ATTENTION, BURN BAN for all of Polk County, until further notice. Learn more.
LAKELAND, FL (February 19, 2026) | The Detroit Tigers return to Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Sunday, February 22, as the club opens its 2026 Grapefruit League schedule. This marks the 61st consecutive season the Tigers have called Lakeland home. The 2026 Spring Training season represents Detroit’s 90th straight year in TigerTown, extending the longest-standing relationship between a Major League Baseball franchise and its Spring Training host community. For generations, Lakeland has been where baseball traditions begin, legends are built, and the next wave of Tigers stars take the field.
LAKELAND, FL (February 16, 2026) | On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the City of Lakeland will kick off Black History Month celebrations with a Black History Festival at Jackson Park and the Coleman-Bush Building, located at 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Lakeland. This free event which begins at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., is open to all ages, and promises to be an unforgettable day filled with exciting live performances, cultural enrichment, and family-friendly fun.
LAKELAND, FL (February 16, 2026) | Lakeland City Manager Shawn Sherrouse is pleased to announce the appointment of Larry Little as Director of Communications, effective February 9, 2026.
LAKELAND, FL (February 9, 2026) | The City of Lakeland is excited to announce the 5th annual Plantae-Palooza Garden Festival, returning to Hollis Garden on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This FREE community favorite celebrates five years of connecting residents with nature and will feature a diverse selection of vendors offering a wide variety of plants:
LAKELAND, FL (February 6, 2026) - The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board has declared a Modified Phase II “Severe” Water Shortage due to ongoing dry conditions throughout the region. As a result, all property owners, including those on private wells, are required to follow one-day-per-week outdoor watering restrictions from February 8, 2026, through July 1, 2026. These restrictions apply to Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands, and Lake counties; the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County; and the portion of Gasparilla Island in Charlotte County.
LAKELAND, FL (February 5, 2026) | The City of Lakeland will begin milling and resurfacing several collector streets as part of its roadway preventative maintenance program on Monday, February 9, 2026. The work will involve removing approximately 1.5 inches of existing asphalt (milling) and replacing it with 1.5 inches of new asphalt. This milling process is a standard practice that helps maintain consistent driveway and ADA ramp elevations, preventing the need for adjustments due to changes in pavement height. Below are the start and completion dates for each project. Please note that weather conditions and equipment issues may cause slight delays.
LAKELAND, FL (February 3, 2026) | The City of Lakeland’s Division of Solid Waste, in partnership with the Polk County Solid Waste Division, will host a FREE Household Hazardous Waste and End-of-Life Electronics Collection Event on Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This event will be held at the City of Lakeland’s Solid Waste Division Office, located at 605 Evelyn Avenue (off Parker Street). The goal of this mobile collection event is to provide a convenient and safe way for residents to dispose of hazardous household materials and electronic waste.