Kentucky Ave will be closed from Lemon Street to Oak to allow dance performances, ROTC performances, etc in the streets of Downtown.  Shops and restaurants are open late, music and entertainment along the streets, donate blood with Florida Blood Services (bus located at corner or Main & Kentucky), and visit our DLP business members set up  in Munn Park.  Tennessee Ave. offers a classic car show every First Friday.

Here are the COOL things you can expect to see at November’s First Friday “Honoring Service”:

The festivities will kick off with the NATIONAL ANTHEM performed by the Harrison School for the Arts string quartet at 6PM in front of Brooke Pottery at the corner of Pine STreet and Kentucky Avenue.   Immediately following are demonstrations by Lake Gibson High School color guard and ROTC drill teams from Lake Gibson, Lake Region and George Jenkins High Schools.  Along the streets will be student art displays.

Beginning at 7PM in the south Block of Kentucky Ave between Main & Lemon Streets, Be entertained by cloggers, nutcracker dancers. Girl Scouts are sponsoring card making activities to be sent to troops over seas.

NONPERISHABLE FOOD DRIVE – Brooke Pottery has organized a food drive to benefit Talbot House.  Be sure to bring nonperishable food items to be deposited in the GO MINI storage unit donated by Jerry Herring, located in Traders Alley (intersects N. Kentucky Ave. just north of Mitchells Coffee House). The GO MINI will be there to collect donations during First Friday and also will be in the parking lot next to Traders Alley from December 1-4 (Holiday Walkabout through December First Friday) to continue the food collection.

OPERATION DROP ZONE -You can always bring items to support the troops to Downtown. Besides being away from friends and family, one of the most difficult things about being deployed overseas is not having the comforts of home – things we take for granted every day. READ MORE ABOUT OPERATION DROP ZONE.

Think about our troops when you’re shopping and buy a few extra things to make their deployment a little less stressful.

Munn Park will be brimming with DLP members who want to share their businesses with you.  Get a massage, win prizes, sign up for drawings, and more! Plus Lifestyle Family Fitness has the tunes to keep you entertained! PLUS: Senator Paula Dockery will be there to talk with you!  WLKF – MAYHEM IN THE AM’s Seth Mela and the gang will be there!

Parking’s a snap in Downtown Lakeland during First Friday! Did you know that all metered and permit parking is FREE after 5pm and all weekend long?  That means Main Street garage, both the public parking entrance on Cedar and the Man Street permit entrance are open to the public for FREE parking.  Plus, the large permit lot on the corner of Cedar and Massachusetts is available, plus the Bay Street parking lot is available!  On street parking available everywhere except Kentucky between Lemon and Oak.2009 POLK COUNTY

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION NOVEMBER 7

ALL this and more makes…