C A L E N D A R

Park on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Come on out to Downtown Lakeland and enjoy a variety of Florida food trucks and their delicious cuisine. 20 plus food trucks come together each month and park on the streets surrounding beautiful Munn Park. Thurs, 6-9 pm. (next events: May 11, Jun 8)

Arts, Crafts, Festivals & Expos

Apr 7

April First Friday. Head to Downtown Lakeland on the first Friday of every month for First Friday; new theme each month. This month is Dog Days Downtown in Munn Park. Downtown shops and restaurants will be open late. Enjoy goodies, giveaways, and discounts from local business exhibitors. Shop in the Makers Market, which features local artists and creators, and check out the Classy Car Show on Main St. First Friday is a family-friendly event held in the streets of Downtown Lakeland between Lemon Street and Oak Street along Kentucky Ave. and Main St. Downtown Lakeland, Fri 6-9 pm. DowntownLKLD. com (next event: May 5)

Apr 13

Lakeland Food Truck Rally. Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally brings food trucks to Munn

Apr 15

Auburndale CityFest. Music, Food and all day fun! Enjoy a fun zone with inflatables and games, a food court with several local restaurants and vendors along with a music festival featuring Kind Villain, The Free Whiskey Band, Soul2Earth, B.Haven, and the headlinerSister Hazel.

Also featured is a “Touch-ATruck” from 11-2 pm, showcasing big trucks, utility equipment, and unique vehicles. Get to know the people that drive these vehicles and climb into the driver seat for a view of each vehicle, a great educational opportunity for kids and adults! CityFest will also incorporate a water sport festival, showcasing pro talent on the new Championship Water Ski Lake. Located at Lake Myrtle Sports Park, Auburndale. Sat, 11-9 pm. https://www.auburndalefl.com/cityfest

Apr 15

9th Annual 863 Art Fest. Free community event with arts & crafts, live music, food, local authors. Over 100 vendors. Pet friendly. Central Park, downtown Winter Haven. Sat, 10-4 pm. http://www.centralfloridaeventvendors.com/863-local-art-fest/

Apr 18

Tasty Tuesday + Tunes. Third Tuesday of every month in Munn Park. 10 tastes from downtown bars, restaurants, and sweet shops. New offerings every month. Tasty Tuesdays are a super fun way to experience multiple Downtown restaurants all in one night! You get hearty sample sizes with each ticket and move from place to place at your own pace! Tastings begin at 4:30pm and end at 9pm. Purchase your ticket package from LDDA. Tues, 4:30-9 pm. Cost - $25 for 10 tastes. (next events: May 16, Jun 20) https://ldda.square.site/ product/tasty-tuesday-tickets/31?cs=true&cst=custom

Apr 22

Drive Electric Earth Day Lakeland. Free family-friendly event, local EV owners will showcase their EVs, answer your questions, & share their EV-enthusiasm. Several different EV makes & models, including electric bikes, will be on display. This event also features Downtown Lakeland’s fabulous local restaurants & outdoor cafes as well as the Lakeland Farmers Curb Market’s wonderful weekly fresh produce, food, & crafts. Located Munn Park, Lakeland. Sat, 9-1pm. https:// driveelectricearthday.org/attend

Apr 29

Project E.A.G.L.E. Enhancing A Great Living Environment. Annual Lakes and shoreline clean up hosted by Keep Winter Haven Clean & Beautiful. Multiple clean up locations for all ages and abilities. Enjoy environmental exhibits and live music by Hunter Smith. Please note: Clean up supplies, lunch and event t-shirt will be provided to all REGISTERED volunteers (while supplies last). Located at Lake Shipp Park, Winter Haven. Sat, 8 am-12 pm. www. KeepWinterHavenBeautiful.org

May 4

Craft Beer Crawl. Hosted by Main Street Winter Haven May Fourth. Come explore Historic Downtown Winter Haven while sampling specialty craft beer & bites in participating shops and businesses! Don’t forget your Star Wars attire! Located downtown Winter Haven. Thurs, 5:30-8:30 pm. Presale Tickets

- $25, Day of $30. https://www. mainstreetwh.com/event/craftbeer-crawl-2023/

MAY 13& 14

Mayfaire by-the-Lake. One of Florida’s premier outdoor art festivals. Held on Mother’s Day weekend each year, Mayfaire is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Morton. Mayfaire is one of the largest and oldest outdoor art festivals in Central Florida and is on Sunshine Artist magazine’s prestigious “Best 200 Art Shows” list as number 20 in 2016. Enjoy art, entertainment, activities, music and food trucks. Located around Lake Morton, Lakeland. Sat & Sun, 9-4 pm. http://polkmuseumofart.org/mayfaire

May 19

Bark in the Park. Hosted by Main Street Winter Haven. Spend your FREE Friday night shopping pet vendors, enjoying a cold beverage, and enjoying time with your favorite fourlegged friends. Bark in the Park will be held in Central and South Central Park Downtownwith favorites like the police K9 demonstration and our Annual Weiner Dog Race! Fri, 5:30-8:30 pm. https://www.mainstreetwh.com/event/bark-in-thepark-2023/

Markets, Antique Fairs & Car Shows

Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb MarketSaturdays. We have an exceptional variety of local vendors who offer fresh produce, seafood, pastries, breads, desserts, local honey, artisans, and crafts, to name a few. We are part of the FAB (Fresh Access Bucks) program that assists those in the SNAP/ EBT program by encouraging healthy behaviors by making fresh, local produce more affordable and accessible to SNAP customers. Stop by the Market Information Booth for more details! Located N. Kentucky Ave, Lakeland. Sat, 8 am-1 pm.

Winter Haven Farmers Market

Saturdays. Shop locally grown food, artisan food vendors, plants, food trucks and more while supporting a healthy & connected community. Located across from Grove Roots on the NE corner of 3rd St. & Ave C SW in the BB&T parking lot in downtown Winter Haven. Sat 9 am-1 pm.

Apr 9

Second Sunday Artisan Market. Every second Sunday of the month, enjoy a variety of Florida based businesses selling a variety of hand-made items. Located Lakeside Village, 1479 Town Center, Lakeland, Sun, 12-5 pm. www.shoplakesidevillage.net

Apr 20

Lake Wales 3rd Thursday Market. The boutique market will feature a variety of produce, artisan food vendors, plants, crafts and a food truck. This market is within walking distance of restaurants and shops. Located Stuart Ave in the parking lot near the new Gillian Fazio mural in downtown Lk Wales. Thurs, 4-7 pm.

Concerts & Theatre

Apr 21

Friday Night Live. Friday Night Live returns as a monthly Spring series. April features the

Big Chill band. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and grab a TOGO dinner and adult beverage from a Downtown Business! This event has a state liquor license, so you can leave a bar or restaurant with a to-go drink to enjoy in Munn Park while you listen to the band. Fri, 6 pm.

Apr 21

Spring Concert Under The Stars at Bok. Join us live on the Oval Lawn this April and experience amazing concerts from top award-winning Americana artists: Apr 21 The SteelDrivers, and Apr 28 Travelin’ McCourys. Concerts begin at 7 pm. www.boktowergardens.org/event/concert-under-the-stars-alison-brown/

May 18

CAL’s Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers “Damn The Torpedoes”. Performed “Note for note... cut for cut,” the Classic Albums Live Concert Series starts off with a selection voted one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Greatest Albums of All Time,” Tom Petty’s, “Damn the Torpedoes”. Located at the Youkey Theatre, RP Funding Center, Lakeland. Thurs, 7:30 pm. Tickets - $52, $41 plus parking. www.RPFundingCenter. com

Charity Events & Golf Tournaments

Apr

15

Early Learning Coalition of Polk County’s Lip Sync Battle for the Love of Kids Show. Free family event presented by Publix Supermarkets

Charities, GEICO Philanthropic Foundation, and City of Haines City. The event will feature some great local lip sync performers representing several of our local organizations who will be competing for the best performance. The audience and a special panel of judges will help decide who will walk away with the Love of Kids trophy. Also, the first 400 attendees will receive a gift! Located at Historic Polk Theatre, 121 S FL Ave, Lakeland. Sat, 6-9 pm. For info, visit ELCPolk.org or contact Debbie Burdett at DebbieBurdett@elcpolk.org or (863) 577-2468.

APR 15

– Cutrupi Benefit Bass Fishing Tournament. Launch from Lake Shipp ramp, Winter Haven. Weigh-in at Tanners Lakeside, 1006 S Lk Howard Dr, Winter Haven. Enjoy raffles, 50-50 and live entertainment after weigh-in. Sat, Daylight to 3 pm. https://www.facebook.com/ events/3374751739414569

APR 21

14th Annual “Swing for the Cure” Cocktail Party & Live Auction. Hosted by the Lewis Family Cancer Fund and the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation. Online auction Apr 14 to 21. Tickets available online for the cocktail party. Includes heavy appetizers, drinks, raffles and live music by Jill’s Cashbox. Located at the Nora Mayo Hall, Winter Haven. Fri, 5:30-10 pm. Tickets - $125 https://whhfoundation.org/ events/lewis-family-swing-forthe-cure/