WINTER HAVEN - Pickin' in the Park will be Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Central Park.
Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and enjoy toe-tappin' music by Winter Haven's Harmony Grits.
For details, call Main Street Winter Haven at 863-295-9422.
LAKELAND - At 7 p.m. on Saturday, there will be a chamber music recital at All Saints' Episcopal Church.
The recital will include a discussion of music, which includes "Quartet for the End of Time," written while the composer was in a German prison camp during World War II.
This piece was composed for the instruments and players available in the camp; which were piano, clarinet, violin and cello. The human concerns of this music, hope for eternity, reaching for the transcendental and release from the constraints of time are accessible to careful listening. The program will begin with a brief discussion.
The group formed as a chamber music project at the University of South Florida and will be attending a contemporary music workshop in Boston at the New England Conservatory in June. The members are Laura Salata, violin; Ann Satterfield, clarinet; Sarah Mingle, piano; and Natalie Schultess, cello.
LAKELAND - The 36th annual Volvo Mayfaire by-the-Lake will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mother's Day weekend, May 12 and 13. Admission is free.
The event takes place on the shores of Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland and draws about 60,000 visitors every year. Around 185 artists are selected for exhibition, and they include painters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers, ceramicists, musicians and more.
The art isn't the only thing happening, though. A children's art tent will be set up and filled with free activities for the younger festival visitors. Entertainment is scheduled throughout the weekend and can be found on stage on the Lakeland Public Library lawn. Food vendors also will be on hand with great snacks, meals and drinks for festival-goers. And Polk Museum of Art, located just behind Lakeland Public Library, will be open all weekend and will show family-friendly films throughout Saturday in the Museum's auditorium.
On the night of May 12, the annual Mayfaire Saturday Night/Festival of Arts and Athletes will take place on the Lake Mirror Promenade, just one block north of Lake Morton. The Mayfaire Classic 5K, sponsored by the Lakeland Runners Club, will kick off Saturday night's festivities at 7 p.m.
After the race, The Rogues will perform until late in the evening. Clowns, balloon artists and other street performers will also be on hand.
For details, call 863-688-7743, ext. 237.
LAKELAND - Bring a bag lunch and learn the basics of beading at Polk Museum of Art during a half-day workshop.
Artist Megan Bisbee-Durlam will teach beginners to intermediate students the basics of beading, sewing and designing with color. Each participant will learn innovative techniques they can take away and use on their own. Plus, participants will leave with a finished piece of art.
The class size is limited to 25. Call 863-688-5423 to register.
The opening reception is May 5 from 7 to 9 p.m.�The artists will receive awards during the event.
The Melvin Art Gallery is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and during intermissions of many performances of the FSC Fine Arts Series.
For details, please call 863-680-4743.
HAINES CITY - Haines City Community Theatre will perform "Taken in Marriage" May 11-20.
This story of a young woman's wedding is comedic as she deals with her family before the big day.
LAKELAND - "Monica Naugle: Oppositional Essences" will be on display through May 20 at the Polk Museum of Art.
The Plant City artist utilizes discarded metal and other materials to create unusually delicate sculptures.
She weaves forms that are either directly recognizable (clothing or a purse, for example) or sufficiently organic in appearance as to seem perfectly natural.
Naugle is a native of Colombia who has lived in Florida since 1978. This is Polk Museum of Art's first exhibition of her work.
The exhibit of "Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: Thirty-Two Aspects of Women" will begin May 12 and run through September.
Yoshitoshi is considered to be the last and greatest genius of ukiyo-e.
Drinkable Art: An "Exhibition" in Good Taste will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 24. The cost is $25 per person.
Drinkable Art is a wine tasting "exhibition" featuring vintner/artists from around the world and a selection of their choicest creations.
Workshops are held at the museum and at off-site facilities in the community as an extension of the museum's ongoing commitment to community outreach.