Local musician, Michael McArthur, (who recently won the Florida Grammy showcase) is currently in 3rd and 4th place on Vube.com’s Music Video Contest. Michael is hoping to win the grand prize of $10,000 to use towards creating his next album.

How it works:

The video with the most “likes” on vube.com wins. So, all you have to do is create an account on vube.com (which is easy and free), then “like” both of his videos (“Scream” & “New Life“). Check out his Facebook page for more information. Let’s help this Lakelander rise to the top!

Film Synopsis

Shane is an ordinary high school teen with average problems. He isn’t popular, he’s constantly bullied, he has nerdy friends and he never seems to get the girl. He even struggles with getting his parents to notice him.

When Shane’s self esteem is at it’s lowest, a misplaced shipment of unique pills falls into his hands. Thinking nothing of it, Shane takes one of the pills. Unexpectedly, they give him extraordinary abilities. His senses become enhanced, his agility greater, and his hopes and dreams of being popular become more promising.

Shane takes it upon himself to invoke justice as a superhero known as THE MASK. When Shane’s crime fighting skills help better the community around him, it catches the attention of the evil organization the pills originally belonged to, the EFC.

Meanwhile, Shane’s school life takes a radically turn. With the pills boosting his confidence, he becomes popular in school, he gains better notoriety with the ladies, and he becomes the captain of the Ultimate Frisbee team. However, the consequence of trying to be popular soon catches up to Shane as he loses the trust and respect of his closest friends, as well as the girl he cares about.

When evil threatens his life at school, Shane must set things right and discover where his true powers come from, as the responsibilities of a superhero and a regular kid are held in question. Shane must rise to the challenge in order to keep balance in his life for the sake of his friends and himself.

Rollin Zoinks
Dochos
Mobile Munchiez
American Wiener
Jimmy Meatballs (Check out our review on Jimmy Meatballs!)
Fat Tortilla
3 Suns Bistro
The Cheesesteak Truck
Unforgettable Cupcakes
Lucia’s Gelato
Claw Daddy
Treehouse Truck
Bem Bom
Wild
Off The Griddle
Tallullah’s by the Sea
Got Candy
Just The Goods
Teaki Bars
Poor Porker

Article & Photo Courtesy of Polk Newsroom

Students studying in Polk State College’s Digital Media Technology degree program will showcase their work — from photos to video clips to, as the grand finale, a short film — during an event that begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3 in room LTB 1100.

The event — a totally student-driven effort — is free and open to the public.

During the evening, audiences will see projected images of a wide array of work students have done this semester in the Digital Media Technology program, all of which will lead up to the premier of Cantastic, a 12-minute film.

“Cantastic is a cute story. It’s about a man who is obsessed with winning the can sculpture contest at the county fair. If I was going to subtitle it, I’d describe it as a ‘Polk County Love Story,’” said producer and director Vernon Aguierre.

Cantastic is a project that has spanned two semesters. Now that it’s finished, Aguirre and his classmates were eager to share it with an audience. Friday’s event is their way of doing just that.

“We haven’t really had a venue for our work to be seen. It means a lot to us to be able to show it to the public and our peers,” he said. “We hope to inspire other students and artists. As an artist myself, I know that seeing other people’s work always inspires me.”

The students hope the event becomes an annual film festival for the College.

Friday’s event will put on public display the high-quality work students are producing in the College’s recently revamped Digital Media Technology program. To better align with the needs of local employers, the College last fall eliminated some courses from the program in favor of ones that emphasize a broad understanding of good design; created specialized tracks in Graphic Design, Video Production and Web Production; and began offering certificate options for non-degree-seeking students.

The program also now has use of state-of-the-art digital media studio, complete with photo studio, video studio, and audio room.

Aguierre, who will graduate later this summer and plans to continue his education at the University of Central Florida, said the changes to the program have made all the difference for students.

“Last year, we were literally taping pieces of background together to get the look we wanted. This year, we have a green-screen studio, high-end cameras,” Aguierre said.

“Polk State is becoming a world-class platform for filmmakers — and it’s affordable. Other schools are three times more expensive, but they’re not three times better.”

Over the past four months I’ve had the pleasure of working for three amazing local companies.  In addition to working with the LEDC on YLakeland, I have been working with Eventrics on the first Florida Ice Cream Festival and Third-Wing Business Strategies, a local advertising agency.

The Ice Cream Festival was such a fun event to be a part of and we were all overwhelmed by the support we receive from the community (over 5x the crowd we expected on event day!).  Working on the Ice Cream Festival gave me both communications and event planning experience.  I was able to run their social media and give input regarding the event planning and promotion.  I am continuing to work with Third-Wing, which has given me the opportunity to work on a number of projects from doing PR for a local company to planning events for an upcoming political campaign.

While I am still looking and applying for jobs in the area, I over the past few months I have been able to build my resume and gain experience in a variety of communication related fields.  I have also applied for a number of positions in communications and social media.

I have really enjoyed sharing my job-search and post-grad experiences with you all! Have a wonderful summer!

So this Foodie Friday, we went wandering for breakfast digs in Lakeland. Here are a few of our favorites.

Cozy Oaks

A favorite for locals and students alike, this place is always packed on the weekend. Just off Bartow at 1201 E. Orange St., you can’t miss the sign on the right side. With pancakes as big as the plate they fill, you definitely get your fills worth. You also get a student discount if you wear a college tshirt! Can’t beat that.

 Reesecliff

A new discovery of mine, this place won me over with their chocolate chip pancakes. The homey setup of the restaurant is so quaint and reminds you of grandmas. Eat at the bar or the table, and expect exceptional service. It’s located right off South Florida, but keep an eye out!

Britt’s Café

Located in the Target Plaza next to the Polk Parkway, this little off-the-beaten-path place caught me by surprise at how delicious their food is! With an open kitchen, you feel like you’re a part of the meal. Their Circle “B” breakfast sandwich – steak, egg, and cheese sandwiched between two halves of a bagel – is awesome and super filling. A must try this Saturday morning.

Also Check out Bonefish Grill for brunch!

Most of the places mentioned are breakfast/lunch venues only, so be sure to check their sites before heading out for grub.

Although I don’t have someone I consider to be my mentor in Lakeland, I do think it’s helpful to have someone you can turn to throughout your job search and life right after college.  Having someone you can turn to for career and life advice can help make your transition from college life to post-grad life more smooth.

Do you want to get more involved in the community and join a local organization’s board?  Find someone who has accomplished that already and learn from his or her experiences.

When looking for a possible mentor, here are a to few things to remember:

1. They’ve been through it before – Finding a mentor that is only a few years older than you can be very helpful right out of college.  Having someone to talk to about life after graduation that has recently been through it is a great way to learn and get advice about what you’re going through.

2. They are your peers – Finding a mentor who is also your peer can have a lot of benefits.  They understand the world of social media.  They’re on Twitter and Facebook and they know what all of that means in the work environment.  Peers understand what you’ve gone through and where you’re going.  Having peer mentor can help you navigate the ever changing world of technology and how it impacts your working life.

3. They are the future leaders of the community – A good mentor is also a good leader.  Find a person you look up to in your field or community.  Remember your classmates, fellow interns and coworkers may just be starting out today, but I promise many of them will be the community leaders of tomorrow.  Forming meaningful relationships in your workplace or school and it will pay off in the future.  Making those connections today means you won’t have to search far and wide when you need advice in the future.

Not quite sure where to find a mentor?  Joining an organization like EMERGE Lakeland is a great way to create lasting relationships with the future leaders of the community and find a mentor.  It’s also important to remember that the perfect mentor might be right under your nose.  Friends and coworkers can make excellent mentors who can help with your transition into the working world after college graduation.

Membership in Mid-Florida SHRM offers an annual student membership of $10.00 and each meeting fee is $10.00.  Membership in SHRM gives students and professionals a resource to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and changes in the world of Human Resource.  Monthly meetings give members in Polk County the opportunity to listen to a guest speaker who is an expert on hot topics of interest to HR professionals.

Mid-Florida SHRM is a member of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce and as a member of SHRM you gain access to the benefits of Chamber membership, including training and professional development opportunities.  Mid-Florida SHRM also conducts HR certification study groups to help members prepare for both the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exams given by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

Additionally, SHRM membership gives you access to networking events and leadership opportunities within the field of Human Resources.

Check out Mid-Florida SHRM’s upcoming events!

Ever been in a situation where you were looking for a gift for someone but didn’t have the cash? Or maybe you were looking for a new read but didn’t feel like spending a wad of cash at the local bookstore to freshen up your reading… Whatever the case, if you’re looking for great deals and interesting finds, check out Parker’s Books and Collectibles.

A small hole-in-the-wall shop, this place is full on knick-knacks for the young or old. Just search the shelves for something truly one-of-a-kind, like baseball cards, TY beanie babies, china sets, gift sets, and more.

If you’re a collector of CD’s, cassette tapes, or old records, consider this your nirvana. This place is packed with all kinds of music memorabilia. Hunt through boxes, shelves, and piles of great music, and on a budget.

Of course, there are books on books on books, going from classics to brand new. I snagged the Hunger Games for only $6, compared to a retail value of $10+ at new bookstores. And the book was in great condition, practically new, except it was at a used bookstore. Almost all of their books are in great condition.

Parker’s is located off Lakeland Highlands, just after you turn off of Edgewood, across from the Winn-Dixie shopping center at 3035 Lakeland Highlands Rd  Lakeland, FL 33801. Check out some of our other favorite used book stores in Lakeland here!

This team includes the imaginative minds of Harold Spears, dedicated theatre owner, Judy Crews, box-office cashier, Charlie Rickman, manager, James Andrews, supervisor of Sun South Theaters, and Brenda Soper, Swap Shop manager.

Spears began as a manager trainee of the Carib Theatre located in Clearwater in 1954, working for Carl Floyd. He worked his way up through promotions, supervising and managing more than 50 theatres. Spears currently serves as the president and CEO of Sun South Theatres, putting his all into this passion and making sure the drive-in remains an open attraction.

“The owner does not have this place to make money like it’s a corporation,” Andrews said. “He has it as a hobby. As long as it pays for itself, he’s fine. So we don’t have to worry about raising prices so high that people can’t come.”

The drive-in, located on 4100 New Tampa Hwy., can’t be missed after passing a giant birthday cake marking the Publix warehouses. During the day, it is a deserted parking lot of numbered spaces for cars to park during the film. The parking spaces sit beside gray and yellow speaker poles which accent the two projector screens on opposite sides of the lot. There is a large overhang in the middle of the lot, a truck parked during the day. Otherwise the lot is simply gray pavement, two large screens looking very lonesome and a few odd red, green and eggshell yellow-colored buildings. The concession stand is empty, with a mannequin standing alone, snacks and drinks untouched. It seems like a ghost’s parking lot that someone would be afraid of in a horror flick. However, this empty lot has some great history in it when it comes to the films being shown on the projector screens.  

“Silver Moon originally opened up as a single screen theatre with 35-millimeter film, and a lot of changes have been made in the way film is ran,” Andrews said. “The biggest recent change that is transitioning right now is digital. Film is being discontinued.”

In 1985, a second screen was added to display another feature and bring in more business. Customers were coming for the nostalgic feeling, the double features being offered and the old-style snack bar. The snack bar currently contains everything from a hot dog to buttery popcorn, from nachos to cotton candy. To complement these food choices are Pepsi products, water, and cold beers, all for less than the price of a movie ticket at a conventional movie theatre. Tickets at the Silver Moon cost $4 for adults and $1 for children, a tremendous difference from the average $9.50 matinee. It is a quirky place with its vintage snack bar, neon-lit signs and the theatre’s mannequin, Sylvia.

“It’s a family memory for a lot of [people] that come here,” Rickman said. “When new people find us, it’s a nostalgic thing. If you have kids, the drive-in’s perfect for you. If you go to an indoor theatre and the baby’s crying, you’re trying to watch the movie, we get a lot of those family people.”

With newer technology, projector managers such as Rickman and Andrews are facing easier, smaller ways of distributing the film and they are dealing with software instead of manually changing reels of film. It seems as if a vintage venue has received a modern update with the touch screen projectors digital quality with choices as high quality as IMAX or 3D.

“It was a big deal for us because we were comfortable,” Rickman said. “Once we got [digital] in…after the first week, we absolutely love it now. It’s taken us a lot of time, it’s given us a hundred times better quality and, I mean, we love it now.”

The drive-in is known for showing both first-run and second-run movies, meaning it screens movies released in theatres within the first week, as well as movies that have been out for a longer period of time in theatres such as the Cobb for a few weeks.

At night, the deserted, ghost town parking lot is transformed into a retro movie theatre with style. The sign at the entrance displays “SILVER MOON THEATRE” in large neon letters that change colors. Beneath “SILVER MOON” is a list of the movies playing for that night to draw in hungry moviegoers. Once a car passes through the clearance lane, there are two lanes for the driver to choose a movie. It’s got an old-time feel to it with the movie titles in large letters, one person distributing movie tickets and handing out a flyer with upcoming movies and special events.

Once a person has purchased his or her ticket, he or she can drive through the parking lot to choose a parking space to watch the movie. Some moviegoers stay within the comfort and warmth of their car, tuning in to station 89.3 FM to hear the audio of the film. Others are more adventurous, sitting atop a pickup truck or the back of their Jeep. Children giggle and yell while parents try to calm their kids. Seats are adjusted in a reclined position to watch the movie. The dark blue-black sky shines with stars. The cool, breezy air rewards night owls for sticking it out in the hot sunlight during the day. Inside the green-roofed building, fresh hot dogs are brewed while buttery popcorn pops and ice cold sodas are sold. Sylvia almost looks proud, showing off the customers the drive-in has attracted for the night.

Due to the attraction of locals and snowbirds, the drive-in tends to be busier during the summertime when kids are out of school. Customers will do anything to beat the heat—even bring a small blow-up pool in the back of a pickup truck to bathe in while enjoying a summer flick, as Andrews recalls.

Its winter snowbird crowd drives in for the “Swap Shop,” which is popular on Saturdays and Sundays, especially during winter. Snowbirds come for the shop in the winter, at its busiest time when the drive-in is at its slow season.

 “Vendors start rolling in just as soon as the credits roll on the movie,” Andrews said. “They start setting up their tables, and at about 5 a.m., the flea market is open and running full force.”

Also known as the flea market, the Swap Shop is open to the public, and vendors set up under the drive-in’s canopy to exchange goods or for customers to purchase items such as clothes, movies and tools. As Rickman puts it, the market is like a “big yard sale.” Parking and admission is free for customers to enjoy browsing beneath the large overhang in the lot.

With its historical background and true retro feel, the Silver Moon Drive-In is a great find. Families can bring their children without worrying about noise levels, friends can pile up in cars to sit outside and enjoy a rom-com in the breezy night, or couples can come out for a romantic night away from everything else. The snack bar is quick to satisfy the hunger of moviegoers and cheap enough to satisfy those with small wallets. For weekenders looking for something to do, the Swap Shop is sure to provide some entertaining afternoon shopping. Overall, Silver Moon is a hidden gem for those wanting to get out and have some fun in the small town of Lakeland.

Venture Lab is gearing up for their upcoming terms and will be offering an excellent selection of courses. Here are a few of the courses Venture Lab is offering:

Crash Course on Creativity (This course began yesterday, April 22nd.)

Technology Entrepreneurship

Mobile Health without Borders

Sustainable Design & Product Management

Finance

Hippocrates Challenge

To learn more about the courses follow Venture Lab on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

For other opportunities to take free online courses, check out MOOC’s!

Maggie’s Farewell! from Y Lakeland on Vimeo.

Tropical Smoothie will be moving from their current location across from Wells Fargo to the old Sammie’s Deli location across the street on South Florida, 225 Florida 37. Not a huge move, but definitely better for the company.

Tropical Smoothie is not sure when the move will be scheduled for, but it will be soon. So keep an eye out, and if you show up one day and it’s gone, just look across the street.

MOOC’s are free education courses offered through accredited colleges across the world for those who are looking to further their education on a dime, that dime merely being your Internet bill.

These online courses range from Biology and Chemistry 101 to Adobe classes. Just pick a subject and you’re set for higher education.

This new phenomena started up a few years ago. Think of the familiar app on Apple products, iTunes U. This app offers free education courses to those who want to further their thinking without furthering the debt. iTunes U claims the largest catalog of free education content, accessing education and cultural institution collections from some of the top colleges in the nation, such as Yale, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, and UC Berkeley.

Most MOOC programs offer the same things: free course content (of course) created and taught by instructors, course choices from leading universities, assignment lists from professors, note taking ability through digital content, audio/video lectures, and provided course material right on your computer. Talk about a sweet steal.

According to Jeff Selingo, writer of Five Ways Free Online Classes Will Change College, or Not, MOOC’s are the way of the future. College admission councilors can use MOOC classes to assess future students compatibility with their current student body, assist college freshman with remedial courses, offer hybrid courses to students, provide alternative learning structures, and help high school students replace AP credits for colleges who no longer accept them. It’s a lot of win-wins, however MOOC’s will not be able to provide a bachelor’s degree. Maybe a future goal for the MOOC program…

This new way of learning is definitely something worth exploring. Save money and snag an education? Why not.   

Take a look at the video review from Art Party #20 to get in the mood!

Belly’s Cafe is off of Edgewood down on the 98 side, and it has been cooking up unique grub for some time around these parts, or so I hear. Anyways, I heard from a co-worker I had to try it out for their sandwiches, so I picked up Emily and drove down Edgewood to the infamous Belly’s.

A simplistic hole-in-the-wall diner with little decorations smells of great food the second you walk through the door. It’s an order-then-sit type of place, very self-serve down to your soft drink. The menu has a little bit of everything on it, which is great for those who love to order different entrees upon every visit.

I perused the menu for what felt like hours trying to decide on one entree, which ended in defeat. I chose the BLT Mac Daddy for my main dish, with a side order of French fries and a coke. For my experiment, I went off the wall. I picked You’re “Dough” Nutz, a hamburger patty, cheese, mayo, and bacon all sandwiched together in between two glazed doughnuts. Yea.

Emily, who doesn’t eat much red meat, chose the meatball sub (a classic) and subbed onion rings for her fries. We also shared an appetizer of mozzarella sticks.

The onion rings were some of the best I’ve had. The breading was a tad sweet as compared to your usual greasy battered rings. And it wasn’t all breading – the perfect coating.

All I can say about the mozzarella sticks is I love me some cheese sticks, and these were sure not to disappoint. Thick, cheesy logs were breaded in a similar coating to the onion rings (just a hint of sweet) and fried until soft and gooey. Yum!

When it came time to my Mac Daddy, I was pretty full from all the yummy food I had already got to munch on (thanks, Emily). So I had started looking deep inside for room to squeeze at least a few bites of this delectable sandwich. Mac n’ cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo sandwiched together by two slices of white bread and slapped on the griddle looks about as good as it sounds. The mac was cheesy and delicious, like the kind you grew up on as a kid. The bacon on this sandwich – WOW! First off, it was in huge slices, and then to make it even better, there was tons of it piled high on my sandwich! It was exciting. A little difficult to eat (you can imagine cheesy noodles falling perilously out of my sandwich and into my basket, running from my salivating mouth), it was worth every effort of holding it together.

Emily pointed out the backs of their shirts to me halfway through our meal – “Never trust a skinny cook,” it read. After you eat the Your “Dough” Nutz, you will understand. I imagined this sandwich being a flop, and was amazed that it was actually one of the best parts of my meal! Yes, the unique pairing of a breakfast pastry and a hamburger patty was odd, but it made for a great compliment. Again, a perfect amount of sweetness to add to the greasiness of the patty. And you can’t go wrong with pairing bacon with something sugary (think of Maple Bacon sundaes. Why are they so successful?) Intending to only have a bite, I ate half of it – and enjoyed every second of my sinful indulgence.

Full of great food, this place has the normal to the obscure. Stop in just to have a regular sub or wrap, or if you’re as adventurous as I am, go try that doughnut burger. You can’t find a more interesting place than Belly’s.

Special thanks to Emily Morgan for joining me and helping me write this FF post!

For our final P2P event we visited WellDyneRx.  WellDyneRx is a pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company that uses state of the art robotics to fill prescriptions.  The privately held company began in Colorado, but opened their second location in Lakeland in 2008.  The headquarters can be found off of Interstate 4 on Eagle Landing Drive and currently leases about 62,000 square feet of office space.  But as I learned on Tuesday, the company continues to grow and has plans to knock down a few walls and add even more square footage to their operation.  With all the plans to expand the Lakeland operation, if you’re looking for a job I recommend keeping up with this company (check out their current job openings)!

As a participant in EMERGE P2P I have been able to meet some great young professionals and learn more about Lakeland.  At first I was intimidated to attend EMERGE Lakeland events.  I wasn’t sure if there would be anyone there my age (since I just graduated in December) and I didn’t want to attend events alone.  But since joining the P2P program, I have made friends and feel more confident about attending EMERGE events in the future.  I highly recommend going through the P2P program if you’re at all interested in being an active member of EMERGE Lakeland.  The time commitment is minimal, but what you’ll get out of the program will benefit you for year’s to come!

More information on EMERGE Lakeland & P2P Membership!

If you’re interested in joining EMERGE, don’t miss these great upcoming events!

Follow the Leaders: Good Leaders are Hard to Find (also the P2P graduation!)

Volunteer Project: Junior Achievement Day

Follow WellDyneRx: LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

Follow EMERGE Lakeland: LinkedIn // Blog // Facebook // Twitter

Picture from The Ledger.

Friday

Boeing, Boeing Lakeland Community Theatre Production of Boeing, Boeing by Marc Canoletti. A high flying sexy comedy. Runs Fridays, Saturdays @ 7:30pm and Sundays @ 2pm. Tickets are $20 Adults, $15 Students, $10 Children. Call 863.603.7529 or go online  for tickets.

Earth Day Celebration Free Green Celebration in honor of Earth Day with a concert & showcase at the Lake Mirror Promenade from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. There will be live music from the Sofa Kings along with a variety of exhibits promoting green living initiatives.

Saturday

All U Can Eat Pancakes and Yard Sale All you can eat Pancakes. Hot off the griddle. Cost $5.00 Pancakes(All you can eat) Bacon Or Sausage Coffee Or Orange Juice. Located at 220 West Beacon Road, off South Florida behind the Starbucks. Call 863.688.3755 for details.

SPCA Walk for Animals Join hundreds of two and four-legged fans walk to raise funds and awareness for SPCA Florida during the 21st Annual Walk for Animals. This fun-filled family activity promotes animal and human health and exercise and will take place at scenic Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland. Celebrate SPCA Florida’s vision of Healthy Animals | Humane Communities at this feel good event that engages the entire community in the welfare and well-being of animals. Register today or form a team to raise funds and awareness for SPCA Florida online. At the Lake Mirror Promenade beginning at 8 a.m.

Traffick Jam Walk-a-Thon This walk-a-thon is a fundraiser to help Hard Places Community stop Human Sex Trafficking in Cambodia, the largest population of Child Sex Trafficking, and bring awareness of it in the United States. As part of our mission, we are asking for people to get 10 people to give $10 per mile ($1 per mile x 10 miles = $10 x 10 participants = $100). For those who want to participate by walking, the registration fee is $10 and interested parties can register here. Walk will be at Lake Hollingsworth at 9 a.m.

Lakeland Raiders vs. Miami Sting come out to the Lakeland Center at 7:30 to cheer on your hometown indoor football team, the Lakeland Raiders. Purchase your tickets at LakelandRaiders.com

Confederate Memorial Day Celebration The local Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy will be having a Connfederate Memorial Day Celebration at Roselawn Cemetery in Lakeland at 705 N Ingraham Ave at 10:30 a.m. Call 863.934.6253 for more information.

Art Party 21 Join Platform Art, a non-profit arts organization, in downtown Lakeland on April 20 to celebrate its 10-year anniversary with it’s signature event, Art Party 21. Held at Wall Foss Financial at 212 East Highland Drive from 7 to 11 p.m. Art Party 21 will feature visual art, film fashion, sound, and performance pieces, along with food, beer and wine. Discount tickets for the 10th Anniversary celebration are available for $10 per person online. Tickets are $20 per person on the day of the event.

Tigers at the MallVisit Lakeland Square Mall for an afternoon of fun with Tigers baseball players and a fan appreciation scavenger hunt. There will be retailer prizes, raffles, and player Q&A among other activities. The Tigers will be at the mall from 12 to 2 p.m. Call 863.859.5414 for more information.

Begun as a crafts fair on the lawn of the Lakeland Public Library, MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake has grown into one of Florida’s premier outdoor art festivals. Held on Mother’s Day weekend each year, Mayfaire is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland, Florida. Mayfaire is one of the largest and oldest outdoor art festivals in Central Florida and is on Sunshine Artist magazine’s prestigious “Best 200 Art Shows” list. Come see why it has such a great reputation!

• About 180 artists will be showing off their skills at Mayfaire this year. With so many to choose from, you’re sure to find one you love! From jewelers, to clay artists, to painters; landscapes and wildlife to pure abstraction, any artistic taste will be satisfied. ATTENTION, ARTISTS: applications are available via ZAPPlication.org.
• Free parking and shuttle service  will be provided from Florida Southern College on the corner of Johnson and McDonald. MayFerrys: Free shuttles will run around Lake Morton and up to the Museum during the festival.
• Food and beverage vendors: A wide variety of great edibles are available for purchase including smoothies, funnel cakes, shaved ice and MORE!
• Live entertainment: Local musicians, dance companies, and VSA arts of Florida perform on stage on the shady front lawn of Lakeland Public Library throughout the weekend.
• Hands-on Children’s Art Tent and Kids Zone: Located in the Museum’s parking lot, this part of Mayfaire will includes several FREE art activities designed for participation by children of ALL abilities, as well as bounce houses and a rock climbing wall. (There will be a small fee to play on the bounce houses and rock wall).

On Saturday, bring your lawn chairs or blankets for a free party on the shores of Lake Mirror, just two blocks north of Lake Morton. This event includes fireworks and the Mayfaire Classic 5K Race. (For more information about the race, contact Lakeland Runners Club.) Food vendors will be available on site, or you can pack your own and have an evening picnic! This event will be going of from 5:30-11 p.m.

To volunteer for Mayfaire, call 863.688.7743, ext. 237. For more information, email Mayfaire@PolkMuseumofArt.org.