Bartow Kiwanis Club

10/30/2026

🎃👻 What a spooktacular time at the 82nd Annual Bartow Halloween Carnival! 👻🎃

Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us for a fun-filled evening! We loved seeing all the creative costumes, smiling faces, and community spirit. Bartow certainly knows how to celebrate Halloween! 🧡

A HUGE thank-you to the Crickett Club for hosting and helping make this event such a success!

And a special shout-out to Savannah Cerullo, Chelsea Young, and Michelle Smith for wrangling all of our costume contest competitors! Keeping that many little monsters (and big ones, too!) organized is no easy task! 😂🎭

Thank you, Bartow, for showing up, supporting our community traditions, and making memories with us. We appreciate each and every one of you!

Until next year… stay spooky, Bartow! 🧙‍♀️🕸️🎃

10/27/2026

🎃👻 BARTOW, IT’S TIME TO GET SPOOKY! 👻🎃

Come out and join us for the 82nd Annual Bartow Halloween Festival! 🧡🖤

Bring the family, invite your friends, and enjoy a Bartow tradition filled with Halloween fun, festive costumes, and community spirit! 🕸️🍬

🧙‍♀️ Think you have the best costume? Don’t just come to watch — ENTER THE COSTUME CONTEST! 🏆 Whether you’re spooky, silly, creative, or downright spectacular, we want to see what you’ve got!

📸 Dress up, show off your Halloween spirit, and make some wonderful memories with our amazing community!

Let’s make this year’s festival one to remember! Share this post, tag your friends, and start planning those costumes now! 🎃👻

🧡 We can’t wait to see everyone there!

🎃

🎃The 82nd Bartow Community Parade and Carnival will take place on Thursday, October 29, bringing together families, friends, neighbors, and visitors for one of Bartow’s most time‑honored and beloved traditions.

Since its inception in 1942, this celebration has grown into a hallmark event that reflects the spirit, unity, and vibrancy of the Bartow community, and has been enjoyed by generations of residents.

The 2026 events are made possible through the dedication and collaboration of numerous community organizations, including the Crickette Club of Bartow, Junior Service League of Bartow, Bartow Rotary Club, Bartow Kiwanis Club, Zonta Club of Bartow, Engage, Main Street Bartow, the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce & Welcome Center, City of Bartow Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts, and the Bartow Police Department and Fire Department, all of whom generously contribute their time, resources, and leadership to ensure the continued success of this tradition.

Proceeds from carnival concessions, ticket sales, and merchandise have supported countless charitable causes, youth programs, civic initiatives, and community enrichment efforts, demonstrating the event’s lasting impact beyond the festivities themselves.

At last Monday's City Commission meeting, Mayor Tucker and the Commission declared October 29 as Bartow Community Parade and Carnival Day. The proclamation was accepted by Committee Chairperson Jennifer Hall and members of participating civic clubs.

Planning to attend? The parade begins at 4:30pm with the
Carnival at Mosaic Park on Floral Ave. immediately thereafter.🎃

10/23/2026

📣 Bartow Kiwanis Weekly Meeting Recap! 💙💛

A big thank-you to Scott Wilder from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for joining us today for an informative discussion on social media and its role in civic clubs! We learned so much and truly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and insights with our club. 👏

🤝 Join us next week!

We are excited to welcome the Boys & Girls Club of Bartow, who will be sharing their mission and the important work they do to support the youth in our community. ❤️

📍 Bartow Civic Center
🕛 Friday at Noon

🥫 Help Us Make a Difference — Community Food Drive!

Bartow Kiwanis is collecting food donations to support the Community Service Center and help those in need right here in our community.

📍 Drop-off Location: Spence Room at the Bartow Civic Center
📅 Fridays
⏰ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Every donation makes a difference! Thank you for helping us support our neighbors and strengthen our community. ❤️

Come join us for lunch, fellowship, and an opportunity to learn more about the organizations making a difference in Bartow. Everyone is welcome!

💙💛 Bartow Kiwanis — Serving the Children of the World, One Community at a Time!

10/13/2026

📚💙 Bartow Kiwanis Thanks Dr. Fred Heid! 💙📚

A huge thank-you to Dr. Fred Heid, Superintendent of Schools for Polk County, for joining Bartow Kiwanis as our guest speaker at our District Council Meeting (DCM)!

Dr. Heid delivered an excellent and informative presentation on the current status of our public schools and Amendment 3. We appreciate his time, his willingness to share valuable insight, and his commitment to keeping our community informed about the issues impacting our students, educators, and schools.

At Bartow Kiwanis, we believe that investing in our children and supporting education are essential to building a stronger future for our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from our school district’s leadership!

👏 Thank you, Dr. Heid, for an outstanding presentation and for all you do for Polk County’s students and families!

💙 Serving our community. Supporting our youth. Making a difference.

10/09/2026

📣 Bartow Kiwanis DCM – You’re Invited! 📣

Join us for our upcoming Division Council Meeting (DCM) on Tuesday, October 13th, at the Bartow Civic Center in the Teen Room!

🌟 Special Guest Speaker: Fred Heid
Fred Heid is the Superintendent of Schools for Polk County Public Schools. We’re excited to welcome him and hear from our community’s educational leader!

🍽️ Tickets: $35 per person — dinner included!

Come enjoy an evening of fellowship, great food, and an opportunity to connect with fellow Kiwanians and community members.

📅 Date: Tuesday, October 13th
📍 Location: Bartow Civic Center – Teen Room
🎤 Guest Speaker: Fred Heid, Superintendent of Polk County Public Schools
💲 Cost: $35 per person, including dinner

💙💛 We look forward to seeing you there! Join us as we continue working together to make a positive difference in our community and the lives of our children.

10/02/2026

🏡 Bartow Kiwanis Friday Meeting! 💙

We had a fantastic and very informative presentation today from Bartow Assistant City Manager Trey Towles, who spoke to us about Community Development & Neighborhood Services.

Trey shared some great information about the work being done in our community, and clearly, we weren’t ready for the conversation to end! We enjoyed his presentation so much that we’re bringing him back on November 6th to continue the conversation. We can’t wait!

If you’ve ever wondered what’s happening in Bartow or simply want to learn more, meet some great people, and be part of an organization committed to serving our community, come join us!

📅 Every Friday
⏰ 12:00 Noon
📍 Bartow Civic Center

The public is always welcome! Come for the speaker, stay for the fellowship, and see what Bartow Kiwanis is all about. 💙

Kiwanis: Serving the children and community of Bartow, one project at a time!

09/29/2026

📣 **JOIN US THIS FRIDAY AT BARTOW KIWANIS!**

The Bartow Kiwanis Club is excited to welcome **Community and Neighborhood Development Services** as our guest presenter this week!

Come learn more about the programs, services, and efforts helping strengthen our community and improve the quality of life for our residents.

📅 **Friday, October 2nd**
🕛 **12:00 Noon**

We invite our friends, neighbors, local leaders, and anyone interested in what’s happening in our community to join us.

**Everyone is welcome!** Bring a friend and come spend your lunch hour with Bartow Kiwanis as we learn more about the work being done right here in our community.

💙 **Great communities are built when people get involved!**

Send a message to learn more

09/25/2026

💙💛 What a busy and meaningful day at Bartow Kiwanis! 💛💙

Today, we welcomed Gunner Daughtry, who gave us an exciting presentation about his fundraising efforts for Guardian Revival. Gunner shared his project and the impact he hopes to make, and we were proud to be able to support him as he works toward his fundraising goals. We love seeing young people step up, serve others, and make a difference! 🇺🇸

We also celebrated an important moment in our club with the Passing of the Pin. A huge thank-you to Dan Clark for his leadership and dedication during his term as our Kiwanis President. Dan worked hard to strengthen our club and we are grateful for everything he has done.

We are excited to welcome Michelle Smith as our new president for the upcoming Kiwanis year! We look forward to another year of service, fellowship, and making a difference in our community. 💙💛

And the service didn’t stop when the meeting ended!

Following our meeting, we were honored to present the Boys & Girls Club with a donation to help support their current project. Supporting our local youth is one of the things we are most passionate about.

Bartow Kiwanis is blessed to be able to support so many youth organizations and community projects. We are incredibly proud of our club and the difference our members make every day!

💙💛 Serving the children and community of Bartow — that’s what Kiwanis is all about! 💛💙

09/17/2026

🌈🏃‍♀️ Bartow Kiwanis is Ready to Get Colorful! 🏃‍♂️🌈

We are excited to be volunteering with the Bartow High School Color Fun Run this Saturday, September 19, 2026! 🎉

📅 Saturday, September 19th
⏰ Starting at 8:00 AM
📍 Tharp Street, Bartow, FL

Come out and support our local students while enjoying a fun-filled morning of color, laughter, and community spirit! 💙💛

👉 Sign up at the link below!
Be sure to share this post with your friends and family so they can join in on the fun!

Let’s make this a colorful day to remember! 🌈

https://gofan.co/event/6739730?schoolId=FL5782

09/15/2026

💙 Join Us for Bartow Kiwanis! 💙

We are excited to welcome Shawna Butler from Heartland for Children as our guest speaker this Friday, September 18th!

Shawna will be joining us to share information about Heartland for Children and the important work they do in our community. We look forward to learning more about how they support children and families across Central Florida.

📅 Friday, September 18, 2026
⏰ 12:00 Noon
📍 Bartow Civic Center

🍽️ Come enjoy lunch, fellowship, and a great speaker!

The public is welcome! Bring a friend and join us as we learn more about the organizations making a difference in the lives of children and families.

We hope to see you there! 💙