Downtown Lakeland’s October First Friday will also feature an art show!

The DLP is looking for artists, in all mediums, to exhibit their work along Kentucky Avenue in Downtown Lakeland during the October First Friday. This will be a great opportunity to reach the First Friday crowds and perhaps kick off the holiday buying season a little early!

Items exhibited must be made by the artist. If you are interested, please contact us no later than September 15th.

Cheryl Dossey, Fitz Gallery 686-0887 or email registration information to:
cherylfitzgallery@gmail.com

REGISTRATION FORM

The DLP cannot supply any items needed for set-up including tents, tables, chairs, nor extension cords. There will be no charge for setting up. Artists are responsible for all sales transactions and sales tax.

Thriller is back!!

You loved their performance last year! Well this year will be even better! We want the details to be a surprise, but be assured you’ll go GAGA over what they’ve got planned! The show will run twice – once at 7pm and again at 8pm along S. Kentucky Avenue in street.

Dress up to the nines and walk down the red carpet as the paparazzi clamor to get THE shot of YOU entering the hottest event in Lakeland this August!  It’s all about HOLLYWOOD baby!

August 31, 7:00pm

The Lakeland Center/Sikes Hall

$30 in advance, $40 at the door

Private Table for 4: $200

Adults only, must be 21 or older

Lakeland’s favorite season kick-off fundraising event.  Enjoy a live ISO performance while you mingle with other music lovers and sip martinis.  Local bars and restaurants will be competing for “Best Martini.”  Your ticket gets you two martini coupons, live “Pops” concert performed by the ISO, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, free parking at The Lakeland Center, and your ballot to vote for “Best Martini.”  Purchase a private table for 4 for $200.  Call (863) 688-3743 to ask how you can get exclusive VIP access to the Sapphire Lounge! Additional martini coupons can be purchased at the event and a cash bar will be onsite.

Music from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”, “Titanic”, “Star Wars”, “Chicago” and more.

It’s back to the grind of the school year, but it doesn’t have to be all work and no play.  Downtown merchants and title sponsor MIDFLORIDA CREDIT UNION want you to have fun with knowledge, so we’re organizing a trivial pursuit scavenger hunt.  Pick up your game cards at any participating merchant and go in search of knowledge. Visit the stores, answer the questions and register for a chance to win prizes for you and your school.  The school with the most registered participants wins the grand prize!

See…the FCAT can be fun! The Downtown FCAT that is…

Get your FCAT game card at participating merchants.  (Lists provided at First Friday.)  Merchants will be waiting for you and will ask you a question from the category they are assigned.  Get the answer right and you’ll get a sticker for your card.  Turn in the cards to the DLP booth or any participating merchant when you’re done and get a chance to win prizes.  Plus we’ll ask you to write on your card the school you represent. The school with the most participants will also win a prize. Individual prizes are gift certificates to retail/restaurants.

Traditions Unlimited will be doing a drawing for a teacher gift pack of supplies.

FastFrame will have a drawing for teachers – Register to Win a Goodie Bag of cool stuff!

Brooke Pottery – Teachers, register to Win a basket of goodies!

Home Essentials – Labor Day Chilling and Grilling Sale! Select Items, buy one get one half off

Arts on the Park -  FREE art reception with music and refreshments. People choice award, everyone get a vote!

The Kiddie Train will be loading at the corner of Pine St. and N. Kentucky Ave. ALL ABOARD!!

Check out our members who are setting up along the streets:

Watson Clinic Foundation will host a Dunk Tank on S. Kentucky Avenue.  Check out who’s in the tank!

Lakeland Moonwalk will have bounce houses on S. Kentucky Ave as well.

Along N. Kentucky Ave…

Lakeland Memorial Gardens will have a fun Ring Toss game.

Critter Watcher will offering activity sheets for children and drawings for Rachel Hale stationery and sundry items.  One flea comb plus flea control tips will be available for those who request one. (one per family, please)

Sapphires Dance Studio will be dancing in the street. Watch or join in!

Evolve Hair Studio celebrates its GRAND OPENING by demonstrating Vivid Haircolor Application and a Rocking Layers Ponytail Haircut, as well as performing free Makeover Consultations with discounts on scheduled appointments, and a raffle for free services!

FAITHRiders from Scott Lake Baptist Church will be giving away candy, tracts, and rubber bracelets.

UUCL will have free cookies to decorate.

Liquid Hair

• Quick styling tips for kid’s unruly morning hair.
• Demos on the kids that stop by the booth. (braiding, styling products, ponytails, pinning up)
• Free nail art on girls nails
• Free hand massages for parents
• Giving out vouchers for “Free Kids Cuts (under 12) with an adult haircut and style” – Must come by booth to pick up voucher and then call to make appt.

Plus many many more!!

Become a VIP!

Downtown Lakeland is launching a VIP 10% OFF card during the September First Friday.  The card is FREE and you can register at the following locations during First Friday.  The cards will be available at these locations until they expire on12/31/2010.  Over 25 Downtown businesses are participating, so be sure to get your card at First Friday so you can take advantage of the savings right away!  The card can be used over and over at the participating businesses. Some restrictions apply. See the list of participating businesses below for the details.

Where to get one: Home Essentials, Fitz Gallery, Brooke Pottery, Traditions Unlimited, Fast Frame

See a list of participating businesses.

VIP cards will require registration. But don’t worry, Downtown Lakeland Partnership does not share your information with anyone, including the businesses on the card.  But we’d like to keep get an idea of where our VIPs are coming from, so we do ask for contact info. We respect your privacy, so don’t expect us to hassle you.

Other COOL activities going on During FIRST FRIDAY! Check out these links!

Pecha Kucha Night

The Gallery at Lake Mirror Tower Apartments

Saturday, September 18, from 8:30 a.m. – noon

Lakes Education/Action Drive, in partnership with Lakeland Clean & Beautiful, the City of Lakeland and Lakeland Vision’s Lakes Alliance present Lakeland’s Seventh Annual Cardboard Boat Challenge and Lakes Festival on Saturday, September 18, from 8:30 a.m. – noon at the Lake Hollingsworth boat ramp (race starts at 10 a.m.).  This event is designed to help raise public awareness about our lakes and the precious resources we have in our area.  Environmental exhibitors will provide fun activities for children and supply information on area lakes and water resources.  Entertainment will be the Cardboard Boat Challenge!
The challenge will be to design, construct and race a boat made of cardboard around a marked course in Lake Hollingsworth. Teams must have a minimum of four and maximum of 10 people, but only two will set sail in the boat. Race teams will be in four divisions: community/corporate, elementary/middle school-age youth, high school-age youth and family. New this year is the “Pre Fab” category. Teams will build their boats BEFORE the event and show off their boat-building prowess on the same course…but with some added challenges.

Cardboard Boat Challenge and Lakes Festival is a great opportunity for youth groups, scouts, civic clubs, families and businesses to have fun together while enjoying our beautiful lake.
To register or for more information, contact the City of Lakeland Lakes & Stormwater Division at (863) 834-8429. Register now because openings are limited!
Event supporters include the Alafia River, Hillsborough River and the Peace River basin boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Lakes Education/Action Drive, Lakeland Clean & Beautiful, the City of Lakeland, Lakeland Vision, Lea Wheeler, D.M.D, MaxPak, Martinez & Spivack, P.A., Lakeland Family YMCA, Crowder Brothers – Ace Hardware, BCI Engineers & Scientists, Inc., Mitchell’s Coffee House and Publix Super Markets, Inc.  Even if you don’t participate in the boat challenge, come watch the boat race and cheer on your favorite team!
Contact: Johnna Martinez,
Executive Director
Lakes Education/Action Drive
( 863) 221-5323
lakeseducation@hotmail.com

Downtown Lakeland’s October First Friday will also feature an art show!

The DLP is looking for artists, in all mediums, to exhibit their work along Kentucky Avenue in Downtown Lakeland during the October First Friday. This will be a great opportunity to reach the First Friday crowds and perhaps kick off the holiday buying season a little early!

Items exhibited must be made by the artist. If you are interested, please contact us no later than September 15th.

Cheryl Dossey, Fitz Gallery 686-0887 or email registration information to:
cherylfitzgallery@gmail.com

REGISTRATION FORM

The DLP cannot supply any items needed for set-up including tents, tables, chairs, nor extension cords. There will be no charge for setting up. Artists are responsible for all sales transactions and sales tax.

Thriller is back!!

You loved their performance last year! Well this year will be even better! We want the details to be a surprise, but be assured you’ll go GAGA over what they’ve got planned! The show will run twice – once at 7pm and again at 8pm along S. Kentucky Avenue in street.

Please be ready with the names of the attendees. We’d like to make name tags for each attendee.  Thanks!!  If you do not have them all at the time of registration, please name them each with your business name and attendee 1, attendee 2, etc.

General Tour Information

SIGN UP FOR OCTOBER 9

SIGN UP FOR NOVEMBER 13

Today Lyn is actively engaged with Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation and working to celebrate the achievements of women in the motorsports and automotive industries. The foundation provides mentoring and leadership programs to create more opportunities for women in racing.

Visit their web site.

October 23th, 2010

From 1:00 p..m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Hispanic Club of Lakeland will celebrate the 13th Annual Hispanic Festival at the Lake Mirror Promenade and Barnett Family Park.  Thousands of participants from all cultures will gather to enjoy a family day with the music, dance, food, art and overall Latin flavor from a diversity of countries.  This is also an opportunity for businesses who are hoping to reach the ever growing Hispanic population to display their products and services.
The main purpose of this festival is to raise funds for charity and to promote goodwill and excellency among  the local students with Hispanic heritage by means of scholarships.

For further information concerning space rentals or to become a sponsor please contact:

Felix Delgado at guajiro38@verizon.net or by calling: 863-646-1742

www.hispaniccluboflakeland.com

another great Downtown Lakeland tour!

Tour date set for Saturday,  October 30. Meet at the Polk Museum of Art @ 9:30am with your bikes. Firm limit of 20 riders.   Registration required.

“Over the last thirteen years Lakeland has become a city of sculptures,” explains Dan Stetson, Executive Director of the Polk Museum of Art.  Most of the city’s collection came from the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition on Lemon Street Promenade.  You’ll also see private pieces – swans and butterflies -  from the Swansation and Kaleidoscope projects sprinkled throughout Lakeland and Downtown.  “The success of the Historic Walking Tours has inspired us to create others,” says Julie Townsend of DLP.  “Pedaling the Arts accomplishes multiple goals. It exposes residents to Downtown and the outdoor art we have, and it also gets folks biking in Downtown.”  Dan Stetson will lead the group beginning and ending at Polk Museum of Art. The tour will last about 2 hours, with a break Downtown for drinks and rest rooms.  All participants need to be on bikes obviously and will be required to follow bike safety rules.  This is just another great reason to come Downtown.  As of press time, only one tour date was set. If this date fills quickly another will be set for sometime in November. Tours will require the purchase of $10 worth of Downtown Dollars per person.  “We want to generate sales in Downtown,”     says Townsend.  The Downtown Dollars can be used for purchases in more than 20 businesses, so after the tour you can grab lunch or shop with your Downtown Dollars. They expire one year from the purchase date.

In addition to the BIKELAKELAND efforts, bike enthusiasts like Mitch Harvey, owner of Mitchell’s Coffee House, wants to work toward getting Lakeland designated as a “Bicycle Friendly Community”.  The city of Lakeland’s Parks & Rec. Department installed “Cindy the Cyclist”, an artsy bike rack, in Munn Park in June.