Hey St. Cloud -

Spring is in full swing and this Saturday the lakefront is going to be packed. The Rotary Spring Fling is one of the best community days of the year and there's plenty more happening around the city this week. Here's everything worth knowing.

43rd Annual Rotary Spring Fling | St. Cloud Lakefront, 1104 Lakeshore Blvd | 10am–4pm

One of St. Cloud's longest-running traditions is back. The lakefront fills up with 100+ craft vendors, food trucks, live music, a kids zone, and a bass fishing tournament on East Lake Toho with a $2,500 grand prize. There's also a car and truck show that draws some serious entries. Free for spectators. Just show up.

Soldier City Sundays | Veterans Park, 1201 13th St | 11am–2pm

The community market returns for its second Sunday of the month. Local vendors, food trucks, family activities, and veteran resources all in one spot. Free, casual, and very St. Cloud.

Coming up Thu April 17 · Movie in the Park: Happy Feet | St. Cloud Lakefront Park | 6:30pm

Mark your calendar now. Games, giveaways, and activities start at 6:30pm before the movie rolls. Free for the whole family, sponsored by Toho Water Authority and AdventHealth. Bring a blanket and a chair.

St. Cloud is getting its own walkable town center. BTI Partners has sold 95 acres within the 1,400-acre Crossprairie community to national developer WMG Development, who will build Heritage, a mixed-use town center with a grocery-anchored retail plaza, big-box stores, restaurants, medical offices, two hotels, and 600 apartment units. Names like Publix, Starbucks, Chipotle, Raising Cane's, and White Castle are reportedly in talks as tenants. Road construction starts late 2026, beginning with New Nolte Road and a new stretch of Cross Prairie Parkway connecting to a new Florida Turnpike interchange. More at heritageatcp.com

Good news for pickleball regulars. The courts at Godwin Park reopen April 20 after resurfacing. They've been closed since March 30. Almost there.

Heads up for families. The playground at Chisholm Park will be temporarily closed April 21–24 from 7:30am to 2:30pm daily for safety surfacing replacement. The rest of the park stays open and the St. Cloud Lakefront is a solid alternative while work gets done.

If you still haven't made it out on the water with Old Florida Riverboat Company, spring is the time to do it. Operating right out of the St. Cloud Marina on Lakeshore Blvd, they run scenic cruises on East Lake Toho aboard The Lillie, a fully restored 75-foot sternwheel paddleboat. Their Easter Brunch Cruise sold out before Easter Sunday even arrived. Whether you're looking for a date night, a family afternoon, or just something different to do on the water, check what they have coming up this spring. oldfloridariverboatcompany.com

In 2006, St. Cloud became the first city in the United States to offer residents free high-speed wireless internet access citywide. The CyberSpot program blanketed all 15 square miles of the city with free WiFi, years before it became common in airports and coffee shops. About 77% of residents were using it within six months of launch. The program ran until 2009 when the city shut it down citing costs. For a few years though, this small town on the south shore of East Lake Toho was ahead of every major city in America on one thing.

Sources: Wikipedia (St. Cloud, Florida), Community Networks (communitynets.org), Government Technology (govtech.com)

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If you missed Issue 4, here's what you need to know. Easter in the Park brought hundreds of families to the lakefront for the 5th annual egg hunt, Harmony Youth Football and Cheer opened registration for the fall season, and we covered the story of the illuminated cross that used to sit on top of the US-192 water tower. Catch the full issue at thecloudlocal.com

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Keep showing up for St. Cloud, keep cheering on local people and businesses, and enjoy your weekend.

Your Cloud Local Team

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