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City unveils themed downtown events series, including masquerade and wine walk
Summary
City staff described a new Spring Friday events series to activate the historic core, naming dates and partners: a masquerade party Feb. 6 (preceding the Feb. 14 Mardi Gras parade), a Blarney Berry Beer Festival, a Mad Hatter Tea Party, Cinco de Mayo cultural event, and the Cork & Keys wine walk on April 9; sponsors include South State Bank and Republic Services.
City staff outlined a new Spring Friday downtown events series intended to activate the historic core and support small businesses during and after downtown revisioning work.
Eric Marshall, introduced by staff, described a sequence of themed events: a masquerade party (Feb. 6), a Blarney Berry Beer Festival (March), a Mad Hatter Tea Party (April), and a Cinco de Mayo cultural event (May 1) to be coordinated with Viva Polk. He said the masquerade will feature locally catered food and New Orleans Nighthawks jazz; the Blarney Berry Beer Festival will include local beer introductions and cultural activities; the Cork & Keys wine walk is scheduled for April 9 from 4–8 p.m. Marshall also said the events will be partnerships with Lake Wales Main Street, Lake Wales Arts Council and the Little Theater, and that sponsorships from South State Bank and Republic Services were secured.
Staff noted the special‑event permit applications will not close roads but will include defined alcohol areas. Commissioners asked scheduling questions (the Mardi Gras parade is Feb. 14) and praised publicity and event planning; no formal permit approvals were taken at the work session.
Staff asked commissioners to approve the special‑event permits at the upcoming meeting and said they would provide any required maps and permit details in the packet.
