LAKELAND, Fla. – Arts organizations around Polk County are proud to announce the creation of a new,
nine-day cultural festival, MayfaireFlorida: Festival of the Arts, from April 30 through May 8, 2011.

Building on Polk Museum of Art’s 40-year tradition, MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake, the local groups
will offer arts enthusiasts two packed weekends of events as well as plenty to do on the weekdays.

Polk Museum of Art Executive Director Daniel E. Stetson said, “Polk Museum of Art’s highly popular
MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake is both a nationally respected art show and a Polk County tradition
that draws more than 65,000 people annually, and it was time to grow that brand.” Stetson approached
other arts organizations about collaborating on a larger festival concept intended to draw cultural-minded
tourists to the area.

The presenting agencies to date include Polk Museum of Art, Bok Tower Gardens, Imperial Symphony
Orchestra, City of Winter Haven, The Lakeland Center, The Polk Theatre, Florida Southern College and the
Lake Wales Arts Council. In addition, Polk Arts Alliance, the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, the
Central Florida Visitors & Convention Bureau and the City of Lakeland are marketing partners in this new
countywide initiative.

“Our goal is to be a cooperative cultural festival that reflects positively on the area and elevates Polk
County as a premier arts destination,” Stetson said. He likened MayfaireFlorida to a smaller version of
Charleston, S.C.’s Spoleto Festival, and he anticipated that MayfaireFlorida would grow steadily over the
next three to five years.

The major events bookending MayfaireFlorida have long and successful histories in Polk County. The
Imperial Symphony Orchestra’s “Concert Under the Stars” at Bok Tower Gardens is celebrating its 21st
year, and the PMoA’s MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake is in its 40th year.

Following is a schedule of MayfaireFlorida: Festival of the Arts events planned to date between April 30
and May 8:

All week: Special national touring exhibition of “Annie Leibovitz: Women” at the PMoA, with daily curator-
led tours
Bok Tower Gardens celebrates “Bok in Bloom! Florida Native Plant Celebration” and has on exhibit
Alice Hansen’s watercolor show, “Florida Wildlife & Surroundings”
Special docent-led tours of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at Florida Southern College and
exhibition in FSC’s Melvin Gallery
“Coming of Age in America,” a traveling exhibit of collaborative works created by teams of
established artists and emerging young artists at the Lake Wales Arts Center, Michael Crews Gallery

Saturday, April 30: Imperial Symphony Orchestra’s 21st Annual “Concert Under the Stars” at Bok Tower
Gardens (7:30 p.m.)
Saturday & Sunday, April 30 & May 1: 9th Annual “Marilyn Newell Youth Music Festival” for
outstanding young musicians at the Lake Wales Arts Center. Competition April 30, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
awards and winners concert May 1, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday/Wednesday, May 3 or 4: An event (to be announced) at The Lakeland Center
Thursday, May 5: 11th Annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition “Central Park Stroll” celebration
with a Cinco de Mayo flair in downtown Winter Haven
Friday, May 6: An event/movie (TBD) at Polk Theatre
Friday, May 6: Bok Tower Gardens celebrates “National Public Gardens Day,” where members of any
public garden are admitted free
Saturday, May 7: 40th Annual MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake (9 a.m.-4 p.m.), Mayfaire Saturday
Night (5:30-11 p.m.), with fireworks (9 p.m.) and Mayfaire Classic 5K with the Lakeland Runners Club
Sunday, May 8: Second day of MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake Art Festival (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Sunday, May 8: Mother’s Day Carillon Concerts at Bok Tower Gardens

For more information, visit MayfaireFlorida.org.

###

Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting
the arts in Central Florida. The Museum is one of the Top 10 art museums in the State of Florida, an
Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the only art museum accredited by the American Association
of Museums serving the 561,000 residents of Polk County. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays
– Saturdays; 1 – 5 p.m. Sundays; and closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free for Museum
members. General admission is $5 for adults and $4 for seniors (62 and older). Children and students with
student IDs are admitted for free. Special exhibition fees may apply. Admission is free to all from 10 a.m.
until noon Saturday mornings. The Museum is fully accessible.