Hello Friday.
April 26 2024
Once upon a time, in a land not-so-far-away, editors Katelyn + Rilee set off on an epic journey. Okay, it was no Odyssey, but we are pretty excited.
We took a #FirstLook at Lakeland’s upcoming bookstore, Pressed. If you’re not an avid bibliophile, no worries. We’ve broken down all the need-to-know details about Lakeland’s new book haven + coffee shop for you here:
Fiction section at Pressed Lakeland | Photo via LALtoday
The characters
Our protagonists are Christina + Paul Needham, the visionaries behind Pressed Lakeland. Christina, otherwise known as the owner, operational manager, and curator of fiction, children’s literature, and cookbooks, described seeing Lakeland’s growth over the last 9 years and being struck by the city’s potential.
As we walked through the shop, rain pattering away on the windows and roof, Christina explained the process of seeing her longtime dream come to life. “I’m excited to be a part of the downtown scene,” she said.
Pressed Lakeland | Photo via LALtoday
Paul, otherwise known as the creative director and curator of nonfiction and philosophy, has been building shelves and getting innovative with his ideas for the store, and it shows.
Like any good story, our main characters have the help of some supporting characters on their journey. When you come to Pressed, you’ll meet Honeycomb Bread Bakers, Ethos Coffee Roasters, Vakti Gallery, and MockingbirdArtist, (more on that later).
Children and youth sections at Pressed Lakeland | Photo via LALtoday
The Plot
Picture this: you walk through the door and are welcomed by the smell of Ethos coffee and Honeycomb Bread Bakers’ baked goods. To your left, the children’s area, complete with a kid-sized table and chairs, children’s literature of all types, and coloring books. To your right, the fiction section sunbathing in the light coming through the large Bay Street-facing windows.
Continuing through the shop, you’ll see books broken down by genre on shelves hand built by Paul. About halfway through the store, a section of gently used novels awaits fresh eyes.
Know someone who loves a good read? Share this with them to make sure they get the full scoop on Lakeland's new bookworm haven.
TryThis
- Let it Throw | Thurs., July 15 | 5-9 p.m. | The Joinery | Free | Outdoor yard games + drink specials await at this recurring community event on Lake Mirror.
Network
- Biz and Brew | Thurs., July 15 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Cob & Pen | Free | Lakeland Chamber of Commerce members + EMERGE members are invited to enjoy food and drink specials plus a friendly tournament of yard games.
Biz
- Entrepreneur/Small Business Consulting Services | Thurs., July 15 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Plant City Chamber of Commerce | Free | Make an appointment to gain confidential consulting + professional training across all industries for your business, put on by the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County.
ForKids
- Painting with a Twist - Summer Kids Series | Thurs., July 15 | 12-2 p.m. | Painting With a Twist, 3670 Harden Blvd. | $30 | Bring the whole family and enjoy a relaxing afternoon painting a friendly koala together as part of this summer series, or drop off your little artist for an afternoon of solo painting. 🎨
Show
- Dan Signor @ Jensen’s | Thurs., July 15 | 8 p.m. | Jensen’s Corner Bar, 100 3rd St. SW. | Free | Enjoy the musical stylings of pianist, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist Dan Signor at Jenson’s Corner Bar.
- Lakeland Underbelly Sessions | Thurs., July 15 | 9 p.m. | The Pink Piano | $5 | Come out + support the best of Lakeland’s local music scene, with 100% of the proceeds going to the musicians.
- Once on this Island | Thurs., July 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Theatre Winter Haven, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd. | $28 | Come out to this 20 time Tony award-winning musical about young love + overcoming the odds.
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Weather
- 90º | PARTLY CLOUDY | 10% chance of rain
- Sarahan dust kicked up by winds in Africa + blown across the Atlantic will likely prevent any more tropical storm development for FL in the near future. Be on the lookout for some enhanced sunrises + sunsets this week, as the dust can sometimes produce vivid colors in the morning or night sky. (WFLA)
Civic
- Lakeland residents gathered at a neighborhood traffic management workshop Monday night to discuss ways to improve traffic flow around Lakeland Christian School. Lakeland city staff will review suggestions + create an action plan over the next 6 weeks. 🚘 (The Ledger)
Gallery
WaterCooler
- Ridge Community graduate + Polk County's own Sam Horsfield will participate in the British Open this Thursday, the final major golfing championship of 2021. Sam, a former Florida Gator standout + European Tour regular, will mark this major as the third of his professional golfing career. 🏌️ (The Ledger)
Watch
- Florida Southern graduate Pamela Rodriguez’s original short film, “¡Cóme!,” recently released on HBOMax. The film, completed as part of her final project, was inspired by Pamela’s childhood.
Edu
- The state set aside $2,000 for every campus, including charter schools, to implement improved safety measures by Aug.10. In addition to its existing silent panic button, Polk County schools will also have alerts to teachers’ phones and improved communication between schools and law enforcement. (WFLA)
Stat
- 91.3%. That’s how many Bartow High School seniors earned their International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in the 2020-2021 school year. The diploma rate increased from 88% in 2020 and is rumored to be the highest rate in the IB program’s history, spanning 25 years, at Bartow High. 📚
Outdoors
- A 2-foot gator was rescued from under a car at Lake Maude Nature Park in Winter Haven yesterday by Polk County police + CSO officials. No handcuffs were needed (or fit, by the looks of the photo snapped at the scene), as the little gator was transported back to Lake Maude. 🐊 (Daily Ridge)
Lakelander
- Rut Patel, the founder of Voyager Industries, has been building some pretty exciting things in Catapult’s Maker Space, which recently opened. Using the 3D printers, Rut has manufactured his own drone. Read more of his story. Ⓟ
City
For many of us, the days of downing a General Mills cereal bar before catching the school bus are over, but now they don’t have to be.
Crowd favorite coffee shop Concord Coffee just unveiled a brand new cereal bar, and it’s like our childhood staple grew up and glowed up. Fruit loops with cream cheese frosting and berries… we’ll take them all.
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On Tuesday we asked you which daily deal you’re most likely to take yourself out to the ballpark for. Here’s what you said:
- 39% of you said All-you-can-eat Wednesday for endless burgers, popcorn, pizza, and more.
- 37% of you said Sunday Brunch for mimosas, Bloody Marys, and an afternoon pitch.
- 16% of you said Thirsty Thursday for drink specials on beer, wine, and frozen bevs.
- 8% of you said Bark in the Park for a fur-pal-friendly game.
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