Things to Do in Concord

CarolinaNightlife.com is a guide to the region’s hottest clubs, restaurants, and bars. The party resource provides useful information as to which spots are the most popular on a given night, and they also include hours, directions, specials, and onsite photo albums so prospective attendees can check out the crowd. The page teems with recommendations on where to go and what to do, with activities that range from speed dating and live music to ping-pong tournaments and Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show viewings.

At Our Paintin' Place, bouquets of paintbrushes, a palate of bright paints, and a crafty staff inspire customers to bedeck vases, mugs, and decorative ceramics in fire-glazed designs. Prior to painting, artists browse blank ceramics, ranging from functional chopstick holders ($4) to a plethora of decorative items such as a miniature owl ($14), cocktail-party plate ($18), or a figurine of Rutherford B. Hayes' beard. Pottery Picassos get full access to the studio, including supplies, inspiring samples, stencils, tracing paper, and stamps. After four or five days, painters can collect their pieces, fired and glazed to a professional gloss.

Wooden Stone's airy, 5,000-square-foot gallery space showcases fine American crafts that blend artistry and function. Now representing more than 600 American craftspeople, 100 of who are Carolinas natives, Wooden Stone primarily highlights work made by small numbers of artists at a time. The selection of finely crafted, functional artwork ranges from furniture to jewelry, and each of the pieces—composed of materials including ceramics, wood, glass, and metal—greets buyers with its own distinct feel and favorite knock-knock joke.

During childhood, the sloped handlebars of kids’ bikes often made a perfect seat for riding a friend around town. Fast-forward to today and the grown-up Party Pedaler, a large bike craft that seats up to 14 people, eschews handlebars for a flat bar top that holds elbows, drinks, and listens to you boast about how much faster you’re going than everyone else. This rolling, people-powered bike rolls through custom routes or a choice of four pre-planned treks through the Queen City. In the South End, crawlers cruise along mills and warehouses and into eclectic pubs and restaurants. North Davidson’s art district boasts funky galleries and theaters, and in Uptown, wheels push past cultural institutions such as the Fillmore and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Designed and built in Oregon, the party bike saddles up to 10 pedalers and cradles up to four more on a back bench. Speakers and iPod hookups fuel the cycling, as do BYO beverages and snacks. Most of the bar-crawl routes make four stops, giving riders ample opportunity to sample what local bartenders are mixing up.

Inspiration can be found in many places—at Café Elie, it frequently nestles at the bottom of a mug. Part coffeehouse, part art studio, and part home for wine lovers, the café welcomes budding artists and watercolor aficionados alike to classes aimed at students of all skill levels. While practicing upon canvases, patrons whet their whistles with the studio's caffeinated offerings or sip on wines they supply themselves.

The café's owner, accomplished artist Elie Bou Zeidan, leads students through the finer points of acrylic and oil painting, imparting knowledge he's gained through his studies and travels throughout the United States and France. Zeidan regularly displays his artwork alongside that of his students, easily viewed in monthly wine tastings, regular exhibitions, and by squinting really hard through the window.

Bigtime Moonbounce's inflatable jumpers resemble racecars, birthday cakes, and castles, and give youngsters ample hopping room to release pent-up energy. Or they can try out a combo bouncer–modeled after castles, balloons, and basketball courts–to jump and then race down a safe and colorful slide. Obstacle courses offer more opportunities for competition as kids navigate their way through an inflatable train or hustle through a giant car. In addition, Bigtime Moonbounce enhances parties with croquet equipment, rope for a tug of war, and empty sacks for potato-sack races that don't require a raw potato-eating contest beforehand. After a long day of jumping and gaming, guests can reenergize with a snack from one of Bigtime Moonbounce's cotton candy, popcorn, or snow-cone machines, which are available for rent.