MONDAY, APRIL 13 6:30 PM – THURSDAY, APRIL 16 8:30 PM
Lakeland Flying Tigers · Lakeland
– Lakeland Flying Tigers is celebrating their 50th season of baseball. Join them for $1 nights, All You Can Eat nights, fireworks and more!
– Kids may play catch on the field prior to the game, and run the bases following the game (weather permitting).
– Lakeland vs Palm Beach
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
Book Club at Polk County History Center · Bartow
– The Polk County History Center hosts a monthly book club, which meets on the first and second Tuesdays of each month.
– April’s book: “Central Florida’s Civil War Veterans,” Bob Grenier.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
ISO Masterworks Series · Lakeland
– The Imperial Symphony Orchestra presents “Celebrating 50 Years with the ISO,” a performance to be held at The Lakeland Center.
– ISO is a community orchestra comprised of 80 volunteer musicians, who have made it their mission to entertain, educate and inspire audiences through enlightening performances of symphonic music.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch & Learn at Bok Tower Gardens· Lake Wales
– Bok Tower Gardens’ “Lunch & Learn” programs are designed to help Florida residents learn the best practices and methods to garden successfully.
– April 16 Lunch & Learn: Explore the life of Sandhill Cranes with Lake Region Audubon Society’s Reinier Munguia, and learn how to coexist with these birds to ensure their survival.
– Session takes place in the Magnolia Room inside the Visitor Center. Bring your lunch or purchase one from the Blue Palmetto Cafe.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16 – SUNDAY, APRIL19
Bus Stop · Lakeland
– Harrison School for the Arts’ Theatre Department students are proud to present Bus Stop, a drama. The play is set in a diner in rural Kansas, about 25 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri during a snowstorm from which bus passengers must take shelter.
-Performed on Thursday, April 16 – April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre at Harrison. Sunday, April 19 matinee at 2:00 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Bark in the Park · Winter Haven
-Calling all four-legged friends of Main Street Winter Haven to Bark in the Park 2015, a FREE event.
-This fun, furry event will transform Downtown Winter Haven’s Central Park into a Pooch’s Paradise, complete with “doggie” vendors, live music, great food and drinks, and lots more. You won’t want to miss this year’s Wiener Dog Races…every year this floppy, four-legged battle gets more competitive!
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Moonlight & Music · Fort Meade
-This inaugural FREE event is sure to pull at your heartstrings, as it highlights arts and culture. Enjoy music from Fort Meade’s very own Justin Grimes, as well as Voice of the People Performing Arts and Chamber Music Series artists Eddie Cooper and the Joe Willy Band.
-Bring your appetite! Food trucks will be onsite with a variety of delicious offerings.
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Main Street Bartow Friday Fest · Bartow
-Main Street Bartow’s Friday Fest is a downtown Bartow block party featuring live music, vendor booths, children’s fun activities, great food, beer and other drinks. Also included is the Friday Fest Cruise-in Car Show with dash plaque awards for the first entrants.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Uptown Yard Sale & Flea Market · Bartow
-Bartow’s monthly Uptown Yard Sale & Flea Market is a community event.
-Look for it in its new location along the 300 block of East Main Street in Bartow.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
The Judd Jog Benefiting the United Way · Lakeland
-The Judd Jog 5K is a family friendly event that takes place at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Southwest District Command, Polk State College Campus, and Fort Fraser Trail.
– Additional activities will include Polk County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations vehicles on display, canine meet and greet and more!
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Tram Nature Tour at Circle B Bar Reserve · Lakeland
– Take a personalized Tram tour of Banana Creek Marsh at Circle B, and learn about plants, birds and the property’s history.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Good Ol’ Days Festival· Homeland
-Polk County Parks & Recreation’s annual Good Ol’ Days Festival is free family event that invites the whole family to celebrate the local history of Florida. The Good Ol’ Days Festival will feature vendors, historical interpretation, demonstrators, re-enactors of the early 1900’s, live entertainment, and much more.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
863 Local FiArt Fest · Winter Haven
-A FREE community event featuring more than 50 local and talented artists from Polk County and surrounding areas, live music, food trucks, and raffle tickets. Artisans will be competing for cash prizes and selling their artwork, too.
-The community will experience and meet great artists who work with paintings, glass, ceramics, photography, mixed media, wood, metal, recycled art, sculptures, and much more.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Blueberry Festival at True Blue · Davenport
-Join True Blue Winery during their 3rd Annual Blueberry Festival, celebrating all things blueberry, including wine and beer. Sample True Blue Winery’s own blueberry wine as well as other wines and beers they carry.
-There will also be BBQ, lots of comfort food and local artisans and small business owners. You’ll know you’re close when you hear the music
– Kid-friendly
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Lake Kissimmee State Park Special Events · Lake Wales
-Celebrate Earth Day at Lake Kissimmee State Park. Join a park ranger and make some neat crafts using recyclable materials that have been found in the park.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Architectural Tour at Polk County History Center · Bartow
-Explore the Old Polk County Courthouse and learn more about Neo-Classical architecture with Polk County History Center’s new architectural tours, held on the third Saturday of each month.
-The Old Polk County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 7, 1989.
-Ongoing exhibits: The Civil War exhibit, ‘The Edge of Wilderness,’ remains on view through April 2015, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The photography exhibit, ‘Picture Polk History,’ remains on view through November. This exhibit features images of historic and cultural heritage sites on the Polk County Heritage Trail
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 3:45 PM – 5:30 PM
Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team Show · Winter Haven
-The Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team (reestablished in 2012 by former theme park employees) is back and has a new home on Lake Silver in Winter Haven, FL.
-Concessions with snacks, drinks, t-shirts and hats will be available for sale. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
PSC Voices of the People Performing Arts Series · Lake Wales
-Voices of the People stages numerous performances featuring high caliber artists across Polk County.
– The April 18 performance will take place at Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center, and features Messaien’s “Quartet for the End of Time” with David Sapadin, clarinet; Derek Menchan, cello; Byron Marc Sean, piano; and Francisco Salazar Vara, violin.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Florida Marine Raiders X-League Football · Lakeland
-Come out The Lakeland Center and see Lakeland’s own Ultimate Indoor Football team, the Florida Marine Raiders, take on the Georgia Rampage.
-It’s a night of fast paced, fan-friendly professional football.
SUNDAY, APRIL 19 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Nature Fun Day at Circle B · Lakeland
– Polk’s Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve presents Nature Fun Day, a family friendly event!
-April’s theme is Earth Day: Learn and interact with all the beautiful things that are found out at Circle B Bar Reserve, while discovering all of the interesting ways to help conserve water with your family, recycle used containers, and GO GREEN!
SUNDAY, APRIL 19 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
FPC Performing Arts Series · Lakeland
-Lakeland’s First Presbyterian Church hosts its Performing Arts Series for the 2014-2015 season.
-April’s performance is Songs of Life: Hymns for the Journey, which is inspired by the poetry of Susan Palo Cherwien. The Chancel Choir of First Presbyterian Church will present a concert of hymns that illuminate the Gospel with songs that illustrate birth, baptism, sorrow, and hope to provide a distinctive musical voyage depicting the life of a true believer.
-Guest soloists and congregational singing will be included in this unique concert.
MONDAY, APRIL 20 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Robert Irvine LIVE · Lakeland
Robert Irvine LIVE is a high energy, multimedia and multi-sensory theatrical experience performed at The Lakeland Center. It’s more than just a cooking demo, It’s an interactive show that provides multiple opportunities for audience participation, and a chance to witness the challenging nature of the TV show, Dinner: Impossible, come to life right before your eyes.
-In each segment of the show Robert will face a new and unique culinary challenge. Are you ready to experience the impossible?
TUESDAY, APRIL 21 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch & Learn Lecture Series at Polk County History Center · Bartow
-The museum invites guests to bring lunch and listen to a guest speaker on the third Tuesday every month.
-April 21 – “Central Florida’s Civil War Veterans,” presented by Bob Grenier
TUESDAY, APRIL 21 12:00 AM – SUNDAY, APRIL 26 11:59 PM
SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo Presented by FRLA · Lakeland
-Aviation enthusiasts know it is the 2nd largest airshow in the world and Florida’s largest convention. More than 200,000 people converge in Polk County to see an airshow, visit 500 exhibits, earn education credits at workshops and forums, introduce children to the world of aviation and view more than 4,500 aircraft from homebuilts to warbirds on 2,200 acres.
-Two evening air shows offer spectators an illuminated sky set to music and narration. Daily air shows on the SUN ‘n FUN grounds, evening programs and entertainment, food vendors, airplane rides, youth programming and a Seaplane event at Fantasy of Flight also attract foreign visitors and media to the annual event.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
The Very Best of: Celtic Thunder · Lakeland
-Celtic Thunder fans will be thrilled with the lineup for this nostalgic, Very Best of Celtic Thunder, tour. Damian McGinty (former Glee Star) will be back performing as a guest artist as the group delivers the best of their much loved ensemble numbers with selections from their 9 Public Television shows, including “Heartland”, “Galway Girl,” “Seven Drunken Nights,” “A Place in The Choir,” and “Take Me Home.”
– No Celtic Thunder show would be complete without a performance of their rousing anthems “Caledonia” and of course, “Ireland’s Call”, which never fails to bring the audience to its feet.
Recurring Events
Special Events at the Grove House – Wednesdays and Saturdays through May 2015 (Florida’s Natural Growers Grove House, Lake Wales)
African American Art Since 1950: Perspectives from the David C. Driskell Center – Through June 27 (Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland)
Lakeland Flying Tigers - Through June 25 (Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland)
Main Street Bartow Farmers Market – Wednesdays weekly
Haines City Farmers Market – Wednesdays weekly
Dixieland Twilight Farmers Market – Wednesdays weekly
Davenport Farmers Market at Central Florida’s Visitor Information Center – Thursdays weekly
Winter Haven Farmers Market – Thursdays weekly
Downtown Lakeland Farmers Curb Market – Saturdays weekly
1st Saturday Market in South Lakeland – First Saturday monthly
Lake Wales Farmers Market – Second and fourth Saturdays monthly
Highland City Community Market – Third Saturday monthly
2nd and 4th Saturday Market Winter Haven – Second and Fourth Saturday monthly
Saturday Night Rodeo – Saturdays weekly (Westgate River Ranch Resort, River Ranch)
Children’s Programming: Magical Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday, Thrilling Thursday and Fun Friday – Monday through Friday weekly (Explorations V Children’s Museum, Lakeland)
Source: SunncyCentralFlorida.com