Lake Wales Pioneer Days

12/19/2025

Please consider supporting Lake Wales Mardi Gras!♥️

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
Since taking over leadership of Lake Wales Mardi Gras in 2018, we have focused on two very important things.
1. Creating a family friendly atmosphere, that has something for everyone.
2. Transforming this event into a fundraiser for the very community that enjoys it.

Since 2018 we have managed to donate over $110,000 back to the community through so many deserving organizations. If this event means or has meant something to you, I urge you to visit our website to see how you can help. We have a small committee that got even smaller this year and we are very reliant on our volunteers, as well as our sponsors. Honestly, without the two, it would be impossible to put this event on. We have a few huge opportunities for you to become sponsor partners and it is vital that we get these locked up ASAP. If you or someone you know would like more information on what is involved in sponsoring Lake Wales Mardi Gras, please contact us with your questions. We are looking forward to another great event, but we can't do it without your help!

Thank you,
Joshua Curchy
321-615-5183
Lake Wales Mardi Gras-President

12/19/2025

🏦 Thank You, SouthState Bank! 🏦

A big thank you to SouthState Bank for their generous support of Pioneer Days! Community partners like SouthState Bank help make it possible for us to bring people together to celebrate Lake Wales’ history, traditions, and hometown spirit.

Your support played an important role in creating a fun, welcoming event for families, neighbors, and visitors alike. We’re grateful for your continued investment in our community and for helping keep events like Pioneer Days thriving.

Thank you for being a valued partner and for supporting what makes Lake Wales special! 💙

12/18/2025

We can hardly believe it, but next year marks our 50th Pioneer Days festival! 🥳 Half a century of honoring history, community, and family fun, and we can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with YOU.

Start getting excited, because 2026 is going to be bigger, brighter, and more memorable than ever. Think amazing music, family activities, historic highlights, and plenty of surprises as we mark 50 years of Pioneer Days in Lake Wales!

Stay tuned, mark your calendars, and get ready to make history with us. 🎉

12/18/2025

👏 Thank You, Labor Solutions, Inc.! 👏

A huge thank you to Labor Solutions for their support of Pioneer Days! Events like this don’t come together without a lot of behind-the-scenes effort, and we’re grateful for partners who help make everything run smoothly from start to finish.

Because of your support, we’re able to create a welcoming, fun, and well-organized event for our community, celebrating history, families, and all that makes Lake Wales special.

We truly appreciate your partnership and commitment to supporting local events. Thank you for helping make this year's Pioneer Days festival a success! 💙

12/17/2025

❤️ Pioneer Days is powered by local love.

We’re proud to partner with businesses and organizations that believe in celebrating Lake Wales’ history and bringing the community together. Thank you to all of our sponsors, local community partners, volunteers, and attendees for showing up, giving back, and supporting what makes our town so special.

Interested in being part of Pioneer Days next year? We’d love to hear from you! 📩Email us at [email protected]
to learn more about getting involved!

12/17/2025

🎉 Thank You, AdventHealth! 🎉

We are incredibly grateful to AdventHealth for being a Pioneer Day sponsor and for sponsoring both our stage and giveaway bags this year.

The stage truly was the heart of Pioneer Day, from presenting our Pioneer of the Year Award, to hosting amazing live bands, to cheering on the adorable kids in our costume contest. It was the place where so many special moments happened, and it wouldn’t have been possible without AdventHealth’s generous support.

Thank you for helping us do what we do and for investing in events that make Lake Wales such a special place!

12/14/2025

Our Pioneer of the Year Sharon Kurschner ready to ride in the Christmas parade!

12/12/2025

✨ We Need Your Voice, Lake Wales! ✨

As we begin planning for Pioneer Days 2026, our goal is to continue growing, improving, and creating an event that truly reflects the heart of our community. Your feedback is an essential part of that process, and we would be so grateful if you could take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us.

👉 If you attended Pioneer Days 2025, please fill out our general event survey. Your experiences help us understand what worked, what did not, and what you hope to see in the future: https://wkf.ms/4pZsj0N

👉 Community Market vendors, we want to hear from you too! Your insight helps us elevate the market each year and support our local makers, growers, and small businesses: https://wkf.ms/44oNKAb

👉 Lastly, if you attended Beers with Pioneers, we are excited to announce that the event will return in 2026 even bigger and better. Your feedback will help shape that experience and ensure it continues to grow in the right direction: https://wkf.ms/4a7V07e

Your completion of these surveys truly makes a difference and helps us continue building meaningful, community-centered events for Lake Wales!

If you have any questions or would like assistance completing a survey, please feel free to call the museum at 863 676 1759. Additional questions can also be emailed to [email protected].

Thank you, Lake Wales, for always helping us grow. We appreciate your support more than you know ❤

11/12/2025

Cheers to another great Beers with Pioneers, and thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate! 🍻 We also can't thank our incredible local business partners who helped make it possible. Between the ribbon cutting, live music, craft brews, and good company, it was the perfect way to kick off the Pioneer Days weekend.

As we plan ahead for next year’s 50th Pioneer Days celebration, we’d love your feedback! Your input helps us improve each year and continue creating events that bring our community together in meaningful (and fun!) ways.

Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/bwp_survey_2025

11/11/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 49th Annual Pioneer Days Festival. 🎉 Your support means so much and helps us keep this community tradition going strong year after year.

As we start planning for next year’s 50th anniversary, we’d love your feedback! Please take a few minutes to complete our event survey. Your input helps us improve the experience each year, greatly supports our fundraising efforts, and makes Pioneer Days more meaningful for the community.

Share your thoughts here: https://bit.ly/pd_survey_2025

11/03/2025

It is with great sadness that we share that the 2021 Pioneer of the Year Gladys Howell passed away on October 31st. She was 99 years old. Condolences to her family and friends.

10/31/2025