5 Things To Do In Polk County This Weekend

LAKELAND, FL -- Looking for something to do this weekend? Here's some ideas:

Lakeland Swan Derby

The Lakeland Swan Derby will take place Friday, April 27 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Lake Mirror Promenade, 121 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland.

The Lakeland derby is an annual derby-style event features swan boat races staged on Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland using hand-crafts swan paddle boats.

The event is open to the community and includes live entertainment, kids’ activities, a derby hat contest, food vendors and fireworks.

Proceeds will support Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine.

Visit the derby website. https://www.lvim.net/lakeland-derby/

Legends – A Night Of Illusion

Frescos, 132 S. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland, will present the One-Year Anniversary of Legends – A Night of Illusion Saturday, April 28 from 7 to 10 p.m.

The event will feature celebrity impersonations of Bette Midler, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Lucille Ball, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and more.

Reserves seats at eventbrite.com.

The Judd Jog

The annual Judd Jogg 5K benefiting the United Way will take place Saturday, April 28 from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Jim Keene Boulevard in Winter Haven.

The course is paved and begins and ends at the front of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office main office in Winter Haven.

There will be additional activities including Polk County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations vehicles on display and a K9 meet-and-greet.

The minimum donation to enter the race is $25.

Visit the Judd Jog website to register.

Kids Fishing Derby

Polk County Parks & Recreation will host a kids fishing derby Saturday, April 28, from 7 a.m. to noon at Simmers-Young Park, 339 American Spirit Road, Winter Haven.

The fishing derby is a free event for kids age 4 to 15 years old (12 and under must be accompanied by an adult). There will be contests, doors prizes and each registered kid will receive a free hot dog lunch. Participants must provide their own rod and bait.

The derby is limited to the first 300 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Call (863) 534-6911.

12th Annual Garden Fest

The UF/IFAS Extension Polk County will host its 12th annual Garden Fest and Plant Sale Saturday, April 28 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Polk County Ag Center, 1702 U.S.17 S., Bartow.

GardenFest will feature a plant sale of a wide variety of plants. Most of the hundreds of plants are propagated by Master Gardener volunteers, who work throughout the year nurturing and caring for them.

The sale will include native and Florida-friendly plants, bromeliads, succulents, orchids and edibles.

Plants that are easy to grow and that attract butterflies and other wildlife will be available.

Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to assist customers in plant selections.

“Know and Grow” workshops on a variety of gardening interests include:

8:30 – Florida-Friendly Landscaping

9:45 - Worm Farming for Beginners

10:30 - Landscaping with Edible Plants

11:15 - Rain Barrels for Home Landscapes

12:30 – Make & Take: Succulent Dish Gardens.

The cost for workshops is $20 and a limited number of spots are available.

This year there will be three guided tours of the Demonstration Gardens at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon.

Those attending also can visit educational booths and talk to Master Gardeners.

Booths include:

* Ask the Expert - answers to your yard concerns

* Free pH Soil Testing (homeowners can bring a sample of soil to test),

* Worm Composting

* Aquatic Plants

* Microirrigation

* Rain Barrels (For $25 you can take home your own rain barrel, but you may attend the workshop for free)

* Rusty Gold, which offers new and gently used gardening tools, pottery and fun garden-art for sale.

* Children's activities include pollinators, worm farming and potting a plant.

* Florida-Friendly Landscaping

For tickets, visit the Evenbrite website.

Image via city of Lakeland