Get ready to park it on Kentucky Avenue

The completion of the streetscape expansion project of 2021 gave Lakelanders a taste of sidewalk dining, and now they’re ordering seconds.

Unlike the original expansion, a new venture featuring prefabricated metal sidewalk extensions called “parklets” will allow businesses to expand outdoor seating without having to undergo road-altering construction. Two downtown restaurants are already expecting their parklets to be fully installed in the coming weeks.

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille and Frescos Southern Kitchen & Bar have already received a majority of the required materials for their parklets. Now, the businesses are waiting on the availability of an installer to complete the transformation. Once the process is underway, construction will take roughly one hour.

While exact numbers have not yet been determined, an estimated 20-30 seats will be added outside Harry’s. Frescos plans to move their existing picnic tables to the new parklets to create 24 new seats on the sidewalk where the picnic tables currently sit.

Originally, the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) was going to pitch in $10,000 per structure, with the expectation that participating restaurants would cover the remaining cost. However, in 2022 the LDDA instead decided to fully fund each parklet and then lease it for an “inconsequential amount of money” to Frescos and Harry’s, who will be responsible for cleaning and maintenance.

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EVENTS

Today

Lakeland Magic Promotional Game | Tues., Jan. 11 | 7 p.m. | RP Funding Center | $10+ | Celebrate Swish’s birthday with the Magic’s game vs. Capital City Go-Go — the first 1,000 fans will receive a commemorative Lakeland Magic cup. 🏀

Wednesday

Winter Haven Happy Hour Tour | Wed., Jan. 12 | 4:30-7 p.m. | 220 Ave. A NW | $69+ | Tour downtown Winter Haven’s family-owned restaurants and bars for happy hour.

Thursday

Lakeland Food Truck Rally | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 6-9 p.m. | Munn Park | Free | Head downtown + sample a variety of dishes from 20+ vendors like Breaking Bad BBQ, The Chief’s Cantina, and Jimmy’s Famous Seafood. 🍴
Legumes, Pulses, or Beans | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 6 p.m. | Publix Aprons Cooking School | $50 | Cook dishes with beans including Tuscan four-bean turkey stew, butterbean tortellini, sofrito black beans with crispy pork milanese, and sweet pinto bean fritter.

Friday

Resin Art Workshop | Fri., Jan. 14 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Art Centric Studio, 1035 S. Florida Ave. | $46+ | Learn to use resin along with other mediums and create art in an 8x10-inch frame. 🖼️

Saturday

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Community Parade | Sat., Jan. 15 | 11 a.m. | Downtown Lakeland | Free | Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at this parade featuring local churches, organizations, fraternities, dance groups, bands, and businesses.

Sunday

Central Florida Comic Con | Sun., Jan. 16 | 10-6 p.m. | RP Funding Center | $20+ | Fly, teleport, or smash your way into a weekend of comics, collectibles, tv shows, movies, and cosplay. 💥

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.

PLAN YOUR WEEK HERE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

70º | Mostly sunny | 55% chance of rain

Edu

Polk County Public Schools announced the finalists for the 2022 Teacher and School-Related Employee of the Year. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at the RP Funding Center on Jan. 20. View the full list of finalists here. 🍎 (The Ledger)

Feel Good

Dissent Lakeland’s general manager, Mike Redmond, was surprised to receive a $1,000 tip thanks to The Big Tip. When Dissent’s co-owner, Chris Price, heard the news, he made a donation to the Lakeland-based nonprofit, leading to Mister Fish employee Evie Killinger receiving the same gratuity. (WFLA)
A Bartow family’s pet chihuahua “Tiny” was found after going missing in September. To the family’s surprise, Tiny was located 70 miles away by a Clearwater Police officer on Clearwater beach. The family is happy to have her back home. 🐾 (WFLA News Channel 8)

Biz

Stover Cakes is moving to Catapult. The statement cake bakery formerly operated as a “cottage operation,” meaning it was run out of a home. Shifting to a commercial kitchen space like Catapult’s allows the business to offer larger cakes and buttercream made with real butter, rather than margarine. 🎂

Ranked

No. 5. That's what local band Proper Wednesday ranked on Tampa Bay Music News' list of Top 20 Fan Favorite Bands for 2021. The band is preceded by Kamenar in first place, then Symmetry Band, 308 Ghost Train, and Stonegrey.

Active

Pure Barre Lakeland, a barre studio coming soon to Swan City, is hosting a free pop-up class at Lake Hollingsworth’s Thomas B. Mack Park (across from Florida Southern College) on Sat., Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. Register here, and don’t forget to bring a yoga mat + water bottle.

Watch

Polk Theatre is showing “The Truman Show” this Thurs., Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Get tickets to see the movie for $5, or spend $12 and enjoy classic movie snacks during the showing. 🎬

Eat

Bandida’s Test Kitchen is serving up new brunch items on Catapult’s patio this Sun., Jan. 16 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Try goods like the gluten free matcha, lime + cardamom loaf, or the tomato and feta galette. The menu is available to view for pre-orders here.

Tech

Did you know MIDFLORIDA offers integration with Plaid as part of its mobile banking features? Plaid is a handy app that helps protect your transactions by providing the best encryption and security features in the industry. 🔒*

📸 @4thdimensionfab

We see your photos of the Southgate sign, and we raise you a 3D metal replica the size of a fifth-grader.

4th Dimension Metal Art & Fab, a local metal art + welding business, recently shared this four foot creation honoring the iconic Southgate sign, commissioned by a freshly retired Publix employee of 40 years. The biz is operated by Keith Williams, the metal craftsman known for the Dixieland Dragon and other local installations.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s pick: Remember the new word we taught you last week? After reading about Born & Bread Bakehouse’s newest creation, the cragel, I had to give it a try. My husband and I ordered one on Saturday morning, and he said it was the best breakfast sandwich he’s ever had (it’s probably that slightly-spicy top secret sauce). 🥯

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We talked about Lakeland’s top industries, a new ramen shop + changes to city leadership, here.