Hey St. Cloud -

The heat showed up and it's not leaving. Good news is the town leaned into it. Free books downtown Saturday, the splash pad's running all weekend, and Cloud Cash is still live if you grabbed yours. Here's everything worth knowing this week.

Grab a free story map, walk the shops on New York Ave, and read a page at each stop. Meet authors Dirk Webb at Healthy Start (813 New York Ave) and Brittany Leopardi at The Post (1005A New York Ave). First 20 families get a free signed book. Costumes welcome. stcloudmainstreet.org/storybook-adventure

Free, easy, and the most sensible thing you can do with kids when it's 95 degrees. Parking right at the lakefront.

Local vendors, food trucks, family activities, and veteran resources. Free and very St. Cloud.

$5 gets you $10 to spend at participating Downtown St. Cloud businesses. Good through July 31. stcloudmainstreet.org

Summer camp is open. The Civic Center camp runs through August 7 for kids ages 5–12. There's also a free Hopkins Park camp for eligible city kids. Spots fill fast so if you've been on the fence, call Parks and Rec at 407-957-7243 before the good weeks are gone. stcloudfl.gov/2365/Summer-Camp

Build some patience into your summer commute. Canoe Creek Road is getting widened to four lanes from Deer Run Road down to US-192. At the same time, 22nd Street South is being rebuilt with new curbs, drains, bike lanes, and sidewalk. Both are long-haul projects. Expect cones for a while. Details at one.osceola.org/canoecreek and stcloudfl.gov/1961/Construction-Projects

When it's 95 out, this is the move. Sweet Spot Snoballs at 1124 New York Ave does shaved ice the right way, soft and fluffy, with over 40 flavors and the option to stuff it with ice cream or cheesecake. Right in the heart of Historic Downtown, open Tuesday through Saturday 11am–7pm. Do the Storybook loop Saturday morning and cool everybody down after. 1124 New York Ave.

Got a business to nominate? Reply and tell us who and why.

Your roof takes a beating in a Florida summer. CTR Roofing has been serving St. Cloud homeowners with inspections, repairs, and full replacements and they make the process easy from first call to final nail.

“Every Roof Is Our Reputation”

Get a free inspection today at stcloudrooferctr.com

Look at the downtown map. New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio. Those avenues are named for the states that fought for the Union. Col. John McElroy of the Seminole Land and Investment Company picked the names on purpose when St. Cloud was laid out in 1909 as a colony for Civil War Union veterans. You're driving through a Yankee roll call every day and probably never thought about it.

Sources: Osceola History (osceolahistory.org), FLGenWeb Early St. Cloud History, Wikipedia (St. Cloud, Florida)

If you missed Issue 12, here's the short version. Cloud Cash launched June 1 and sold out fast. Hurricane season opened Monday. The burn ban lifted. And we spotlighted the St. Cloud Heritage Museum at 1012 Massachusetts Ave, one of the best places in town to understand why this city exists. Full issue at thecloudlocal.com

New here? Subscribe free and get St. Cloud in your inbox every Thursday.

[your business here]

We're looking for a few St. Cloud businesses to come on as founding partners. Want your business in front of St. Cloud homeowners every Thursday? Apply here today to get your business in front of locals!