#MUSTDO

Today

• Taco Tuesday | Tues., Oct. 19 | 3-9 p.m. | Craft + Kitchen | $6+ | Craft + Kitchen’s famous street tacos are 3 for $6. 🌮
• Live Trivia | Tues., Oct. 19 | 6:30 p.m. | The Brass Tap | Free | Show off your trivia knowledge to try and win the $70 prize + enjoy any of the beers on tap. 

Wednesday

• Writer’s Corner | Wed., Oct. 20 | 6-9 p.m. | Yard on Mass | Free | Share your writing or poetry with us while enjoying food trucks, beer + wine. 📝

Thursday

• Singer-Songwriter Night | Thurs., Oct. 21 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Hillcrest Coffee | Prices vary | Come see musical artists Merlin the Cat and Mitar — donation-based entry, coffee, tea, + baked goods available. 

Friday

• Canned Tuna Concert | Fri., Oct. 22 | 6-8 p.m. | Munn Park | Free | Come out to see musical artist Dan Signor Project in Munn Park + bring a non-perishable food item as a donation. 🥫
• Halloween Movie Marathon | Fri., Oct. 22 | 7 p.m.-4 a.m. | Silvermoon Drive-in | $25 | Get into the Halloween spirit with scary movies including Dracula, Frankenstein, Beetlejuice and Poltergeist. 👻

Saturday

• The 23rd Annual Lakeland Hispanic Festival | Sat., Oct. 23 | 12-9 p.m. | Lake Mirror | $5 | Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with a night filled with entertainment, food + Hispanic culture. 

Sunday

• Golf Scramble | Sun., Oct. 24 | 1-5 p.m. | Cleveland Heights Golf Course | $125+ | This Mr. Central Florida event features prizes and an auction,  plus the proceeds support Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center. ⛳

Monday

• A Walk in the Park | Tues., Oct. 26  | 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | Peterson Park, 3700 Cleveland Heights Blvd. | Free | Come out for a mile-long walk through the park followed by a health fair for our senior community. 👟

Tuesday

• Lakeside Village Halloween Bash | Wed., Oct. 27 | 5-7 p.m. | Lakeside Village | Free | A night of spooktacular fun including trick-or-treating, activities, live performers + food. 🎃

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.

NEWS NOTES

Weather

• 87º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

Civic

• The Lakeland City Commission approved the use of shipping containers for commercial + small-scale residential purposes (like mobile homes and tiny homes) yesterday afternoon. The approval today follows that of the Lakeland Planning and Zoning Board. Check out what a shipping container alley could look like here. (LkldNow)

Edu

• Polk County is changing open enrollment for families seeking magnet and choice schools. There will now be 3 open enrollment periods to ease complications families and schools face with open enrollment. The first enrollment period starts on Jan. 4. (The Ledger) 
• College and high school students who want to work in aviation and aerospace can now apply for an internship with the Skylab Innovation Center at ACE. Students who attend Polk State, Florida Polytechnic, and Southeastern University, to name a few, are eligible to apply. 🚀

Ranked

• 4. That’s what Florida Polytechnic University ranked on Wallet Hub’s list of “Top 10 Colleges & Universities in Florida.” Florida Southern College followed closely behind at No. 8, and the schools ranked No. 119 and No. 213 out of 500 colleges + universities nationwide, respectively. (WalletHub)

Arts

• A Harrison School for the Arts graduate, Robert Fleitz, had his pianist debut at Carnegie Hall last night. Robert was also recognized for his piano playing ability earlier this year when he won the 2021 Pro Musicis Award and used the prize money to support the Swan City Piano Festival. 🎹 (The Ledger)

Cause

• The Lakeland Police Department is taking donations for their annual Cops for Kids gift drive. Brand new, unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at the Lakeland Police Department, City Hall, Lakeland Public Libraries, Lakeland Electric, or the Kelly Recreation complex now through Dec. 3. 🎁
• Lakeland Christian School students are hand delivering poinsettias to healthcare workers and other frontline personnel. If you would like to donate a poinsettia or order something from the school’s RISE program to support their fundraiser, you can do so through Oct. 25. 🌺

Featured

• Crikey, this one’s not for the faint of heart. Lakeland celebrity Humpback the Alligator was featured on Florida Sports Magazine’s Instagram account, with a smaller gator between his pearly whites, no less. Have you ever spotted the local legend at Circle B Bar Reserve? Tell us your story here. 🐊

Listen

• A new Lakeland-based podcast, the “Local Lakeland Show,” debuts Oct. 21. In the meantime, you can give the show’s trailer a listen here. 🎧

Shop

• With Thrive Causemetics’ Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara™, you can get lashes that look like extensions at a fraction of the cost and without the damaging glue. This mascara is 100% vegan and cruelty-free with a revolutionary formula that will give you longer, stronger lashes over time. Bonus: Get 15% off your first order. Ⓟ

#LALTODAY

THE WRAP

If you took the quiz in today's newsletter, the correct answer is B: The Doodlebug. Click here for more interesting things that happened throughout the decades right here in Swan City.

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