It’s that time again, book lovers! Your indie bookstores are hosting the fifth annual Lakeland Book Crawl to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day (April 25, 2026). The Crawl will be a three-day event, running April 23–25, and culminating with a bookish afterparty at Union Hall on Saturday evening. Just like last year, participants can make their stops at all seven participating bookstores between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. every day of the crawl. Each store has its own unique vi

L. Shannon Graves comes from a boarding school background. It makes up his entire educational career of 30 years. From St. Petersburg to Hawaii, he’s worked for military and traditional boarding schools. He believes in them. And that belief is ever present as he speaks about the Vanguard School. “It’s a place where kids feel comfortable. Our faculty and staff are on campus. Our residential staff is on campus. Our coaches are on campus. And the students develop a real sense of

Whether you’ve heard of the three-year champion of the “Best of Florida Food Trucks” or not, you will now. Taco Riendo is a family-owned and operated Mexican cuisine food truck based in Lake Wales, FL, serving their food “Fresh, Hot and Authentic” since 2019. Taco Riendo originally began as an expression of love for sharing homemade tamales with individuals on the weekends out of a Thunderbird. It’s now grown into a family business serving an array of communities in Polk Coun

There’s a cherished tradition in Puerto Rico, when your cousin or uncle bursts through the door and announces, “I’ve brought the pitorro,” you know the party is about to begin. Pitorro, the island’s answer to American moonshine, is more than just a drink; it’s the heart of party culture, crafted in backyard stills and infused with fruit, then aged to perfection. Every region has its own recipe, and every family has their own secret method. Lugo’s Craft Distillery has carried

In the 1970s, the unexplained was never absent from the table — especially in Florida, where strange weather and stranger claims sometimes met. Psychokinesis, or “psi,” the ability to alter either the internal or external environment by mental effort alone, or “mind over matter” was discussed on television, tested in laboratories, and debated in newspapers. Cold War anxieties quietly fueled interest and created government-funded research programs to study whether consciousnes

Florida blueberries are a favorite of many Central Floridians. They are tasty, good for you, and fun to pick at local farms. But did you know that you can also grow blueberries in your home landscape? Thanks to low-chill varieties, with proper site preparation, plant selection, and maintenance, home gardeners in Central Florida can enjoy fresh blueberries right from their own yard. WHAT VARIETIES CAN BE GROWN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA YARDS? Blueberries are native to eastern North A