I love a theater with history and 1920's architecture and I found both in the Polk Theatre in…read moredowntown Lakeland. This 1,400-seat theatre was designed by architect James E. Casale and built in 1928 when the town of Lakeland had only 15,000 residents. The Polk Theatre opened on December 22, 1928 with Pauline Frederick in "On Trial". This theatre has the distinction of having the first air conditioning system in the county which pumped artesian well water to cool the building. Other features of the theatre include a mezzanine, a high balcony, a Venetian piazza backdrop, an orchestra pit, a cloud ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring. In 1941 the Polk Theatre was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary E.J. Sparks. In December 1978 it was taken over by Plitt Theatres. On September 23, 1984 the theatre was closed for low attendance after a showing of Jim Henson's "The Muppets Take Manhattan". A group of concerned people got together to save the historic theatre from demolition. It was purchased for $300,000 with a grant from the state. On October 15, 1984 the Polk Theatre reopened as a performing arts venue. The Polk Theatre was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Today the theatre has a live performing arts series as well as independent films and special events. In December the event calendar is filled with classic films and a performance of the Nutcracker. Tickets can be purchased through the Polk Theatre website.

We went here for the first time, having bought tickets back in February for an August show. So our…read moreseats were great at the center front row balcony. These seats were pretty good and afford you a rail platform in front of you to securely place your drinks. The seats were not uncomfortable. If you are of a shorter stature you may need to lean forward during any live performance to see the entire stage, at least from near dead center seats. My/our only real complaint was the lack of some serious air conditioning up there. I can't tell you if my thinking on this is correct, as we never experienced the orchestra seating temps. I realize that heat rises and it was a sold out show, but still it made for a slightly uncomfortable time. The acoustics for a comedy show was pretty good and I wondered how a concert would be up there. The folks sitting next to us were veterans of this theater and recommended sitting in the orchestra area for concerts, thus since we did not hate this venue we purchased tickets to a couple of upcoming tribute bands, seats within the first 5 rows and seats in the very back row of the orchestra level. The staff were all very pleasant and made you feel welcomed. The architecture within was wonderful to look at. The restrooms were clean and of good size for an old theater. The concessions were extremely reasonable compared to other venues, with nothing over $4! That included beer and wine.

Great dance experience & performing arts opportunities! My daughter has been there 4yrs so far, has…read morehad many great experiences in shows, community events, competition team (w/ many 1st place trophies), plus singing & acting opportunities. As a dance mom, I've enjoyed being involved w/ UDC & Fredi Dance Project (non-profit performance group ensemble.) 1st year on pointe now, w/ wonderful, caring, supportive instructors! At UDC/FDP, they are helping prepare my daughter for a career in the performing arts! For myself, they opened their door for me, too, as an actor, ballet, yoga or anything else I want to pursue. Thanks, UDC/FDP!

If you're looking for a diverse and inclusive dance experience look no further! My daughter has…read morebeen with UDC for 2 years and we couldn't be more pleased with our experience. From her weekly classes to our experience with UDC competition team, my daughter has enjoyed it all and has formed beautiful friendships along the way!

This year's theme is Cinderwood Academy, Scorched Remains. All Hallows Grieve. The story is of…read moreCinderwood Academy's fire, which started in the lab and killed all the children and teachers 80 years ago. As you work your way through the school rooms, decorated in spot on fashion, you never know when a child who has been scorched will scream for you, beg you to take them or urge you to leave. I promise you will leave scared and at the same time impressed with this experience. Great visual and auditory sound effects. The teen program at Campfire Sunshine State has taken months to plan their theme and execute this over the top haunted house. They earn community service hours and so much in terms of leadership and project management skills as well as theatrics and construction experience. Campfire is a non profit organization servicing children and teens in Polk County. Come on out and see what they are all about and have a freight that the same time. Happy Halloween. 8.00 adults 5.00 kids.

Obviously not professional but still enjoyable and worth the price (10$ for adults 5$ for kids)…read more Make sure you get there early because by 745p the line was long and it moves slow. Good for adults with kid, not super young kids as they are jump scares.

This company provided the most memorable birthday event for my seven-year-old daughter. We had…read moreMerida and Moana come celebrate with us, and they kept several girls enngaged and enthralled for an hour and a half! Moana taught them island dances, Merida taught them archery, both princesses gave the girls makeovers, and Merida played a hide and seek game at the end. Everyone was thrilled, especially the birthday girl! A memorable and special birthday party option. Highly recommend.

This company goes above and beyond to ensure that little princesses feel special and loved. Whether…read morefor a birthday, or a tea party the Princess characters go out of their way to make the time special. I have attended 2 tea parties, and had them at a birthday party. My daughters and their friends love them. They are much better than what you even get at Disney. The upside its not as expensive, more one on one time, and not fighting a huge crowd. We just had Anna & Elsa at our 8 year old's Frozen party. My 2 year old wants Ariel at her 3rd party. We can't wait!

We hit up the Ominous Descent Haunted trail a couple days ago. Since Winter Haven isn't far from…read moreus, we ordered tickets. We got there and there was plenty of parking and a really cool looking 'house'. They checked us in quickly - and we had ordered the quick entry. I liked that they only let in a small group of people in at a time - 4-5 people max. They also spread out the groups so you'll never be in a long line or having people immediately behind you. Nobody is safe from their scares! The actors have their frights perfectly calculated, so whether you're in the front, middle, or back, you'll get some scares. The immersive swamp was just amazing. We are planning on going back every year now. Loved it (and loved that it was haunted Christmas theme in December!)

Wow! These people love Christmas to a degree that I don't think I have ever seen before. I have…read morewanted to visit for several years now and it was well worth the detour on a recent trip to Winter Haven to finally stop and take in this one of a kind spectacle. Since 1983 the Bigda's have been showing up and showing out for Christmas in a big way. Some people have lights synchronized to music while others concentrate of yard decorations but the Bigda's have everything and more. While there are more than 100,000 lights what really sets them apart is the one of kind handmade decorations with movement. While they are mainly Disney centric I also spotted the Grinch riding a bike and Snoopy getting the upper hand on the Red Baron as they flew in the sky. In 2020 they won their episode of ABC's "The Great Christmas Light Fight". Pictures do not do this house justice, You have to see it in person to really appreciate its grandeur. The Bigda's collect donations for Polk County Sheriff Children's Charity so drop them a buck. In addition to the incredible display, Santa himself was hearing children's Christmas wishes and Stich, Lilo, Captain America, and the Gingerbread Man from Shrek were on hand to take photos with visitors. A big shout out to the Bigda's for providing this amazing holiday experience for Central Florida. I overheard people talking who had come from the theme parks to see this house. A big thank you also to the Bigda's neighbors for their grace. It can't be easy to have this much traffic come into your neighborhood, clog your streets, and block your driveways. They are such good sports. The neighbor across the street from the Bigda's even gave them his front yard so their decorations spill across the street into his yard. Add this house to your Christmas bucket list.

This display is wonderful! I've been here a couple of years ago and feel it is sharper & crisper…read morethis year. I went after Christmas and the crowds are lighter. I was able to walk into allowed spaces & along the front to take it all in. It's got old school wooden cutouts and lights synchronized to music. There are pieces that move and lights all over the ground. I highly recommend coming to see the display. Bonus.... many other houses in the area are well decorated too!

I have wanted to go to this yard sale event along the Scenic Highway for a few years now but it is…read morequite a distance from where I live. It required the commitment of leaving my house at 5 AM to make it to the first stop closest to me, Frostproof by 8 AM. This was the year I finally made it. The sale is always held the first Saturday in November and attracts thousands of people. It takes place from 8Am to 3 PM. The sale is sponsored by Ridge Scenic Highway Corridor, Corridor Management Entity, City of Lake Wales, Frostproof Chamber of Commerce, Lake Wales Woman's Club, Lake of the Hills Community Club, Town of Lake Hamilton, Dundee Methodist Church, and the City of Frostproof. These civic, religious, and non profit groups have been working together since 2007 to promote tourism along the Lake Wales Ridge. While you shop at the sale you can also dine at local restaurants and shop at businesses. While I pretty much stuck to the sale it was hard not to get sidetracked by some of the places I have always wanted to visit. I got to see a few on this trip in addition to reaching each of the official sale stops. The sale runs along the Lake Wales Ridge and extends 38.7 miles from its intersection with US 27 S of Frostproof to where it intersects with US 17/92 in Haines City. There are five official locations for the sale. These are downtown Frostproof, Lake Wales at the Woman's Club, Lake of the Hills at the Community Clubhouse, Dundee at the Methodist Church, and Lake Hamilton at the Town Hall grounds. In between the official stops are many other unofficial sales. It would be impossible to stop at every sale in one day. Along the route are a number of cultural and historical sites along with lakes, natural areas, citrus groves, and unique Florida attractions. This was the final stop in Haines City and my first time in the city. Early pioneers planted citrus groves and the town is still associated with citrus today. By the time I made it here the sale was wrapping up at town hall. It was a long day but I am glad got to experience the Scenic Ridge and see so many uniquely Florida places for the first time.

Band has been going through some growing pains but are on track now check them out! They play…read moreprimarily in the Polk Tampa area! Like them on FaceBook; website no longer valid!