Polk Museum of Art

As a special pre-event celebration, on Friday night, May 8, the Museum hosts the Mayfaire Kick-Off Party. The party is fro 5:30 – 7:30pm and is held on the lawn of the Lakeland Public Library on Lake Morton. Some of the artists are open for early viewing, and visitors can check that part out free of charge. But the happening place to be is at the party, which will include an open bar, entertainment, and great hors d’oeuvres by Texas Cattle Company. Tickets to the party are $20 for Museum members, $30 for Non-Members, or $35 at the door.

The main event begins on Saturday at 10am. All of the artists and food vendors will be open and ready for business! As always, a wide variety of artists will have their work on display — from painters to jewelers to ceramicists to wood workers. Everyone can find something they like!

If you’ve ever been to Mayfaire before, you know that finding parking can be a trick. To make it easier, we recommend parking behind the library at Florida Southern college right off MacDonald. PMoA is providing a free shuttle between the parking lot and Palmetto Street. Just hop aboard and you’ll be whisked down to the festival, and then when you’re done, you can catch a ride back to the parking lot.

One of the big changes this year is that the Children’s Art Tent has been moved to the Museum’s parking lot and is now part of a larger Kids Zone. As always, there will be fun, FREE art activities to engage the young ones, but this year there will also be bounce houses and a climbing wall. The bounce houses and climbing wall will involve a small fee.

On Saturday night, the fun moves over to Lake Mirror for Mayfaire Saturday Night/Festival of Arts & Athletes. Entertainment starts at 5:00pm with Quittin’ Time. At 7:00pm, Lakeland Runners Club will start the annual Mayfaire Classic 5k. Then at 9:00pm, you can enjoy a great fireworks display. Music continues until 11:00pm with The Ditchflowers. Admission to this event is free, so feel free to bring your picnic and chairs. If you’d rather have someone else make the food, vendors will be on hand.

MIDFLORIDA Mayfaire by-the-Lake continues on Sunday until 5:00pm. The show award winners will be announced at 2:00pm from the stage at the Lakeland Public Library lawn.

We hope you can join us for this Lakeland tradition! Wear your sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses, and come out to celebrate the arts.

I haven’t been to one of the Platform Parties in years — they’ve just been at inconvenient nights for me — but I remember them being a lot of fun. Maybe I can make it to this one…

First, there’s the Family Halloween Party at the Museum, which, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, takes place on Halloween! Bring the kids from 4 – 7pm for an early evening of spooky stories, a scavenger hunt through the Museum, creepy art activities, games, prizes, and a raffle to win some wonderful Halloween pastries. Admission is $5 per child, and children have to have a parent with them. Go here to register ahead of time.

If you didn’t feel like doing the Halloween thing, or maybe you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids on Saturday, then bring them BACK to the Museum for our Day of the Dead Family Celebration. The day is divided into three segments. First, make a Day of the Dead mask at the Family Fun Workshop at 10:30. Then, wear that mask in a Day of the Dead Parade at 12:30. Finally, create a Day of the Dead altar at our afternoon Art Workshop at 1:00. The first two events are FREE (whoo hoo!), but the Art Workshop is $2 per child for materials. Still! It’s a cheap way to spend the day AND keep the kids entertained. There’s no registration required, so just show up!

But we haven’t forgotten about the adults. Starting at 7pm, experience Death by Chocolate. The event have a festive Day of the Dead theme and will feature five chocolate stations with treats from local caterers and specialty shops, a signature chocolate drink, music by flamenco guitarist Nathan Herrera, and a special performance by Florida Dance Theatre. Dessert plates that have been hand-painted by local artists will also be available for purchase, and sales will benefit the Museum’s Education Programs. Tickets to Death by Chocolate are $30 per person and you must be at least 21 years old to attend. Go here to buy your tickets.

I hope to see you at the Museum! Death by Chocolate sounds like my kind of event, and I know my sister’s planning to bring my nephew to the Halloween Party. Maybe I can get his Shugi to bring him back for Day of the Dead…