Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance (PACA) is the Local Arts Agency for Polk County. As such, PACA “advocates for all the Cultural Arts Organizations in Polk County and promotes the impact of the Cultural Arts Sector as integral to the quality-of-life in our county.” The organization actively represents Polk County’s arts and cultural interests to agencies, governments, chambers of commerce, and the business community on a national, state, and local level. They allocate funding a

Polk County is fortunate to have so many wonderful arts festivals. From the Swan City Jazz Festival to the Lake Wales Arts Festival, to Winter Haven’s Central Park Art Festival, there are numerous opportunities to peruse fantastic visual art or hear great music. What’s missing, however, is a literary festival. When I first became Executive Director of the Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, I wanted PACA to produce arts and cultural events that were missing from our wonderful arts

When communities come together to celebrate what makes those communities unique or special, memorable things usually happen. This October at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, just such an evening will take place – the 2023 Polk Arts & Culture Hall of Fame Gala presented by CORE Wealth Advisors. The event will feature live music, great food, and local artwork, but the highlight of the night will be the time spent honoring and celebrating the arts and cultural icons of Polk Coun

It’s been a year since Lakeland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Amy Wiggins stepped into that role. We sat down with the Chamber president to discuss the past year, her career, Lakeland’s female leaders, and the women who influenced her along the way. Growing up in Plant City before the town had a movie theater led to plenty of time spent in Lakeland. Wiggins fell in love with the community and attended school at Florida Southern College, where she earned a degree in re