramid.

Voisard was honored with an award of distinction by the USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation in 2016.

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The former show director relayed the inception story of the original ski team at Cypress Gardens. “The story goes that Dick Pope Sr. was in the army somewhere around the world, so Julie Pope, his wife, was basically running the park. Skiing wasn’t anything they normally did. The kids would come, and they’d go skiing,” he said. According to Voisard, military personnel on leave visited the park and saw the kids skiing. “They went back to Orlando and said, ‘Hey, you guys have to go to Cypress Gardens – they’re doing a ski show.’ It wasn’t actually a ski show.”

People began to ask what time the ski show was. An improvising Julie Pope told them 3 o’clock. “The kids got out of school, they got them all picked up, got them out there, and they started skiing, and that’s how it started.”

In 2011, two years after Cypress Gardens closed, USA Water Ski Hall of Fame inductee and former Cypress Gardens skier Don Thompson was honored. Former professional Gardens skiers got together to perform a ski show on Lake Silver for Thompson. The show sparked talks of starting a ski club and teaching kids to ski. Voisard remembered someone suggesting, “We’ll teach them the way they did it at Cypress Gardens so that they really do it well and continue doing it.”

Mark and his wife, Jean Voisard, began working with the City of Winter Haven in 2012 to secure Martin Luther King, Jr. Park as a home for the emerging Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team. “It took almost a year to get the whole deal worked out,” he said. Waiting on permits and a contract with the City in the works, they began forming the team. “We actually started skiing in our backyard in Eagle Lake. We brought the trailer with all the skis and a couple of boats,” Voisard said. The team started on Lake Silver later that year. “We’re very lucky. The City has been really good to us, and the County has been good to us.” Today, the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team is a non-profit USAWSsanctioned ski team with approximately 155 members ranging in age from two to skiers in their seventies. The team makes a splash on the third Saturday of each month with their free ski shows at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park on Lake Silver. Slalom, tricks, jumping, knee boarding, hydrofoil, barefoot, “In the show ski world, you kind of put all those things together. We barefoot, we hydrofoil, we jump, we fly the kite some, the girls swivel,” Voisard said. The team also offers adaptive ski clinics for those with special needs and disabilities.

There will not be a Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team show on the third Saturday of October because of the World Tournament. But don’t miss their Halloween show! The nighttime show promises tons of spooky fun, from a skeleton pyramid to ghouls, wolfman, and a “Thriller” performance.

The legacy continues as the team carries the Cypress Gardens torch – and its billowing namesake flags. Just as Dick Pope did with his theme park, the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team invites visitors to imbibe sunshine, fresh lake air, and the glamour and athleticism of a sport entering its centennial.

Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team www.cypressgardensskiteam.com FB: Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team (est. 2012) IG @cypress_gardens_ski_team

Free shows on the third Saturday of each month: Lake Silver at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park 275 S Lake Silver Dr., Winter Haven