Special to T&T Magazine

Haines City, Florida — August 2026 — Balmoral Resort is excited to announce the launch of Splash Live, a new live entertainment experience bringing music, tribute shows and special events to Haines City and the wider Polk County community.

Located at Balmoral Resort, 124 Kenny Boulevard, Haines City, Splash Live will combine live entertainment with the unique resort atmosphere of Splash at Balmoral, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy great music, food, drinks and entertainment in a relaxed poolside setting.

The venue officially launches on Saturday, September 26, 2026, with a Grand Opening Country Music Show featuring tributes to three icons of country music — Kenny Rogers, Dottie West and Johnny Cash.

The opening will be followed by a growing calendar of entertainment, including Girls Night Out on October 2, The Beach Buoys Pool Party on October 10, and a Michael Jackson Tribute on October 24, with additional shows and special events planned throughout the year.

“Our goal with Splash Live is to create something different for Polk County — an affordable, welcoming entertainment destination where local residents and visitors can enjoy a great night out without having to travel to Orlando or Tampa,” said Garrett Kenny of Balmoral Resort. “We want Splash Live to become known as a place for great entertainment, great memories and a great atmosphere.”

Splash Live will feature a mix of tribute acts, live bands, themed entertainment and family-friendly events, with selected performances specifically designed for adult audiences.

COME FOR THE SHOW. STAY FOR THE EXPERIENCE.

Splash Live at Balmoral Resort
124 Kenny Boulevard, Haines City, Florida
Tickets and event information: www.SplashAtBalmoralResort.com

by James "Jimmy" Coulter

People these days can't seem to agree on anything. Yet somehow we've all come to the same conclusion: the world sucks. We might debate how it sucks, or even why it sucks, but we can all agree: life sucks!

Sure, perhaps life has always sucked. It started sucking the moment one couple got tossed out of a garden for doing the single thing they were told not to do, and it's been all downhill from there. Ever since, man has been forced to work by the sweat of his brow to put food on the table and a roof over his head—and all while enduring the same problems: war, famine, disease, taxes, death—but I repeat myself!

And sure, perhaps life sucks less now than it used to. Back then, most people were lucky to make it to the ripe old age of 30—largely because infant mortality was sky‑high! And even if you survived childhood, you could still drop dead from smallpox, measles, or even diarrhea. Yes, people really died from diarrhea! But now we have antibiotics, vaccines, and other medical wonders that have allowed us to live longer, and folks no longer poop themselves to death. (Though judging by the current outbreak of explosive diarrhea from contaminated lettuce, that cause of death might be staging a comeback!)

And sure, maybe the "good old days" weren't all that good—at least not for everyone. Yes, back in the 1950s, some folks enjoyed the idyllic American Dream: a wife, two and a half kids, a dog, and a house with a white picket fence. But plenty of others were eating at separate lunch counters, while others were forced to live their entire lives in the closet. The "good old days" weren't good for them then, and while things aren't perfect now, they're at least a little better.

But let's not kid ourselves: just because things were worse back then and slightly better now doesn't mean everything is fine or even trending in the right direction. Some things are still bad—and in many ways, they have gotten worse! Sure, the 1950s were a time when women were expected to stay home doing all the cooking, cleaning, and child‑rearing. But to its credit, it was also a time when a single salary could actually support a single family: the bills got paid, the kids got fed, and the wife didn't need a second job just to keep the lights on.

Back then, you could graduate high school, work your way through college on a minimum‑wage job, and come out the other side with a degree, a decent job, and the ability to buy a car and a house without drowning in debt. You could even save enough to retire and enjoy your golden years in relative comfort. Now? We've got high‑school grads who can't read, minimum‑wage workers who can't afford the food they're cooking, and college grads lugging around student debt so heavy their great‑grandchildren might inherit it. A house and a car? In this economy?!

Everything costs more now. A cup of coffee is a luxury, a movie ticket is a splurge, and a gallon of gas might as well require a co‑signer. And the quality? Worse. Clothes barely survive a wash cycle. Customer service is a rumor. We've even coined a word for companies shrinking products while jacking up prices: shrinkflation. Everything's smaller, pricier, and shoddier.

In short: life sucks. I wish I had a solution for how to make it suck less, but what do I know? I'm an op‑ed writer, not a miracle worker.

Special to T&T Magazine

Rock Orchestra by Candlelight is far more than a traditional concert—it's a theatrical, immersive production that transforms some of the greatest rock anthems of all time into a breathtaking orchestral experience. Audiences can expect powerful interpretations of music made famous by legendary artists such as Led Zeppelin, Metallica, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Nirvana, Aerosmith, The Cranberries, and many more. From soaring power ballads and classic rock favorites to hard rock and symphonic metal, the program spans decades of iconic music, giving each song a fresh, cinematic sound while preserving the energy and emotion that made it unforgettable.

Adding to the experience is the show's striking visual production. Performed beneath the warm glow of hundreds of candles, the musicians appear in dramatic gothic-inspired costumes that complement the atmosphere and theatrical style of the performance. Carefully choreographed lighting, dynamic visual effects, and the interplay between darkness and candlelight create an intimate yet epic setting, enhancing every musical moment. The result is a captivating fusion of rock, classical music, and theatrical artistry that surrounds the audience with unforgettable sights, sounds, and emotion from the opening note to the final encore.

Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Sweet Child O' Mine – Guns N' Roses
Dream On – Aerosmith
Paint It, Black – The Rolling Stones
Back in Black – AC/DC
Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
Numb – Linkin Park
Bring Me to Life – Evanescence
Toxicity – System of a Down
Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
Freak on a Leash – Korn
Take Me to Church – Hozier
Zombie – The Cranberries ... and many more!

Prepare for an evening that's bold, emotional, and truly unforgettable.

Don't wait—secure your seats early and be among the first to experience this extraordinary concert event!

Event Details:

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The RP Funding Center is conveniently located minutes between Orlando and Tampa in Lakeland, Florida off I-4 on Lime Street; the RP Funding Center is a short drive from anywhere in Central Florida. Regular box office hours are Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. For ticket information, call the Box Office at (863) 834-8111 or visit our website at www.rpfundingcenter.com.

Wawa and Bok Tower Gardens are teaming up again to offer Wawa Summer Fun Days featuring complimentary admission on the last Thursday and Friday of May through August.

The 2025 Wawa Summer Fun Days will continue June 25-26, July 30-31, and August 27-28.

Pre-registration is requested for this complimentary offer. Visitors can register at https://boktowergardens.org/wawa-summer-fun-days-2026/

The extremely popular seek & find game "Where's Wally" will be back again adding another level of fun to this family day in the Gardnes.

The partnership began in 2021 with the launch of Wawa Summer Fun Days, and the offer was expanded in 2022. Since the program began, nearly 100,000 participants have received complimentary admission.

Committed to the communities they serve, Wawa is keeping Bok Tower Gardens growing with their generous support.

About Wawa, Inc.

Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. with 1,200 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, Sizzli hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.

About Bok Tower Gardens

Voted one of America’s best gardens, Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark located 10 miles from LEGOLAND Florida, 55 miles southwest of Orlando and 60 miles east of Tampa near Lake Wales in Central Florida’s rolling hills of citrus. Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Visitor Center, Blue Palmetto Café and The Shop at Bok are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for ages 6-17. Members and children under 5 are admitted free. For more information contact Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales FL 33853; 863-676-1408 or visit www.boktowergardens.org.