The Lake Wales Arts Center is located in a former historic mission style, Holy Spirit Catholic…read moreChurch. The church architect was Peter Cornelius Samwell of Winter Park and the landscape architect and decorator was A. E. de Leon. R. W. Burrows Construction Company built the Catholic Church in 1927. For the next sixty years the church congregation steadily grew until finally it reached capacity in 1988 and moved to a new church on 9th Street. Mrs. Frances Donnellon Updike, a parishioner and Ann W. Norton, an artist and educator, co-chaired a movement to raise the money to purchase the old church and transform it into the new home of the Lake Wales Arts Council which was founded in 1972 to promote arts in the region. Throughout the 1990's, the Arts Center expanded its programming by adding performances, exhibitions, summer camps, and community art education. By 2001, $1.4 million was raised for structural restoration and a new addition. The Michael Crews Education Wing and Gallery opened in 2001, named in honor of one of the Arts Council founders. In 2011 Polk County State College took over the building and renovated it. They held college classes and art events but they returned ownership back to the Lake Wales Arts Council in 2018. Today the Lake Wales Arts Center serves as a regional destination for visual and performing arts. They offer many free events throughout the year including concerts with partners like Bok towers in the Updike Concert Hall, in the grassy courtyard, and in the outdoor seating area. They also have art exhibitions, workshops, classes, festivals, and community events. Annual events include an international photo competition, black history month exhibit, and Hispanic heritage month exhibit. Art from seasoned and emerging artists is displayed in the Michael Crews Fine Arts Gallery. Art is rotated every 1-2 months. They offer the most publicly accessible pottery wheels in Polk County and they have the only publicly accessible stained glass studio in Central Florida. They are the home of the Lake Wales Chorale, a group of community voices that have toured internationally. On a recent trip to Lake Wales I was able to pop in for the free art exhibit Sacred currents Spirituality in African Art. I love how the Lake Wales Arts council was able to turn this historic church into a cultural resource for this community.

Fantastic display of horns throughout history from all over the world. Great after school…read moreprograms for arts and cultural enrichment. Wonderful upbeat environment with all kinds of concerts and performances. Highly recommended.

This is something I stumbled upon on a Facebook event post. The Cypress Gardens Water Ski team has…read morefree shows every 3rd Saturday of the month. You must bring your own chair! I recommend getting there early (about 45 minutes prior to showtime). Showtime is usually at 4 pm, but they have a opte show at 3:30 pm. They have concessions for sale and clean restrooms available. I recommend bringing sunscreen and water! The shows are amazing. They usually have different themes. The team varies in ages anywhere from 4 years old to in their 70s! It's a nice thing to do on a weekend with your family, especially when the weather is nice!

Been wanting to see this water ski for some time, and so happy we finally did…read more This is the Cypress Garden Water Ski team located in Winter Haven, FL. I posted a schedule of their shows that are free to watch. Their water ski show is at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park where they have parking across the street, and on the street. It's a really nice new park with restrooms that have a beautiful view of Lake Silver. The show is pretty awesome with water skiers, wake boarders and another type of sky drifter(I don't know what it's called. It's in my pics) This show is about an hour and includes commentary and music. Make sure to bring your chairs, blanket, bring a cooler for a picnic or you can get buy some burgers or hot dogs from their concession table. They also have some of their t-shirts to purchase too. It's very cool to see when you are in the area. I'm so happy we saw it!

My friends are and I stumbled upon this place on a Saturday night a few hours before they…read moreclosed..We immediately were greeted with a friendly welcome feeling. The ambiance was so inviting and the decor so cozy. The bartender Brandy was AWESOME! she even took a whole photo shoot of us!

The social lounge is now margaritas, got to try it tonight and the food is great! Service is even…read morebetter! If I have one complaint it would be that our bartender/ server Ariana uses the GLASS as an ice scoop instead of an actual scoop! There is a very distinctive sound when glass hits the ice.

From the moment we walked into Caledonia Performing Arts, we felt welcomed, valued, and instantly…read moreat home. The atmosphere is upbeat, positive, and so inclusive. You can feel the energy the second you step inside! My daughter has absolutely blossomed since joining. Her confidence has skyrocketed, her skills have grown so much, and she enjoys her classes so much that she never wants to leave. We basically have to drag her out of the studio every day! Jenn and Alessia are truly incredible. Their kindness, passion, and genuine love for teaching shine in everything they do. They encourage, support, and inspire my daughter in ways we are endlessly grateful for. They are helping her chase her dreams with so much joy. I also love the many opportunities the studio offers, including accepting the Step-Up scholarship program, homeschool classes, an unlimited class plan, and Highland dance, which is my daughter's absolute favorite. She looks forward to it all week and talks about it nonstop. We couldn't be happier to be part of Caledonia Performing Arts. If you're looking for a studio that is uplifting, supportive, and full of heart, this is the place. Highly, highly recommend!

From the owner: Caledonia Performing Arts – Dance School and Vocal Coaching in Davenport, FL offers professional…read moredance classes and vocal training for all ages and levels. Our experienced instructors provide ballet, tap, jazz, acro, lyrical, Scottish Highland dance, and vocal coaching in a supportive, family-focused environment. As a leading dance studio near Haines City, ChampionsGate, and Polk County, we specialize in technique, performance, and confidence building through the BATD syllabus and performance-based learning. Students can explore beginner to advanced dance lessons, improve posture, flexibility, and coordination, or train for competitions and stage performances. We also offer private voice lessons and singing classes designed to strengthen tone, range, and stage presence — perfect for aspiring vocalists and musical theatre performers. Join our Davenport dance school and discover quality instruction, community spirit, and personalized coaching in a modern, fully equipped studio. Whether you’re searching for ballet classes for kids, vocal lessons for teens, or professional dance training near you, Caledonia Performing Arts provides the highest standard of education in the performing arts. Book a free trial class today and experience why families across Davenport and Polk County trust us for dance, singing, and performance excellence.

The Wright Step is a great dance school - if your little one is hoping to go into dance…read moreprofessionally or is extremely passionate about dance. The owners/founders, Amy and Kevin Wright are both professionally trained, former Broadway performers. They have studied dance, acting, and voice in renowned institutions all over the world and are more than qualified--quite a blessing for this little town, I'd say! My daughter (started at 3 years and is now 4) was in one of their pre-dance classes this year. She enjoyed it very much. My opinion on sending such a little one who simply wishes to have fun and is not yet serious about actually learning dance is that it might be a bit too pricey. When you include all of the additional fees and costs associated with the recital (it is not free & parents are given a very limited number of complimentary tickets), for example, it really adds up. (i.e. - If additional family members or friends wish to go to either performance, they must buy a ticket which ranges from $10-$12 per person. You are asked not to videotape and in order to purchase the DVD of the performance, you'll have to pay $35. Simply too much money, in my opinion, for a toddler who's going solely to have fun and make friends. Again, this is the right school, I think, for someone who is seriously considering pursuing dance in high school and beyond. The teachers are serious about dance and definitely know their stuff. We will most likely take a break from dance next year and/or enroll in one of the classes offered by the city which has open enrollment throughout the year. If/when my daughter wishes to actually learn technique and expresses a real interest in dance, I won't hesitate to take her back to The Wright Step. Also, the 2011 end of the year recital was very long, but FANTASTIC!

A lot of fun with family and worked up a sweat playing the games! A fun, interactive way to run…read morearound and bond with family and friends. Like the variety of games and difficulty levels offered.

Great place! I had never been in this place til we rented a place out behind it for our store. It's…read more$10 for an hour or $15 for all day freeplay. Jett is just supercool and welcoming too. There's board games, skeeball, pinball, a pool table...they even have a little place to fill up your water bottle. She hosts parties too! And the way it's decorated is just awesome. It's cozy here and it would be a great way to spend a day or even to do a date night!