Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 12

49 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 former church built in 1927, offers arts shows and musical performances throughout the year. The community is also home to various art and music festivals, including Make it Magical, an annual event drawing thousands to the city. Lake Wales Little Theatre offers live performances put on entirely by volunteers and is another local attraction. With the beautiful Lake Wailes being at the center of the community, it is a natural site for outdoor festivals and events, including a yearly pioneer festival, and the Orange Blossom Revue. Both of these offer arts and music, and draw large crowds to the area. The implementation of the Lake Wales Connected Plan, along with residential development and industry attraction, are important steps for the continued growth and revitalization of the city. Looking ahead to the future of Lake Wales, Mayor Fultz believes partnerships with educational institutions is the key to future success. He emphasizes, “We need to keep developing closer relationships with our educational institutions. If we don’t have people ready for the high tech jobs that are coming in, we will not get the high tech business coming in. Making that connection with those institutions will help us immensely to make sure that we are giving people a place to live, work, and play every single day, while increasing their ability to have an upscale life here in Lake Wales.” C I TY OF LAKE WALES , FLOR IDA