Video: Watch the 2018 Lakeland Christmas Parade

Dec 6, 2018 at 7:13 pm

2018 Lakeland Christmas Parade from City of Lakeland on Vimeo.

City: We’ll Remove/Relocate Some Early Parade Chairs

Dec 5, 2018 at 8:33 pm

Every year, the city of Lakeland asks Christmas parade spectators to wait until at least the night before the parade to put chairs along the route, and every year their requests are ignored. This year the city says it’s going to remove or relocate some of the chairs.

Downtown/ Events

Lakeland Christmas Parade: The Basics

Dec 5, 2018 at 10:54 am

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What: 38th Lakeland Christmas Parade

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, beginning with fireworks over Lake Mirror

Where: RP Funding Center and back via Lake Mirror (see the map above)

Business/ Downtown

Some Public Parking Envisioned for Downtown Garage

Dec 3, 2018 at 9:24 pm

Most of the parking in a six-story garage planned for downtown Lakeland will be used by employees of large businesses, but some of the spaces will be available for members of the public visiting downtown, City Manager Tony Delgado said today.

A & E/ Downtown

Interactive Map Locates Lakeland Tapestries

Nov 26, 2018 at 8:22 am MyCityWalkabout

The map can be accessed on your smartphone to locate the 60+ outdoor tapestries being displayed for a year in downtown and Dixieland. Tap on each location for a photo of the tapestry, its address and a link to artist info | Project background

A & E/ Downtown

Vibrant Mural Brightens Florida Avenue Downtown

Nov 23, 2018 at 9:58 am The Ledger

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Driving and/or walking along Florida Avenue past Thom Downs Antiques just got a lot more interesting! #LKLD #publicart #murals #onelakeland #lovelakeland

A post shared by LakelandCRA (@lkldcra) on Nov 21, 2018 at 2:03pm PST

A new 34-foot mural on the south-facing wall at Thom Downs Antiques on North Florida Avenue is the first of three commissioned by the Lakeland Community Development Agency. The mural was painted by Gabriela Jaxon (website), a native of Peru who grew up in Lakeland and spends much of her time in New York City working with mural masters.

City Hall/ Downtown

Southern Heritage Group Sues to Halt Monument Move

Nov 20, 2018 at 4:15 pm

Save Southern Heritage, an organization that has been a vocal advocate for keeping the Confederate monument in Munn Park, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to keep the city of Lakeland from moving the 108-year-old memorial to Veterans Park.

City Hall/ Downtown

Reaffirmed: Red-Light Camera Funds Will Move the Monument

Nov 19, 2018 at 10:33 pm

After casting the deciding vote today that will allow the city to proceed with plans to move the Confederate monument out of Munn Park, Commissioner Stephanie Madden said it was the power of personal stories that persuaded her.

City Hall/ Downtown

Commission Continues Monument Discussions Today

Nov 19, 2018 at 8:04 am

The divisive issues around moving the Confederate monument from Munn Park to Veterans Park continued to divide Lakeland city commissioners Friday, with some suggesting voters should have a say during a January special election and others insisting they were elected to make tough but potentially unpopular decisions that benefit the community.

Commissioners discuss the monument again today when they will be asked toward the end of their 3 p.m. meeting to make a budget transfer to facilitate the monument move.

Downtown/ Public Safety

Rooftop Fire at Mojo Federal Extinguished Quickly

Nov 18, 2018 at 8:51 am

UPDATE: A rooftop fire at Mojo Federal downtown did so little damage early this morning that the restaurant and bar is planning to open at 12:30 p.m., just an hour and a half later than their usual Sunday opening. The fire, which started after closing, was confined to a small area around the base of a rooftop smokestack connected to the barbecue restaurant’s meat smoker. Some debris could be seen on a nearby patio this morning. The fire set off interior sprinklers, so workers this morning mopped up water. Crews from the Lakeland Fire Department’s nearby downtown headquarters responded quickly, according to Stuart Simm, owner of the neighboring Federal Bar. The pre-dawn photos below are by David Dickey Jr.: