City of Bartow, a Florida Municipality

06/23/2026

In less than two weeks(!), the City of Bartow's 2026 Independence Day Celebration will take place at Mosaic Park near the Bartow Civic Center. The event begins at 5pm on Saturday, July 4 and will include live performances by the Franchise Players (pictured), a five piece band who will bring a dynamic blend of Soul, Pop, Smooth Jazz, Hip Hop, and R&B to the stage, as well as Charlie Imes and The Sun Dogs, a “TropRock” band featuring Roger Bartlett, the original lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefers and Country artist and local favorite Eli Mosley with special guest the Dallas Tyler Band.

There will be children’s activities including a petting zoo, face painting and a balloon artist as well as food trucks, a caricature artist and, of course, fireworks at 9:20pm (weather permitting) – all to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday!

Can't wait for evening? Get the party started with a performance by the Bartow Adult Concert Band at 2:30pm in the Civic Center.

Thanks to Thunder Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for their generous support of this event as well as to The Mosaic Company and Bartow Awards & Gift Shop LLC for their sponsorships.

06/23/2026

Southwest Florida Water Management District announced today that they will extend the Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage restrictions through Oct.1 in the region that includes Polk County and Bartow. Click on the link below or go to https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/business/epermitting/district-water-restrictions for a full list of the restrictions.

Modified Phase III "Extreme" Water Shortage Restrictions Begin April 3Always refer to your city or county regulations first.

06/22/2026

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County are at the forefront of youth development and serve as a safe-haven and opportunity hub for all young people.

The Clubs recognize that the health, well-being, and future success of our children is a shared community responsibility and maintains that children’s abilities, confidence, and aspirations can be nurtured through supportive programs and positive environments that prepare them to thrive - physically, emotionally, and professionally.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County help ensure that our young people have access to resources, offering them a safe and supportive place to go and providing them with quality programs.

At the last commission meeting, a proclamation was issued to encourage citizens to join the local outlet in celebrating June 22 - 26 as National Boys & Girls Club Week along with some 5,000 other Clubs and more than four million young people worldwide. It was accepted by Alex Lindsay, Joe L. Saunders Club Unit Director for Boys & Girls Club of Polk County and Ashley Ray, Vice President of Development.

06/20/2026

The Bartow Public Library has released a new “Tales of the Town.” Check it out to learn another piece of our City’s history, courtesy of Lloyd Harris.

06/18/2026

🚧Note that on Sunday, June 21, Main St. will be closed from Wilson to Hendry beginning at 7am and lasting most of the day to allow for street improvements. Workers also will be in the area fixing some brick pavers in the crosswalks of Wilson and Main and as well as Florida and Main.🚧

06/18/2026

Heads up!

The City of Bartow has invested in Perry Weather monitoring to keep residents safe and informed. Here’s how it works:

06/17/2026

Reminder that City offices and facilities will be closed this Friday in recognition of Juneteenth. There will be no impact on the solid waste schedule.

The Juneteenth holiday celebrates the official end of slavery in this country, which took two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. The lengthy delay in some states' announcements regarding the end of slavery was caused by the fact that the Civil War still raging and communication was challenging.

Because of this, news and enforcement had been slow to reach the more remote slave states. The very last reading of the federal orders of emancipation occurred in Galveston, TX, on June 19, 1865, finally bringing freedom to all enslaved persons in the country.

Long celebrated as an unofficial holiday in Black communities, Juneteenth became an official U.S. federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

The official Juneteenth flag (pictured) was created by activist Ben Haith in 1997. Three years later, illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf helped refine the design into its current look, which is rife with symbolism.

* The White Star - It honors Texas (the Lone Star State) where Major General Gordon Granger delivered the news of freedom in Galveston. The star also asserts that Black Americans are free in all 50 states.
* The Starburst - Inspired by a nova (a "new star") the starburst represents a fresh beginning for African Americans.
* The Curved Arc - This forms the boundary between the red and blue fields, symbolizing a new horizon filled with hope and progress.
* The Colors - Using Red, White, and Blue deliberately mirrors the colors of the American flag to serve as a reminder that enslaved people and their descendants were, and always have been, Americans.

06/16/2026

The Bartow Public Library’s summer reading program is in full swing! Last week, they kicked things off with a Jurassic Expedition at the Civic Center and there’s plenty more events to come.

Visit cityofbartow.net/library to stay in the loop. We’ll see you at the next one!

06/16/2026

CITY OF BARTOW
CITY COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026 AT 5:30 P.M. (EST)
OR AS SOON THEREAFTER AS POSSIBLE
CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 450 N. WILSON AVE., BARTOW, FL 33830

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. INVOCATION

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

4. PUBLIC HEARING(S)

a. Public hearing and consideration of Resolution No. 26-4266-R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BARTOW, FLORIDA; DECLARING ITSELF TO BE THE BARTOW COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY PURSUANT TO THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1969; PROVIDING FOR TERMINATION OF THE PREVIOUS AGENCY AND PREVIOUS SET OF APPOINTMENTS; PROVIDING FOR THE TERMS OF THE NEW AGENCY’S MEMBERS; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

5. ADJOURNMENT

Please be advised that if you desire to appeal any decisions made because of the above hearing or meeting, you will need a record of the proceedings and in some cases a verbatim record is required. You must make your own arrangements to produce this record. (Florida Statute 286.0105). The City Commission may continue the public hearing(s) to other dates and times as it deems necessary. Any interested party shall be advised that the date, time, and place of any continuation of these or continued public hearings may be announced during the hearing and that no further notice regarding this matter will be published. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 450 N. Wilson Avenue, P.O. Box 1069, Bartow, Florida 33831-1069 or phone (863) 534-0100 within 2 working days of your receipt of this meeting notification; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 1-800-955-8771. Posted at City Hall, Bartow Public Library, the City’s website on June 16, 2026.

06/15/2026

City Commission Meeting - 6/15/2026