#MUSTDO

Today

• Beautiful Waves and Halloween Hair Hijinks | Wed., Oct. 6 | 6-8 p.m. | 1021 East County Road 540A | $30 | Get a princess hairdo done by a hairstylist then trick-or-treat + sing and dance with the Little Mermaid.  

Thursday

• 2021 Annual Peace Officers' Memorial Service | Thurs., Oct. 7 | 10 a.m. | Polk County Law Enforcement Memorial, 700 W. Lime St. | Honor Polk County’s fallen officers at the newly redesigned memorial site. 
• Jukebox Bingo | Thurs., Oct. 7 | 7 p.m. | The Yard on Mass | Free | Traditional BINGO but the spaces are songs — enjoy drinks + food trucks.

Friday

• Catapult Pop-Up: Cult Legume | Fri., Oct. 8 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Catapult Lakeland, 502 E. Main St. | Free | This Friday, find Catapult Kitchen Member Cult Legume serving hearty plant-based foods. Ⓟ

Saturday

• Fox Squirrel Corn Maze | Sat., Oct. 9 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | 3002 Charlie Taylor Rd. | $10+ | Get in the fall spirit with a corn maze, hayride, games, pumpkins + food. 🌽

Sunday

• Miss Lakeland Scholarship Competition | Sun., Oct. 10 | 3 p.m. | Polk Theater | $15+ | Watch the new Miss Lakeland get crowned at Lakeland’s official preliminary to Miss Florida.
• Second Sunday Artisan Market-October | Sun., Oct. 10 | 12-5 p.m. | Lakeside Village, 1479 Town Center Dr. | Free | Shop festive fall finds and unique hand-crafted goods created by local artists. 🍂 Ⓟ 

Monday

• Tom Trupiano Annual Charity Golf Tournament | Mon., Oct. 11 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Country Club of Winter Haven | $20+ | Proceeds fund a scholarship awarded to 4 high school seniors in East Polk County — registration begins at 10 a.m., tournament starts at 12 p.m. ⛳

Tuesday

• Business Watch Academy Workshop | Tues., Oct. 12 | 7:30-9:30 a.m. | Front Page Brewing Co. 190 S. Florida Ave. | Free | Learn from the Bartow Police Department how to best protect your business from crime. 

Wednesday

• Florida Southern College Women's Soccer vs Flagler | Wed., Oct. 13 | 7-9 p.m. | Florida Southern College | $5+ | Watch Florida Southern’s Women’s Soccer program take on Flagler College. ⚽

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

Concert

Lakeside Village’s fall concert series kicks off Oct. 7 🎶

NEWS NOTES

Weather

• 91º | Mostly cloudy | 20% chance of rain

Cause

• Bartow’s Kelly Buick GMC raised $100,000 for youth agriculture programs. The funds are the result of their Twenty Buck Truck raffle. All proceeds from the raffle go to Future Farmers of America to help young people interested in agriculture purchase livestock and or maintain crops. (Bay News 9)

Biz

• Rituals Salon + Shop is celebrating their grand opening on Oct. 16 from 1-4 p.m. at their Dixieland storefront, located at 1035 S. Florida Ave. Ste. 150. Guests who attend the festivities can receive savings on products + services and enter giveaways. 🎉

Arts

• Harrison School for the Arts is hosting its visual arts exhibit + wind symphony concert on Thurs., Oct. 14 from 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m., respectively. The exhibit is free, but entrance tickets are required. Symphony tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for students and older adults. 🎟️

Holiday

• Buena Market is returning for Halloween weekend on Oct. 30 from 5-10 p.m. on downtown Lakeland’s Kentucky Ave. The spooky soirée will feature 50+ makers and artists, a community Dia De Los Muertos ofrenda, and trick-or-treating. Don your best costume and join in on the party. 👻

Lakelander

• Tim Boynton, Lakeland Regional Health’s Vice President of Development + Chief Public Relations and Communications Officer, made Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Emerging Leaders of 2021 list, which recognizes 25 individuals under 40. Tim was selected for his innovative ideas and contributions to “financial, operational, and clinical excellence.” 

Seasonal

• Holiday snacking just got local. Catapult Lakeland is once again offering their yearly holiday gift boxes, which feature goods from former + current Catapult Kitchen members. Buyers can choose from 3 different box sizes (5, 11, or 18 local items) and orders can be taken through Mon., Nov. 15. 🎁

Edu

• Doctoral students from Southeastern University are getting their research published in a book called “Historic Christian Followership: Principles from Exemplary Followers in Church History.” The book is available for purchase on Amazon. (The Ledger)

Job

• The Lakeland Police Department is hiring for a Public Safety Aide. The position entails handling non-confrontational + non-emergent situations and taking police calls that require a police report being written with no suspect. The opening will close after 25 qualified applicants submit applications, or after 5 days. You can apply here. 

Eat

• Stover Cakes recently shared this creation, and our eyes went directly to those swans, of course. Now you can adorn your custom cake with the Swan City’s beloved mascot, in addition to your sports team, favorite Disney character, or just about anything you can imagine. Can we get one, please? 🦢

Today Is

• National Mad Hatter Day. To celebrate, attend the Down the Rabbit Hole Performing Arts Festival in Munn Park on Sat., Oct. 9 from 5-9:30 p.m. You won’t want to be late to this very important date where you can shop vendors, enjoy performances, and eat local food. 🐇

 Learn

• Do you use a budget to manage your money? It’s the easiest way to make sure you stay on top of what’s going in and out of your bank account each month. Learn how to create one here. Ⓟ

Drink 

• Drink LMNT replaces essential electrolytes with no sugar, no coloring, no artificial ingredients, or any other junk found in conventional electrolyte drinks. Get your free LMNT Sample Pack and only cover the cost of shipping. Ⓟ

#LALTODAY

THE WRAP

Yesterday, we asked you where you’d take an alien in Lakeland if they happened to park their UFO in your front yard. Here’s what our earthling readers had to say:

• 55% said they’d take their extra-terrestrial friend gator watching at Circle B Bar Reserve
• 17% wanted to show off one of Lakeland’s iconic bodies of water at Lake Mirror
• 16% preferred to keep their meeting nice and public right in Munn Park
• 12% opted to educate their E.T. on Lakeland’s architectural culture at the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum

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