Hey St. Cloud -

The flags are out early this week, and for good reason. Saturday turns downtown into one big Flag Day block party, the market just moved to a new day, and we dug up why this town got the Soldier City name in the first place. Here's everything worth knowing this week.

A good Saturday to be downtown

Grab a free passport at the museum, walk downtown, and collect a stamp at each participating shop. Return with a full card for a chance to win prizes. Local Scout Troop 4 kicks things off with the pledge and a demonstration on how to properly fold and store the flag.

Free, easy, and the kind of thing St. Cloud does well. mycentralfloridafamily.com/event/passport-to-patriotism-flag-day-celebration-in-st-cloud

The old Sunday market moved to Saturdays with a fresh look. Local vendors, live music, food, and veteran resources. Free. 2nd and 4th Saturdays going forward.

Worth the short drive if you want a Friday night out. Live music, vendors, and a proper summer kickoff.

Free on the big screen at the lakefront. Blankets and chairs. That's all you need.

The Turnpike's getting wider and the city wants your eyes on it first. There's a meeting tonight, Thursday, at 5:30pm at the St. Cloud Community Center. The plan takes Florida's Turnpike from Partin Settlement Road to US-192, four lanes up to eight. Construction won't start until early 2028, so this is the early look before anything gets locked in. stcloudfl.gov

A new K-8 school is headed our way. The district lined up a site off Hickory Tree Road tied to the Triple H Ranch subdivision, which is bringing over a thousand new homes. The school's meant to keep up with all those families moving in.

You might know it as the Spice and Tea Trading Post. It's The Post now, and it's still right there at 1005A New York Ave in Historic Downtown. Part Christian bookstore, part tea shop, part neighborhood hangout. Over 60 teas brewed fresh hot or cold, macaroons and croissants, essential oils, home goods, and a solid selection of Christian books. Indoor seating and free WiFi too. The kind of shop you pop into for ten minutes and stay for an hour. Open Monday through Saturday 9am-6pm. spiceandteatradingpost.com

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Out at Mount Peace Cemetery, 427 Union Civil War veterans are buried, laid to rest between 1910 and 1942. Among them are three soldiers from the United States Colored Troops and fifteen men who survived the Andersonville prison camp. It's one of the largest non-battlefield Union cemeteries south of the Mason-Dixon line. For a stretch, St. Cloud had the largest group of Union veterans anywhere in the South. That's where the name comes from. Flag Day weekend is a good time to remember it.

Sources: Osceola History (osceolahistory.org), Mount Peace Cemetery historical marker (hmdb.org), City of St. Cloud (stcloudfl.gov)

If you missed Issue 13, Storybook Adventures took over downtown with free books and author meet-and-greets, Sweet Spot Snoballs on New York Ave got the spotlight as the heat moved in for good, and we explained why downtown avenues carry the names of Union states. Full issue at thecloudlocal.com

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