City News

LAKELAND, FL (December 3, 2025) | The City of Lakeland is thrilled to announce the Silver Jubilee Plant Sale to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Hollis Garden. The plant sale will take place at Hollis Garden on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This FREE event will feature three specialty vendors offering a variety of plants, to include bromeliad ...

LAKELAND, FL (December 3, 2025) | The City of Lakeland is excited to celebrate the 11th Anniversary of the Holly Jolly Jingle Bell Jog on Saturday, December 13, 2025. This beloved holiday 5K race, now a decade-old tradition, will take place along the Three Parks Trail, with a 7:30 a.m. start. Runners and spectators alike are encouraged to don their most festive holiday attire as they participate in this chip-timed event.

LAKELAND, FL (December 2, 2025) | The magic of the holiday season returns as the City of Lakeland proudly presents the 45th Annual Snowfest, one of our community’s most beloved winter traditions. Join us on Saturday, December 6, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Frances Langford Promenade at Lake Mirror for an evening packed with snow, sparkle, and holiday cheer.

LAKELAND, FL (December 2, 2025) | The City of Lakeland is advising the public that although the emergency sewer repair in the 1400 block of George Jenkins Boulevard has been completed, FDOT requires the City to mill and resurface the two eastbound lanes for 50 feet on each side of the excavation. This work will begin on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, will take approximately two days, and will require reinstating the same eastbound lane closure used during the repair. A few weeks after resurfacing is complete, crews will return and implement the same lane closure for a few hours to install new thermoplastic striping.

LAKELAND, FL | The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announces that on Monday, November 24, 2025, or as soon as weather conditions allow, crews will officially open the newly constructed roundabout at the intersection of Waring Road and Drane Field Road. This milestone marks a significant improvement in traffic flow and safety for motorists traveling through the area.

LAKELAND, FL (Nov. 20, 2025) | The City of Lakeland Water Utilities will begin the next phase of the Western Trunk Gravity Sewer Line upgrade next week, affecting Highland Street. This critical infrastructure project is part of our commitment to enhance wastewater capacity, bolster public safety, and deliver long-term service reliability.

LAKELAND, FL (November 17, 2025) | The City of Lakeland Wastewater Collection Division will be performing an emergency repair on a broken sewer main located in the 1400 block of George Jenkins Boulevard. The repair work is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning, November 18, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. and is expected to take 1–2 days to complete. During this time, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction along the impacted section of George Jenkins Boulevard to allow crews to safely complete the work.

LAKELAND, FL (November 17, 2025) | The Lakeland Christmas Parade is a time-honored tradition, enjoyed by the community for generations. The 44th Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade will take place on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.

The event will start with a dazzling fireworks display over Lake Mirror at 7 p.m. As the first firework is launched, the parade will officially begin. Leaving the RP Funding Center, the 1.25-mile parade route travels down Lemon Street toward downtown. The parade then turns at Main Street to Cedar Street and winds around Lake Mirror, travels Orange Street and ends at the RP Funding Center.  

BARTOW, FL | The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announces a temporary closure of S.R. 37 (North Florida Avenue) at the railroad tracks between Main Street and Pine Street in Lakeland this weekend. The closure will begin at 6 a.m. on Saturday, November 15, and the roadway is expected to reopen by 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 16, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen conditions.

LAKELAND, FL (November 12, 2025) - The Morehead Community was Lakeland’s first Black neighborhood, founded in the 1880s by Black railroad workers and their families. Although the homes and churches were relocated during redevelopment in the early 1970s, the stories, achievements, and contributions of the neighborhood’s residents remain an important part of Lakeland’s history.