Things to Do in Chalco

Instructors at Omaha Ballroom lead drop-in group dance and fitness courses inside a studio with arched ceilings and a capacity of 100 people. Students partnered with spouses or doppelgangers glide through the steps of the waltz, fox trot, and tango during ballroom classes, or shake and strut to upbeat Latin tempos in salsa classes. Line-dancing and country-two-step classes equip individuals with the tools to impress at the next corporate hoedown, and swing lessons have dancers jitterbugging in either the East or West Coast style. Students can sidestep choreography to strengthen cores during mat Pilates, participate in Zumba’s gut-busting cardio sessions, and practice folding feet into fists in kickboxing classes.

Sempeck's Bowling & Entertainment throws open its doors and beckons fun seekers inside an expansive facility to steer go-karts down an indoor track, bob and weave in a two-story laser-tag arena, and bowl on lanes that transform into cosmic-themed extravaganzas every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Inside the fun factory lies a video-game arcade equipped with skee-ball, crane games, and prizes for anyone who can slay the three-headed prize guard. After fierce competitions, high-definition TVs and frosty beverages await players in the Sparetime Sports Bar & Restaurant, an in-house eatery that hosts karaoke every Friday night.

Elkhorn Ridge Golf Course’s nine-hole, par 3 layout provides a forgiving environment for beginners just taking up the sport and more seasoned players looking to polish their short-game finesse. Holes range from as short as the 95-yard fifth hole to as lengthy as the 173-yard seventh hole, the toughest on the course. Adding up to 1,203 yards overall, the course places a premium on iron accuracy as players bombard the greens and pins from a single set of tees.

As an HGTV-featured glass artist and author of the short story collection An Extraordinary Life: …Once You Take Out All of the Boring Crap, Kristi Pederson encourages individuals to embrace creativity. Adult and kids' art classes at her studio, Adventure in Art, focus on fun over perfectionism as Kristi teaches beginner-level students to create projects such as fused-glass ornaments and custom jewelry. And during Paint N Pour sessions, adults sip goblets of vino as they fill canvases with color and learn how Leonardo Da Vinci invented red wine by cleaning his brushes in chardonnay.

Amid the lime-green and burnt-orange walls of Creation Station, an encouraging staff inspires visitors to follow their artistic impulses as they use pottery as their canvas. Seven days a week, experienced and casual artists alike can plunge their brushes into a rainbow of paints and let loose on a variety of mugs, figurines, and dishes. Once colorized to the artist’s content, finished bisque pieces visit a fiery kiln, where colors become more vibrant and snowmen melt into carrot-and-coal soup. Revelers can also gather at Creation Station to celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, or make Christmas ornaments during the winter season.

With a focus on martial arts, the staff at Omaha Blue Waves Martial Arts and Fitness aids its clients in losing weight, honing self-defense skills, and increasing endurance. Students of all ages learn the arts of Tae Kwon Do or challenge themselves during full-body boot camps. Onsite massage services soothe sore muscles after or before workouts.