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A Short Story by Jeremy Gardner For a hundred and eight years the Norman Hotel stood sentinel over the town of Barlow, like the gnomon at the center of an enormous, ominous sundial. Old-timers called it “The Bank” or “The Norm,” but to their children (most of them now in their forties and fifties) it had a number of more dismissive nicknames, “The Blight,” “The Thumb,” “The Tomb,” “The Eyesore,” and most derisively: “That Big Pile of Shit on Central.” Their grandparents would have called it simply, “The Building.” Not long after it went up, a biblical-scale citrus blight swept across the state, decimating the orange groves and laying waste to the very industry that had necessitated the hotel’s construction in the first place. Barlow slowly wilted in kind. In those post-bust years, The Norm found its footing for a time as a bank, and then a mostly empty office building, before a bizarre stint as a bible college. Baptist. A massive antenna was erected on the roof to facilitate the broadcasting of fire and brimstone sermons. Eventually, mercifully, it was converted to low-income housing, but when the last of its residents died or were driven out in the eighties, The Norman sat empty for decades. A twelve-story concrete middle finger in the middle of town. The stubborn erection on a corpse. From the outside, it was a mausoleum. But on the inside, it was very much alive. Waiting. Stirring. Becoming something else. The first time Patrick delivered there, the girl was on the sixth floor. One large cheese pizza. Nothing else. No toppings, no bottle of pop. The precise minimum order required for delivery. He confirmed the address three times before he drove out there. “This is in the Norman building? Is that right?” “That’s right.” “Downtown on Central?” “Yep.” “In Barlow?” “Listen bud, just take it to the tallest building you see when you walk outside. I’m on six.” She hung up. She sounded cute. In the Peppy Pizza parking lot, he tucked the hot bag into the backseat and shot a look over the roof of his car. Even two miles away, in the dark, The Norman loomed over the town like a fairy tale tower. And on this night, halfway up the edifice, for the first time in his lifetime… — “I’ll be damned.” A single window glowed warm with orange light. On the radio, a call-in show about ghostly encounters and bigfoot sightings warbled while the building pulled him through a maze of backroads and side streets toward it, until he couldn’t see the top floors anymore. Until the whole thing filled the windshield. The old hotel exhaled when he opened the front door. The lobby was dark and cavernous. Mid-century sofas and ghost-sheeted armchairs slouched in the shadows like toadstools. In the elevator, ancient cables squealed awake and winched the car up the throat of the building like the last of too many tequila shots. Pat fussed with his hair in the mirrored wall because she sounded cute. Sometimes he couldn’t stand himself. He knocked on 606. “Just a sec!” When the door swung open, he knew he was in trouble. She was cute. “Hi.” She smiled. An invisible fishhook pulled a dimple in her cheek. “Come on in, I just gotta find my wallet.” He mumbled something but didn’t move. The room was a grenade in a wardrobe. Clothes in piles and heaps and draped on everything. Everywhere but on hangers or in the drawers. “You can set the pizza on the dresser there.” She picked up a pair of pants. Turned out the pockets. “Sorry, it’s such a mess.” “It’s okay. I don’t live here.” She laughed at this. An endearing little snort. Put her hands on her hips. “Is that why you won’t come in? Because it’s messy?” “No that’s not it at all.” “Then can you just… have a seat here while I— “It’s fine, really. Take your time.” She gave up looking for her wallet entirely. Cocked her head and crossed her arms. “Why won’t you come in?” “I’m fine right here.” It was becoming banter. A playful rat-a-tat routine between them. “But I asked you to.” “And I politely declined.” “Isn’t the customer always right?” “Rarely ever, actually. “You think I’m gonna rob you or something?” “No. Maybe not you…” “What does that mean?” “Well… Okay, long story short: We had this driver. Krystof. Polish guy. Found himself in a similar situation. Pretty lady. Very polite. Invites him in. He thinks nothing of it… Until her boyfriend comes out from behind the door and clocks him with a tire iron. Steals his money, takes his car. They had to sew his ear back on. Now we don’t go inside.” She smiled, demure. “You think I’m pretty?” He stuttered. She made an exaggerated show of pushing the door open all the way against the inside wall. “Nobody here but me. I won’t bite.” “You ever notice how the only things that say they won’t bite are things that do?” At this she rolled her eyes and shook her head and suddenly the His Girl Friday shtick evaporated. She stomped straight to the bedside table and magically, immediately found her wallet. Pat did his best to rekindle their flirtation. “Ohh, wow! Look at that, you found it—” but she just paid him and took the pizza and slammed the door. In the elevator back down, he told his stupid reflection he blew it, and by the time he woke the following morning he didn’t remember ever having met her at all. The Norman had a way of making people forget. That night, before it had erased her entirely, he dreamt of her; but her face was a blur and his brain replaced it with that of his ex-wife. After the lunch rush the next day he made an extra mushroom, extra cheese, and took it to her house. Their old house. She opened the door just wide enough to tell him he couldn’t drop by whenever he wanted. He said he was sorry for the five hundredth time. She said he should have thought of that before he did what he did with Cat Benatar, the cover band singer with the whiskers and the tail and the pointy ears. He offered her the pizza, “I made your favorite.” “I’m making a lasagna,” she said. And then, “Don’t come here anymore.” He gave the pie to a crust-punk kid with a skinny cur sitting outside the gas station. On his way back out all the mushrooms were picked off and piled on the curb for the dog. “What, no pepperoni dude?” A few nights later he got an order, just before closing. One large cheese pizza. Nothing else. He said there must be some mistake when she gave him the address. “That’s the old Norman hotel.” “It sure is.” “But there’s nobody at The Norman.” “Well then I must be a ghost.” She sounded cute. Outside he saw the light on in the tower across town for the first time again. On the radio someone said they found a bottomless pit in Oregon. They had lowered a mile-long cable with a recorder in a bucket on the end. They played a bunch of screeches and wails they claimed were the sounds of Hell. In the elevator he checked his breath in his cupped hand. Pizza, everything always smelled like pizza. She was a blonde that time. Showing more skin. In lieu of the lost wallet ruse she opted for blatant seduction. It backfired. Scared the shit out of him. The Norman didn’t eat again that night. Patrick parked at a roadside motel and sat in his car watching old videos from his fifteen minutes of fame. Clips of him doing stand-up. The beef jerky commercials that changed his life. He played The Jerky Devil. A redskinned demon with yellow eyes. Big horns and cloven hooves and a thick New Jersey accent. His catchphrase was “Quit jerkin me around!” It was a national ad campaign. Bought him the house his wife would take in the divorce. He didn’t watch the clip from a club in St. Louis titled, “Jerky Devil Guy Meltdown.” He slept right there in his station wagon. Dreamed he was back on stage, bombing hard. The girl from The Norman was the only one laughing. From somewhere in the back, at one of those tiny cocktail tables with the tealights, she heckled him. “Quit jerkin me around!” The next night she was on the third floor. Short red hair and glasses that time. A dog-eared book under her arm. The room was neat and warm and she was playing shy and lonely. He asked what she was doing there. She spun some yarn about her father buying the building and asking her to help him remodel it. She was an art student. The elevator growled at him on the way down. Frustrated. Like a giant, empty stomach. A week went by. He got a call for a large cheese. No toppings, no pop. She sounded cute though. He triplechecked the address. Saw the lure light in the sky across town for the first time, again, and then listened to a trucker on the radio talk about seeing a dogman running alongside his rig in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. He was going sixty miles an hour, easy, the trucker said, and the dogman kept pace. Pat sat in his car to hear how the story ended. It wasn’t very satisfying. The dogman just disappeared into the prairie. In the elevator he fixed his hair and wanted to punch his own pathetic face; and when the doors dinged open on twelve, someone was screaming. “Help!” His first instinct was to go back. Go down. Get out. He mashed the lobby button over and over. Such a coward. Then he heard her calling out again. “Hello!” Halfway down the hallway, a wedge of light spilled from an open doorway. Patrick hugged the opposite wall and crept toward the room. “Is anybody there?!” “I’m yes, I’m… hello? Are you okay?” He poked his head inside. The room was quiet. Tidy. He caught sight of himself in the mirror above the sink on the far wall and nearly laughed at how panicked he looked. “Can you please help me? I’m— “Where are you?” “I’m in the bathroom, I…” The bathroom. The only blindspot. “Please just… I fell—” “Okay let me call someone—” “No, no, don’t! I’m so embarrassed.” “Okay just, hang on.” He pushed the door open, flush to the wall. No one behind it. “I’m coming to help.” When Pat finally crossed the threshold, the whole building shuddered. The lights flickered and hummed with excitement. He set the pizza on the dresser and made his way toward his reflection. Just outside the bathroom he stopped and covered his eyes with his hand. “Are you decent? Should I… Hello?” Silence. “Okay, I’m coming in.” To the extent that it made any sense at all, it took him a moment to make sense of what he saw when he turned the corner into the little room. To his left, there was a shower. Right where it should be. Water running, steam filling the space. But there was no sound. He tore back the curtain and found the tub empty. There was no girl. And where the back wall should have been, all square tiles and grout, there was instead an impossible corridor. A void that stretched out in every direction. Black as deep space but for a lantern glow of light, like a firefly, a hundred yards away. “Please, help me!” Her voice echoed up as if from a well and rushed him, urgent and forceful like a gust of wind. He stepped through the spray of the shower and into the darkness beyond it. “I’m coming!” He tripped over something that scraped and scattered across the floor. He fished his phone out and fumbled the flashlight on. Pizza boxes. Kicked out like big breadcrumbs through a dark forest. He flipped one open with the toe of his shoe. Large cheese. No toppings. “What is this?!” “Are you coming or not?!” This time there was laughter. He held his phone light out and squinted into the black and saw, with mounting horror, that the little glow in the distance was merely the tip of something else. Something huge and ancient and undulating. A lure at the end of a leviathan tongue. She called out one last time, from all around him, “Quit jerkin me around!” She didn’t sound so cute anymore. Patrick flailed his little torchlight out to either side and above him, and the last thing he saw before the building swallowed him up were rows and rows of sharp, wet, recurved teeth. They found his car in the parking lot the next day. They searched the Norman room by room, floor by floor, all the way to the roof. No sign of him anywhere. On the radio show that night, someone called in with a story about a building that eats lonely people. She sounded cute.

As graduation dreams approach- A Bit of WHHS History Winter Haven’s first official high school opened in 1915. It was a kindergarten through 12th grade facility located on Central Avenue on the site of the current downtown post office. Prior to 1915, Haven School’s educational offering stopped at the eighth grade. By October of 1916, the school fielded a basketball team. There were 15 students in the first graduating class. The first yearbook was published in 1917. The school nickname “Wa Hwa Hta See” is derived from Longfellow’s poem and means “little firefly.” It was adapted to use the letters “WHHS.” This is the first Winter Haven High School that included all grades from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It opened in 1915 on the site of the current downtown post office. Prior to 1915, the Eighth Grade was the highest level offered. Following World War I, the city was beginning to build again, and the October 28, 1920 News Chief reported that the School Board and the County Board purchased ten acres of land from E. U. Denison for use to provide a new building. (Some residents wondered why they were building the school “so far out of town.”) A new eight-room building opened in 1922. It cost $20,000. The 1915 building then served as Central Grammar School and Central Junior High. That building was demolished in the early 1960s following the opening of Westwood Junior High School. In 1925, the first football team was organized. Professor R. E. Bowen was the coach. R. E. Norton, a local merchant, rallied the community to support the team. Norton, a graduate of Duke University, also suggested calling the team the “Blue Devils,” the name of the Duke team. In 1922 grades Eight through Twelve were moved to this new building on the current site of Denison Middle School. By June of 1925 (as the Florida real estate boom reached its height), a contract was let for a high school building that was to cost an estimated $200,000. It was built south of the current middle school facility in what was known as Denison Heights. The rapid growth of the land boom continued, and in 1926 a massive new high school opened adjacent to the 1922 building which was then referred to as the Annex. The 1926 building would serve as the high school for 30 years until the present 32-acre campus opened on Sixth Street, S.E. Many will recall attending “Denison Junior High” in the former high school building until it was razed in the early 1970s and replaced with the current facilities for Denison Middle. Though the Denison family sold the original school site for $20,000, they later made a generous donation of the property for the current football field. According to the History of Winter Haven by Josephine Burr, “in October of 1931, the Chamber of Commerce adopted a resolution calling on School Trustees to recognize the benefaction of the late U. A. Denison and his widow for the donation to the school and the community of the ground given some years before, on the condition that eventually the school would bear his name. It was the ground specifically used then as the city athletic field adjoining the high school building.” This is the current site of Denison Field, home of the Blue Devils. In 1926, rapid growth due to the Florida land boom led Winter Haven to build this $200,000 massive high school expansion just south of the 1922 building which became the “Annex.” Denison Field was built in 1947. The concept for a new stadium was proposed in June and was immediately supported by the Quarterback Club. Several key leaders were involved. Jean Knox was the architect, Harry E. King chaired the fund drive, and C. McElvey was the building committee chairman, which included Kenneth Harmon and R. H. Fackelman. It cost $40,000 and was dedicated at an October 17th football game. (Prior to its conversion to football, Denison Field was the site of the city’s athletic field and hosted several spring training teams including the Philadelphia Nationals and Buffalo Bisons.) The current site has been home to Winter Haven High School for more than sixty years. The original 1956 campus has been significantly modified over the years. In 1986, the campus expanded to include a new gymnasium, a music building, and updated administrative offices. By 2009, a full reconstruction of the school began, updating the facilities for the modern era. The construction included a new administrative office building on the site of what many remember as the bus circle drive. It also included new classroom buildings. Total renovation costs came to $22 million. The Blue Devil name was adopted in 1925. The name was suggested by local business man R. E. Norton, a graduate of Duke University which has the same mascot. This rendition of the Blue Devil was prominently displayed on the west wall of the 1956 gymnasium. It was removed in 1989 when the gym was renovated into a performing arts facility. This massive sign is now stored at the Museum of Winter Haven History. In 2024, the school inaugurated its Hall of Fame to honor outstanding athletes and contributors who have shaped its sports legacy, which includes state championships in girls’ lacrosse and basketball. Located at 600 Sixth St., S.E., the school serves a large, multicultural student body and is known for its academic programs (AICE, Dual Enrollment, AP, Aerospace Academy) and strong athletic and music programs. The current enrollment at WHHS is 2325 students. Five hundred and eighty-five students are dreaming of a 2026 Graduation! The high school moved to its current 32-acre campus in 1956. It was subsequently remodeled in 1989 and in 2009 when the campus was extensively modernized at a cost of more than $22 million. SCHOOL AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 1 WHHS Medical Academy accredited by NCAC and evaluated as a Model Academy 2 County, State and National Broadcast Journalism Awards for 13 consecutive years 3 Polk County Academic All-Sports Award for 3 consecutive years 4 2020-2021 State of Florida Academic Team Champion Girls’ Lacrosse 5 Pride of WHHS Band consistently rated Superior at Marching, Jazz and Concert Music Performance Assessments 6 JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction for 22 consecutive years 7 TSA second place State Engineering CAD Design Award 8 Aerospace Academy 3-time recipient of James C. Ray Scholarship Award for student private pilot license

Sometime in March 1974, the Betz family discovered a metal sphere on their property on Fort George Island in Jacksonville while investigating the aftermath of a small brush fire. Partially exposed in the scorched earth was a smooth metallic sphere, roughly the size of a bowling ball. It had no seams, no markings, no visible openings—nothing to indicate how it had been made or what it had once been used for. The family, Antoine, Jerri, and their son Terry, turned it over in their hands and, lacking a better explanation, assumed it could be a cannonball and brought it home. Several days later, twenty-one-year-old pre-med student Terry noticed that the sphere appeared to react to sound while he was playing guitar. We do not know what he was playing, but as it was 1974, I like to imagine it was something by Jacksonville’s own Lynyrd Skynyrd. It produced a faint vibrating or throbbing noise. Soon after, they reported that the sphere would roll across the floor on its own, stop, and change direction, occasionally returning toward people after rolling away, as if correcting its path. At times, it vibrated audibly, producing a high-pitched tone that reportedly caused nearby dogs to whine and recoil. The sphere was placed inside a bowling ball bag in an effort to contain the unexplained. Like many reported anomalies, these events appeared intermittently—what happens once can be doubted. What happens repeatedly, but irregularly, occupies a space in a foggier dimension. By mid-April, local newspapers had begun covering the object. Within weeks, national and even international outlets picked it up. Visitors came to the Betz home to witness the object firsthand. Reporters described demonstrations in which the sphere appeared to move in response to slight inclines, vibrations, or nearby activity—though never with the consistency one would expect from a controlled mechanism. The sphere was alternately described as extraterrestrial, experimental, or even sentient, labels that adhered less to the object itself than to the cultural moment in which it appeared. The early 1970s, suspended between post-Apollo optimism and Cold War unease, proved fertile ground for interpretations that blurred the line between technology and visitation. The U.S. Navy was granted temporary access to the sphere under a contract written by Jerri Betz herself. The agreement allowed the Navy to study the object at Naval Station Mayport for two weeks, with the condition that it be returned if it was not government property. After X-ray and metallurgical tests, it was determined to be stainless steel with a 1/2-inch shell, measuring 7.96 inches in diameter and weighing 21.34 pounds. Scientists later examined the sphere as well, including Dr. J. Allen Hynek, creator of the “Close Encounter” classification system that we all know and love, who was in New Orleans for a meeting with the National Enquirer, which was establishing a $50,000 prize for definitive proof of extraterrestrial life. Since Hynek and several other scientists on the Enquirer’s panel were all there, Terry Betz and the sphere were reportedly taken by private plane to ensure its safe arrival and secure return. Their conclusions aligned with the Navy’s: the object was man-made. The vast difference in accounts, newspaper reports, internet articles, and podcast deep dives pushes the conclusion of the sphere’s story toward what is, I believe, the best ending—that thrilling, spine-tingling, favorite line of the externally curious: “We may never know,” standing in place of the metal mystery ball that we cannot reexamine for a 2026 analysis, as it is nowhere to be found. This is not to say that there are not a healthy number of possible explanations from investigations past and nearpresent, many noting that the sphere’s specifications align with industrial ball check valves. A stainless steel ball manufactured by Bell & Howell, when weighed and measured, was reported to match the Betz sphere almost exactly, according to a 2012 Skeptoid podcast analysis, along with the account of James Durling-Jones, who recognized the object as identical to spheres he had used in his sculptures. He had transported them on the roof of his car through the Jacksonville area years earlier, stating that some fell off along the way—one of which may have remained on Fort George Island until the Betz family found it. These are but a sampling of explanations offered by those who recognized the sphere as an object of the everyday, setting the unusual behavior reported aside. We can place the Betz sphere in a broader category: objects that are clearly physical, clearly real, but not immediately understood. An uncommon phenomenon, made even more rare by the emergence of applications that can identify almost any image or find relevant information based on its description so quickly that we need not suppose or imagine. All hope and wonder are not lost, though. To uncover such an object is the expected mystery within archaeological research—that land wherein the questions “What is it?” and “Where did it come from?” still live. One of the oldest examples of this is the Roman dodecahedron. Found across parts of Europe and dating back to the 2nd or 3rd century CE, these small bronze objects have twelve pentagonal faces, each with circular holes of varying sizes. Many also feature small knobs at each vertex. Despite decades of study, there is no consensus as to their purpose. It is supposed that they may have been tools, ritual objects, instruments for measurement, or even artifacts of play. The dodecahedron might have been one component of a larger machine, placed within the same theoretical shelf as the one on which our odd ball sits. Mystery objects like the Betz sphere are the perfect example when posing the question: What will the remnants of our civilization cause our descendants—or those who will one day descend upon our planet—to suppose about us based on what they find? Perhaps they will find objects whose purposes are obvious. Perhaps they will find others that resist explanation, even with all the tools available to them. May we leave them as many mysteries as were left to us, and may they confuse, capture, and connect those future finders lucky enough to happen upon them.

Composting is an easy and effective way to recycle in your yard. Both kitchen scraps and yard debris can be turned into compost, so you can reduce waste and create a beneficial soil amendment. Most households have everything they need to get started. Whether you have a small urban yard, a large suburban lot, or live in a deed-restricted community, there is a method of composting that will work for you. Basic knowledge of how the process works will ensure your success in creating usable compost. Your compost pile requires five basic elements: 1. MOISTURE: Add water with a hose or bucket to your pile—a nearby rain barrel also works. The goal is 45-65% water. Use the “squeeze test” by squeezing a handful of compost in your hand. Moisture should coat your hand but not drip. 2. OXYGEN: Oxygen is added to your compost when you mix the pile. The more you mix and aerate, the more quickly the waste will break down into usable compost. Without adequate oxygen, your pile might have an odor. 3. TEMPERATURE: The temperature of your pile is important if you are using a “fast” composting method. It’s not so important if you are not concerned about making compost quickly. 4. PARTICLE SIZE: Ideally less than two inches so that the material can break down quickly. Cut up thick, tough leaves and fruits. 5. MIX OF GREEN AND BROWN MATERIALS: Brown materials are usually bulky and dry, and the green materials add the fuel (along with microbes) to break down the brown material. Green materials are high in nitrogen, while brown materials are high in carbon. METHODS OF COMPOSTING There are several composting methods to choose from, including cold composting, sheet composting, trench composting, fast (or hot) composting, and vermicomposting. Each approach offers benefits depending on your time, materials, and composting goals. Cold composting is one of the simplest methods. It involves layering “browns,” such as leaves and soil, with “greens,” like kitchen scraps, in a bin or pile. Materials are occasionally mixed and watered as needed. This low-effort option works well if you are not in a hurry to produce finished compost. However, it’s important to avoid adding weeds or diseased plant material. Sheet composting is essentially composting in place. Yard debris such as leaves, grass clippings, and pruning waste is spread directly over landscape beds and used as mulch. As these materials break down, they enrich the soil with organic matter. If you’ve ever used fallen leaves as mulch, you’ve already practiced sheet composting. Trench composting is a great method if you have kitchen scraps but limited yard waste. This method involves digging a hole or trench and burying food scraps beneath 4–6 inches of soil. It can be done around the base of established plants or within mulched beds, where the materials decompose and improve soil health over time. Fast composting requires more active management but produces compost more quickly. In this method, the compost pile heats up (often over 100°) before cooling down as materials break down. The pile shrinks as it decomposes, allowing for additional material to be added. Proper moisture, frequent turning for aeration, and a balanced mix of browns and greens are essential. This is the only method that can safely incorporate weeds and diseased plant material. Finally, vermicomposting uses worms to break down food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. While commercial worm bins are available, they can also be made at home very easily. The worms rapidly process the material, producing castings that are highly beneficial for plants. This method is best suited for kitchen scraps and does not typically include yard waste. It works well in a small space or on a patio or balcony. Composting is an easy, rewarding practice that turns everyday yard and kitchen waste into a valuable resource for your landscape. In your Central Florida yard, finished compost can be used to enrich vegetable and herb gardens and improve the soil in ornamental landscape beds. It can be mixed into soil to boost organic matter, used as a topdressing for lawns, or applied as mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds. By composting, you not only reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill but also create a FloridaFriendly and cost-effective way to support the plants in your yard. If you have any questions about composting, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at 863- 519-1041 or visit us online at: sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic. You can find the “Your Central Florida Yard” podcast wherever you listen or find out more on our Substack: substack.com/@yourcentralfloridayard. Check out episode 34 to learn more about starting a compost pile. Anne Yasalonis is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Program Coordinator for UF/IFAS Extension Polk County. Please contact her at anneanne@ufl.edu. An Equal Opportunity Institution.

Photo by UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones I know it’s at the very top of all your holiday plans, so I’m sure we’re all eagerly anticipating the celebrations for World Bee Day on May 20. Don’t worry, I’m totally kidding! I would be so surprised if you even knew that World Bee Day was a holiday, but it is an international celebration of pollinators and bees. All joking aside, the conversation around any bee celebrations usually center on the honeybee. And, while those managed hives are vital for our global food supply, they are only a small part of the story. In Florida, we have over 300 species of native bees. These local specialists have been pollinating our wildflowers and forests since long before the first hives arrived with European settlers in the 1600s. THEY AREN’T LOOKING FOR A FIGHT The biggest hurdle to enjoying native bees is the fear of being stung. But if you learn one thing about our native bee species, let it be this: the majority of them are “solitary.” Being a solitary species, which is one that does not form a community hive and spends the majority of its life alone, means they are less likely to sting. Because they don’t have a hive to protect or a queen to defend, they tend to be incredibly docile. On the contrary, a paper wasp or even a honeybee might get defensive because it is protecting its family and its winter food stores. Now, to be clear, European honeybees are typically very tame as well. Their general lack of aggression is what makes them such a good species for commercial and hobby beekeeping. Your best bet for observing our native bees is to find a flowering plant, make yourself comfortable, and keep as still as you can. You’ll see honeybees, of course, but you’ll also see a wide variety of solitary bees flitting about and visiting flowers. You may also see some bee-mimics, like hoverflies (family Syrphidae), that are also very important pollinator species. MORE THAN JUST YELLOW AND BLACK If you stop and watch a patch of flowers for five minutes, you will realize that the little cartoon bees we all drew as children is an over-simplification of what our bees look like. Our native bee species are some of the most beautiful insects in Polk County and also, vary widely in appearance! Our native bees can be as small as a grain of rice or as large as the width of a quarter; fuzzy or almost bare; brown and red or metallic blue and green; if you can dream it – there is probably a bee somewhere in the world with that look. Easy to Identify Native Bees: METALLIC GREEN SWEAT BEES: Sweat bees look like flying emeralds! They are small to medium sized and have a metallic sheen that catches the sunlight. I see them often on wildflowers, aquatic plants like pickerelweed and duck potato, and even on citrus blossoms. EASTERN BUMBLEBEES: Bumblebees are LARGE and fuzzy. They can be quite scary to those who are unfamiliar with them due to their size, but they are a friendly species that are very charismatic if you stop to watch them. Note: These are a colony-forming species, not solitary. LEAFCUTTER BEES: While they vary in size and color, the ones I see frequently are dark in color and have whitish stripes on the back of their abdomen. The easiest way to know you’re looking at a leafcutter bee is that they don’t carry pollen on their legs; instead, leafcutter bees carry pollen on the underside of their abdomen. It will look like they accidentally sat in a pile of pollen. FINDING A HOME IN THE SAND In Polk County, we are used to fighting against bare patches of sand in our lawns. However, that sand is prime real estate for about 70% of our native bees. While honeybees need a hollow tree or a man-made box, many of our natives dig tiny tunnels directly into the ground. Others look for “cavities,” such as old beetle holes in dead wood or the hollow centers of dried plant stems. When we are too quick to clear out every dead branch or cover every inch of soil with thick mulch, we may unintentionally remove the neighborhoods where these bees live. HOW TO HELP THE LOCALS If you want to support the “wild ones” in your own backyard, the best thing you can do is actually do less work. EMBRACE A LITTLE BIT OF BARE DIRT: Leave a few patches of sandy soil uncovered for the ground-nesters. PLANT FOR SPECIALISTS: Choose native flowering plants like the passionflower, coreopsis, beggar ticks, or saw palmetto. HOLD THE SPRAY: Many garden “pests” are actually food for other wildlife, and many general insecticides don’t distinguish between a caterpillar and a harmless native bee. If applying insecticides, try to find specific formulations for the pest you’re dealing with and focus on spot-treatments rather than fogging or spraying everywhere. By shifting our focus away from the hive and toward these individual native bees, we can start to appreciate the diversity that keeps the Florida Heartland in bloom. Next time you see a flash of metallic green or a fuzzy bee working in your garden or near your picnic, take a second to watch and try to remain calm. If you have questions about the bees in your yard or want to know which plants will attract them, the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Bartow is happy to help. You can reach us at 863-519-1041 or visit us online at https://go.ufl.edu/polk

ARMATURE WORKS BOAT SHOW May 1 – 3 at Armature Works. This family-friendly show spans nearly 400,000 square feet along the Hillsborough River. The show features a mix of family boats, pontoons, and recreational vessels from local dealers, along with boating accessories, fishing gear, and marine lifestyle brands. Free admission. armatureworks.com WILD WEEKEND BRUNCH May 10, 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. at Zoo Tampa. Celebrate Mother’s Day at this decadent brunch featuring a carving station, chef-inspired specials, desserts, and bottomless mimosas. Each seating features visits from your favorite Zoo characters and an up-close animal experience with one of the animal ambassadors. Reserve in advance at zootampa.org. TAMPA BAY RAYS The Tampa Bay Rays play 15 times at home in May at Tropicana Field. The Rays play the Giants, Blue Jays, Marlins, Orioles, and Angels. May 1 is Hello Kitty Day, May 3 is AAPI Heritage Day, May 4 is Star Wars Day, and May 29 is Colombian Heritage Day. Get tickets and full schedule at mlb.com/rays. GOODWILL HIPPIE DASH May 9, at the City Marina in Downtown Safety Harbor. Events include a 10k, 5k, 1-mile Walk, Woof & Roll (dogs & strollers welcome), a Flower Child Fun Run, and the “Keep on Truckin’ Challenge” to run the 10k AND the 5k. Walk or run dressed in your best hippie outfit and stay for the post-race party. Proceeds benefit Goodwill. Register at goodwill-suncoast.org. SUNKEN GARDENS Open every day in the heart of St. Pete. Sunken Gardens is a lush, tropical oasis home to more than 50,000 exotic tropical plants and birds from around the world, including its iconic flamingo flock. Picnic lunches are permitted. Several of the historic paths are ADAaccessible and span three-fourths of a mile. sunkengardens.org DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA May 6 – 31 at the Straz Center. This 2023 Broadway revival follows two desperate people in the Bronx as they walk the line between destruction and transcendence. As their initial reserve begins to melt and they decide to spend the night together, the possibility of a genuine relationship begins. strazcenter.org TAMPA BAY ROWDIES The Rowdies are a pro soccer team in the United Soccer League. They play at Al Lang Stadium in St. Pete. Watch the Rowdies play at home twice in May. They play on May 2 at 7:30 p.m. vs. Indy Eleven, and then again on May 23 at 7:30 p.m. against the Phoenix Rising FC. Get tickets at rowdiessoccer.com. SIX May 12 – 17 at the Straz. The SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a celebration of 21st-century girl power. This new original musical is straight from Broadway. Upgrade your tickets to the Premium Experience for your own private bar & more perks. strazcenter.org MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU May 4, 5:45 – 7:30 p.m. at MOSI in the state-of-the-art Saunders Planetarium. In honor of May the Fourth, join the 501st Legion for photos and build a “pool noodle” light saber. End the night with a special talk and immersive planetarium show exploring the real science behind a galaxy far, far away. Registration is required. mosi.org PARENTS’ TIME OFF May 15, 5:30 – 10 p.m. at the Florida Aquarium. For kids ages 5 – 12. Parents can go out and have fun while their kids dive into aquatic fun, hands-on activities, and adventures. Go out and recharge while the kids explore, learn, and play in a safe space designed just for them. Register at flaquarium.org.

EPCOT FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW Throughout May at EPCOT. Walk around the world to see the perfectly trimmed topiaries and flowers. Try international food from over 20 outdoor kitchens, see a live show at the Garden Rocks Concert Series, shop for limited edition merch, check out Exhibit Hall, and don’t forget the Instagram-worthy selfies. SHAKEN & STIRRED Learn how to make upscale cocktails in an intimate setting at The Edison at Disney Springs at 1 p.m. May 9: Gin vs. Vodka Core Cocktail. It’s the great martini debate. Learn the techniques to shake (or stir) your perfect version. May 23: Frozen. Beat the heat and learn to create elevated frozen cocktails. Registration required. theedisonfla.com NIGHT BIKE TOUR Explore Orlando after dark on a guided bike ride through Downtown and nearby neighborhoods. You’ll make stops at a few local favorite bars with time to grab a drink. The route moves through Downtown, Mills 50, and Ivanhoe Village. Bikes and helmets are provided. The ride is relaxed and welcoming. orlandobiketours.com MOTHER’S DAY IKEBANA May 3 at 2 p.m. at Leu Gardens. Make a traditional Japanese Ikebana floral arrangement for Mother’s Day for yourself or to give as a gift. You will learn how to arrange flowers with simplicity, seasonality, movement, and harmony. All materials are provided. Register in advance, includes admission to the Gardens. leugardens.org GUIDED KAYAKING Go kayaking in crystal clear kayaks at Rock Springs with crystal clear water, only a short distance from Orlando. This adventure includes an intermediate paddle upstream through Emerald Cut starting from Kings Landing, with a relaxing drift back to the launch site. Groups are small, open every day. Register online at getupandgokayaking.com. ORLANDO PRIDE SC Watch the National Women’s Soccer League team, Orlando Pride, play three times at home in May at the Inter&Co Stadium. They play the Washington Spirit on May 2 at 4 p.m. They go up against the North Carolina Courage on May 8 at 8 p.m. Finally, they play the Bay Football Club on May 29 at 7 p.m. orlandocitysc.com/pride BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA May 1 – 31 at Theater On The Edge (TOTE). John and his daughter Caitlyn are birders. This play takes a close look at their relationship over a decade. TOTE is a cinematic theater experience with immersive sets, cinematic elements, and the energy of a live performance. It’s like watching a film live onstage. theaterontheedge.org ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL May 12 – 25 at various locations in Orlando. Guests will love the live entertainment, unique theatre experiences, visual art displays, kid-friendly shows and activities, and free outdoor concerts. It’s a full celebration of independent artists, and it’s the oldest Fringe Festival in the US. Full schedule and ticket info at orlandofringe.org. THE MILK RUN 5K May 2, 7:30 a.m. Participants will run through the historic streets of Downtown Orlando while enjoying the sights and sounds of the Milk District. TG Lee Dairy will host an after-party with plenty of fun and milk for everyone. Participants are encouraged to dress in cow or milkthemed costumes. The Kid’s HalfPint Fun Run is for ages 7 and under. More info on FB @TheMilkDistrict. SAMANTHA BEE May 17 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Dr. Phillips Center. Samantha Bee keeps it real in this one-woman show called “How to Survive Menopause.” She covers everything she’s learned from the ups, downs, and rage rollercoasters of menopause. This show is perfect for anyone who’s going through it, has gone through it, or will be going through it. drphillipscenter.org

TELETHON May 7 at 6 p.m. until May 8 at 6 p.m. Parker Street Ministries is hosting a 24-hour Livestream Telethon, a day filled with stories, worship, generosity, and community. Every hour will showcase the impact of their year-round programs, highlight community partners, and invite viewers to give toward transforming lives in the Parker Street neighborhood and beyond. psmlakeland.org 1776 May 22 – 24 at Lakeland Community Theatre. This musical follows key Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, as they grapple with the decision to declare independence from the British monarchy. This performance showcases the challenges they faced that led to the birth of a new nation. lakelandcommunitytheatre.com BANDIT MARKET SUMMER PARTY May 2, noon – 5 p.m. at Bowen Yard. Celebrate the tenth Bandit Market with us! Summer is hot, but Bandit Market is hotter! Shop the coolest vendors from all over Central Florida for vintage clothing & homeware, original art, handmade pieces, baked goods, and more. Enjoy live music & more surprises to celebrate the tenth market! IG @thebanditmarket WALTER PARKS May 17, 7 p.m. at Gram Parsons Derry Down in Winter Haven. Walter Parks grew up in North Florida. His research and unique reimagining of the hollers, hymns, and reels of swamp homesteaders are archived in The Library of Congress. Walter is the leader of two Americana roots groups, Swamp Cabbage (electric-folk/rock) and The Unlawful Assembly (reimagined spirituals). gpderrydown.com WELCOME TO WAADIZI, MICHIGAN! Congratulations to local author, Dwight L. MacPherson! His book, “Welcome to Waadizi, Michigan!” is available to order as a hardcover, paperback, or eBook on Amazon. In Waadizi, Michigan, people vanish. Memory erodes. Truth sinks. Through interconnected stories, one man’s search for his missing mother uncovers the terrifying secret his town has learned to live with. AAPI CULTURAL CELEBRATION May 9, 6 – 9 p.m. at Bonnet Springs Park. Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage with performances, food, and fun for the whole family. Groups from Japan, India, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, and beyond take the stage, while local vendors serve up authentic Asian and Polynesian cuisine. FREE to attend and open to all. bonnetspringspark.com FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE May 8, 6 p.m. at Munn Park. Hear country music recording artist Eli Mosley brings his signature sound & strong vocals. This free, familyfriendly event will have a wide variety of food and drink vendors, along with local vendors to shop. Bring your chairs and blankets for an evening of live music under the stars in Downtown Lakeland. downtownlkld.com SPCA RUN FOR THEIR LIVES 5K May 23, 7 a.m. at Peterson Park in Lakeland. Run or walk with your four-legged companion. Enjoy a continental breakfast, an awards ceremony, and the powerful feeling of knowing your participation helps give animals a second chance. Every step supports compassion, community, and hope. spcaflorida.org MAYFAIRE BY-THE-LAKE May 9 & 10 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on the shores of Lake Morton in Downtown Lakeland. Mayfaire features more than 150 artist booths and is one of the oldest arts festivals in Central Florida. Mayfaire has been ranked among Sunshine Artist Magazine’s “200 Best Art Shows” for ten years in a row. mayfairebythelake.org FAIRYTALE TREATS May 31, 4 p.m. at Enchanted Fairytale Hollow. Join Moana for themed refreshments, an immersive stage show & storybook experience incorporating storytelling, costume changes, interactive activities, and sing-alongs. Plus, a Meet and Greet with Photo Op. Must register in advance, find more info on FB @EnchantedFairytaleHollow.

BANDIT MARKET SUMMER PARTY May 2, noon – 5 p.m. at Bowen Yard. Celebrate the tenth Bandit Market with us! Summer is hot, but Bandit Market is hotter! Shop the coolest vendors from all over Central Florida for vintage clothing & homeware, original art, handmade pieces, baked goods, and more. Enjoy live music & more surprises to celebrate the tenth market! IG @thebanditmarket BEETLEJUICE JR. May 14 – 24 at Theatre Winter Haven. Based on the hit Broadway musical and the beloved Tim Burton film. Packed with catchy songs, wild characters, and ghoulish humor, “Beetlejuice Jr”. is a spooky, high-energy musical that proves sometimes the afterlife can be a lot more fun than the living world. theatrewinterhaven.com FIRST FRIDAY CAR SHOW May 1, 5 – 8 p.m. along Magnolia Ave between 2nd St SW & 3rd St SW in Downtown Winter Haven. Check out all of the cool classic and exotic cars or bring your own to show off. No need to register, just drive up and park. While you’re Downtown, walk around and check out the bars & restaurants for their First Friday specials. More info FB @whfirstfriday. MOTHER’S DAY AT BOK May 10, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Bok Tower Gardens. Celebrate Mom with a beautiful day in the Gardens. The Shop at Bok has the perfect gifts to make her day special. Treat Mom to lunch or ice cream at The Blue Palmetto Cafe. Carillon Concerts at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Free admission is offered to all mothers. boktowergardens.org WELCOME TO WAADIZI, MICHIGAN! Congratulations to local author, Dwight L. MacPherson! His book, “Welcome to Waadizi, Michigan!” is available to order as a hardcover, paperback, or eBook on Amazon. In Waadizi, Michigan, people vanish. Memory erodes. Truth sinks. Through interconnected stories, one man’s search for his missing mother uncovers the terrifying secret his town has learned to live with. AAPI CULTURAL CELEBRATION May 9, 6 – 9 p.m. at Bonnet Springs Park. Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage with performances, food, and fun for the whole family. Groups from Japan, India, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, and beyond take the stage, while local vendors serve up authentic Asian and Polynesian cuisine. FREE to attend and open to all. bonnetspringspark.com LUAU PARTY May 2, 5 p.m. at Grove Roots Brewery. Throw on your best luau attire and celebrate the night in Hawaiian style! Here’s what to look forward to: Hawaiian-inspired plate dinner, pineapple slushee station, Hula dancers, and Fire dancers. Find the full schedule and more info on FB @groverootsbrewing SPCA RUN FOR THEIR LIVES 5K May 23, 7 a.m. at Peterson Park in Lakeland. Run or walk with your four-legged companion. Enjoy a continental breakfast, an awards ceremony, and the powerful feeling of knowing your participation helps give animals a second chance. Every step supports compassion, and hope. spcaflorida.org MAYFAIRE BY-THE-LAKE May 9 & 10 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on the shores of Lake Morton in Downtown Lakeland. Mayfaire features more than 150 artist booths and is one of the oldest arts festivals in Central Florida. Mayfaire has been ranked among Sunshine Artist Magazine’s “200 Best Art Shows” for ten years in a row. mayfairebythelake.org KAYAK ECOTOUR May 23, 9 a.m. at Lake Silver in Winter Haven. The City of Winter Haven’s Natural Resources Division is hosting a series of kayak ecotours on various lakes in Winter Haven. These tours will be short (within 3 hours) but information-packed trips where residents and visitors can get out on the lakes. Registration begins two weeks before the event. mywinterhaven.com

HOW FLOWERS MADE OUR WORLD By David George Haskell Here is a book that will change the way you look at every flower you walk past. Haskell makes a passionate and scientific case for flowers - magnolias, orchids, roses, and even seagrasses - as the true architects of life on Earth. Far from just being decorative, flowers are the revolutionaries that reshaped our environment and drove our own evolution. Bonus if you read this where you can see our Florida flowers blooming. THE PECULIAR GARDEN OF HARRIET HUNT By Chelsea Iversen Set in 1860s Victorian London, this atmospheric novel follows Harriet, a woman who has spent her whole life with only her overgrown garden for company. When her father, an ill-tempered controlling man, mysteriously disappears - Harriet is the prime suspect. Harriet thinks she will find protection in the arms of a charming man, but not everything is how it seems. She must find the confidence to trust her own power over her circumstances. ART FROM THE GARDEN By Kerry Michaels For the reader who would rather make something than sit still, this gorgeous book is the perfect companion to usher in the warmer months. Artist Kerry Michaels walks readers through 25 step-by-step projects using materials from gardens: pressed flowers, frozen botanical luminarias, cyanotype prints made with a branch and sunshine, vases from twigs, wrapped stones, and more. Beautifully photographed and practically organized, it is the kind of book you prop open and actually use. COOKING WITH FLOWERS By Miche Bacher If you have ever looked at a pot of nasturtiums or a spray of lavender and thought … I wonder if they’re tasty? Well, this cookbook is your answer. Bacher, an herbalist and chef, offers over 100 recipes built entirely around edible blooms, from pansy petal pancakes and rosemary flower margaritas to savory sunflower chickpea salad. There is also guidance on infusing flowers into vinegar, jelly, sugar, and ice cream. A beautiful, practical book that makes your garden feel like a pantry. WHERE THE WILDFLOWERS GROW By Terah Shelton Harris Leigh is the lone survivor of a prison bus crash and knows she must carry on to survive. By chance, she stumbles upon a flower farm tucked away in rural Alabama and finds a family who has built something real from the ruins of their own lives. Harris writes with the kind of compassion that asks readers to sit with themselves for a while. This is an emotional and heartfelt novel examining what it means to stop surviving and start living. THE FLOWER GIRLS By Alice Clark-Platts A child goes missing at a hotel over the holiday season. Among the guests is a woman who, as a young girl, was convicted in a notorious child murder case and has since been living under a new identity. Be warned that this is an unsettling book, with a central question of when a child does something terrible, do they remain guilty forever? This is a dark book with real emotional depth hiding beneath the suspense; the kind of thriller you think about long after you have finished it. THE BEAR By Andrew Krivak It is tricky to describe this book in a way that doesn’t make it sound ominous. A father and daughter, the last two humans on Earth, live close to the land where he teaches her to fish, to hunt, to read the seasons and the stars. And then she is alone. What follows is a fable that somehow is both spare and luminous- it is a survival story that balances between hope and despair. The story is full of magical flora and fauna and a profound sense that the natural world is not lost, only waiting. BROMELIAD HOUSE By Jessika Grewe Glover If you have spent any time in Florida, you will recognize the landscape immediately: the humidity, the sprawling old estate, the sense that something lush and wild is always threatening to take over. Delphine has spent her life seeing the reflections of loved ones just before they die. When she inherits her family’s crumbling estate, the line between the living and the not-quite-dead begins to blur in unsettling ways. Glover’s imagery transports you to a humid and haunted Florida.

JAPANESE GOTHIC By Kylie Lee Baker In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds. Baker’s follow-up to “Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng” delivers a violent and thoughtprovoking tale of grief, generational trauma, and colonialism. MODERATION By Elaine Castillo Girlie Delmundo’s digital work as a virtual reality moderator collides with her personal life when she falls for a coworker in Castillo’s second novel following “America Is Not the Heart,” named a best book by NPR, LitHub, NYPL, and more. ONE & ONLY By Maurene Goo A swoony, funny, romantic novel about a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything. As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, she will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate … or make her own. THE TAKE By Kelly Yang A provocative, fast-paced novel about two creative women — a young writer fighting to be heard and an older producer clinging to relevancy — and the age reversal treatment that intertwines both of their lives. THE MIDNIGHT TAXI By Yosha Gunasekera When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera. DOUBLE HAPPINESS By Heather Eng Mei finally has what she’s always wanted: a job with growth potential and financial security, and Joey, a fiancé who adores her. But when she runs into college professor, Alexandre, at a cookout, their connection makes her rethink everything: her career, her commitment to her company, and even her upcoming marriage to Joey. HOW TO COMMIT A POSTCOLONIAL MURDER By Nina McConigley Summer 1986. The Creel sisters, Georgie Ayyar and Agatha Krishna, welcome their aunt, uncle, and young cousin, newly arrived from India, into their house in rural Wyoming. They’ll all live together, because this is what families do, until the sisters decide that it’s time for their uncle to die. According to Georgie, the British are to blame. MS. MEBEL GOES BACK TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK By Jesse Q. Sutanto A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong’s, “Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.”

Blueberry farming is a growing industry in Polk County, and with so many local growers, it’s a no-brainer to highlight their hard work and delicious crops with a festival! Auburndale has wonderful facilities and is located in the heart of Central Florida, perfect for bringing everyone together for a really fun day! Visit Central Florida has teamed up with Destroyer Media to bring you this fun-filled day. Stop by the festival from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. at the Auburndale’s Downtown City Park on April 11. Here’s what to expect: Pancake Breakfast Start your Polk County Blueberry Festival experience off with a delicious blueberry pancake breakfast presented by Iceberg Home Services from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.! Restaurants Against Hunger will be serving mini blueberry pancakes, two sausages, and a drink for only $10. The Polk County Blueberry Festival is free to attend, however the pancake breakfast requires purchasing a ticket. You can feel good about having this delicious blueberry pancake breakfast because all proceeds go to Restaurants Against Hunger, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping feed those in need. Thank you to Always Fresh for donating the blueberries, that was “berry” sweet of you. The pancake breakfast will be hosted inside the Auburndale Civic Center. Purchase tickets in advance at centralfloridatix.com . Learn You can’t have a blueberry festival without blueberries! There will be several local blueberry farms on site, where you can meet the farmers, learn about growing blueberries in Polk County, and of course, buy fresh blueberries. There will be an Agricultural Education exhibit sponsored by the Polk County Farm Bureau and hosted by the experts at UF/IFAS. Families will learn everything they need to know to grow their own blueberries. Don’t miss the “Integrated Pest Management for Blueberry Trees Workshop” at 2:30 p.m. in the Civic Center, presented by UF/IFAS. The historic Ephraim M. Baynard House will be open for tours. Baynard, born in South Carolina in 1861, had the house built in 1894 by Alfred Chipman Thorpe. This home is an example of the Folk Victorian architectural style and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Food & Drink The Kemp Injury Law, PA Bar, located at The Depot, will be stocked with ice-cold beer and wine. They will also offer locally made Keel & Curley beverages. Get a drink, grab a table, and enjoy a break. Pro tip: Before heading into the bar, purchase drink tickets at the tent just outside of The Depot. No cash or card will be accepted inside the bar. Everyone will need to show their ID. Don’t forget to tip the bartenders! The food trucks will all have a special blueberry offering just for the event. Expect blueberry lemonade, cookies, BBQ, jams, ice cream, jerky, empanadas, kettle corn, and more. Entertainment On the main stage: 1:30 p.m. Lauris Vidal - One man band sensation! 4:30 p.m. Skinny McGee - Rockabilly, primitive country blues 6:30 p.m. Oak Hill Drifters - Rockabilly, Americana On the Civic Center Stage: 12 p.m. Story Time with No Covers 1 p.m. Jewett School of the Arts Rock Band 2:30 p.m. “Integrated Pest Management for Blueberry Trees Workshop” UF/IFAS workshop. The Language & Literacy Academy for Learning Family Zone offers crafts for kids, interactive inflatable games, and more. Bring the little ones for some fun; parent supervision is required. Spring Haven Senior Living will host Blueberry BINGO in the Senior Center, and it’s free to play. Beginning at 11 a.m., they will call five games at the top of every hour, with the last rounds beginning at 5 p.m. This is a great break from the heat, and you can win prizes! The Blue Ribbon Art Show highlights local amateur artists and makers from Polk County and will be located in the lobby of the Civic Center. Spend some time checking out the art and see who won Best in Show. The Sensory Room will be located inside the Recreation Center. If you or your child needs a quiet break, this is for you. Expect chairs and tables, A/C, no harsh lighting, restrooms, outlets for charging, and quiet. Please be respectful of others in the room; sometimes a slow, quiet space is needed. Schedule subject to change. Contests 11 a.m. - The Blueberry Toss will actually be a blue water balloon toss, but since it’s the Blueberry Festival, we’re calling it a blueberry. Participants will compete in teams of two; one partner will toss the water balloon to the other partner. If the toss is successfully caught without dropping or popping the balloon, the team moves back to the next cone. Each round increases the distance between partners, and the last team with their full balloon, wins! 12 p.m. - The Blueberry Spoon Race gives each participant a spoon with a single blueberry on it. Contestants must carry the spoon while balancing the blueberry on it, navigating through a course of cones. First person to cross the finish line, wins! 3:15 p.m. - The Pie Eating Contest is for anyone ages 13+ and is our most delicious contest. It’s simple, the first person to finish eating their entire blueberry pie, without the use of their hands, wins! To participate in any of the contests, go to polkcountyblueberryfestival.com for the full list of rules and the links to register. Good luck to all! Shopping No festival is complete without a little shopping! The Festival will host 80 local vendors selling handmade goods, vintage finds, plants, home decor, and more. Just like the food vendors, everyone will be bringing special blueberry-themed items just for the festival. Stop by the Blueberry Fest info tent to purchase official Polk County Blueberry Fest merch, including t-shirts, mugs, and more. See You There! We’re really looking forward to this delicious day celebrating one of our favorite and super healthy fruits, the blueberry! BIG thank you to the City of Auburndale for being so kind and gracious with us. They are a dream to work with. To stay updated on what you will find that day, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @polkcountyblueberryfestival or go to polkcountyblueberryfestival.com . Polk County Blueberry Festival April 11, 2026 Pancake Breakfast 10 a.m. - 11:30a.m. Festival 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Downtown City Park 119 W Park St, Auburndale, FL Our Super Friend, The Florida Blueberry! Florida is a top blueberry producer in the U.S. The season runs from March through May, allowing them to hit the market before other regions. Major production occurs in Central Florida. Nearly all commercial acreage is planted with southern highbush cultivars (such as ‘Star’, ‘Emerald’, and ‘Jewel’) designed for Florida’s climate. Native, early commercial attempts failed until the release of lowchill, high-quality, early-ripening cultivars by the University of Florida in the 1970s. Blueberries have some of the highest antioxidant levels among all fruits. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, stopping chain reactions that cause cellular damage. This helps to prevent conditions like heart disease (by reducing oxidized LDL cholesterol) and cancer,prevent or delay skin cell damage from sun exposure, and aid in maintaining overall health by defending against environmental stressors. A single serving (one cup) provides essential fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and only 80 calories.