Once you’ve moved to Lakeland and you’ve marked all the touristy stuff off your bucket list, it’s time to settle in and live like a true Lakelander. To do that, you need to know all of the local haunts. Here are some to get you started:

Mitchells Coffee House - freshly brewed coffee and Mitch’s famous breakfast burrito or a homemade pastry are a great way to start your day. For a great dessert, try the Coca Cola cake. If you want to learn more about all the local politics that isn’t fit for print, befriend the group of gentlemen who hold court in the coffee shop each weekday morning. You’ll know them when you see them. Trust us.

Downtown Farmers Curb Market - held every Saturday from September through July, this market in downtown Lakeland offers fresh fruits and veggies, crafts, and other items or take a walk around Lake Mirror to 801 E. Main Street and grab some beignets from the Poor Porker booth now, and thank us later.

Lake Hollingsworth - if you’re working on your fitness, chances are you’ll find your way here. A 2.7-mile paved path around the lake draws thousands of walkers, runners, cyclists, rollerbladers and skateboarders day and night. This path is home to myriad awareness walks and 5K races, as well as the annual Orange Cup Regatta, a boatracing event.

Second to None Barber Shop - this is where the locals go to talk about sports and girls, and get a haircut while they’re at it. Enough said.

Publix Aprons Cooking School - with its headquarters being located here, it’s only right that there is an Aprons cooking school. People bring home the bacon- and more - and learn to fry it up in a pan at these classes.

Tenoroc Shooting Range - we live in a hunter’s and fisherman’s paradise, so sharpening those shooting and bow-hunting skills is a good idea. Handgun, rifle/shotgun and bow ranges are available.

Thursday Squared Food Truck Rally - when did food trucks become cool? We don’t know, but boy are they! Downtown Lakeland’s monthly food truck rallies attract between 3,000 and 3,500 people each month.

It was at a food truck rally that Rachel Cashdollar made the decision not to return home to Pennsylvania after graduating from Florida Southern and completing a summer internship. Cashdollar took part in the Lakeland Economic Development Council’s Summer Leadership Program and during a social at the food truck rally, it hit her: Lakeland was an area that provided a lot of opportunity for her. She determined then she would find a job and stay here. She loves running Lake Hollingsworth. Lakeland also is a place where “you know people,” she says.

“You can go downtown, to Lakeside Village, to Lake Hollingsworth, and you’ll see people you know,” Cashdollar says. “You don’t necessarily have to strive to make plans with friends, you just see them around town. The fact that happens, and you also get to meet new people every day is part of what I love about Lakeland.”

Free Things to do in Lakeland Florida 

We are blessed with a variety of activities in Lakeland that don’t cost a dime. Polk Museum of Art offers free admission Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, thanks to several corporate sponsorships.

Hollis Garden is home to more than 10,000 flowers, ornamental shrubs, shade trees and even vegetables. It’s a great place for a leisurely stroll, and is the location of many weddings and professional photography sessions.

The Lake-to-Lake bikeway offers an excellent opportunity to view Lakeland at a slower pace. The Fort Fraser Trail provides a safe, scenic ride to nearby Bartow, and also includes a pathway into Circle B Bar Reserve.