Things to Do in Cypress

With the sound of fast-approaching engines roaring in your ear, you jam your foot down even harder on the gas pedal and narrow your eyes at the upcoming left-hand turn, determined not to let up even for an instant. If you do, there’s a good chance that your new view will consist of your competition gloating triumphantly while they zip past you on the track. You may only be driving a GT-5 Sodikart, and not a tricked-out racecar, but you absolutely refuse to let any of the other adult or—gulp—junior drivers beat you.

Track 21 lets speed-demons careen around one of three indoor go-kart tracks at speeds of up to 40 mph as they try to edge past other karts, competing with fellow birthday partiers or coworkers to reach the finish line before it decides to become a finish wall. In case competition gets too fierce, the karts are surrounded by heavy nylon bumpers and rubber blocks designed to absorb impact from all sides.

Friendly rivalries continue on foot inside Area 21, a two-story laser-tag battleground beset with fog, obstacles, and space-age scenery. Sharpshooters zap each other's targets in pursuit of a grander mission, such as capturing the opposing base or stealing the enemy's supply of light, before matches end and scores are tallied on a stats sheet. Glowing decor also illuminates a jungle-themed nine-hole mini-golf course, where gorilla and lion statues bask in the black lights. Track 21’s arcade demands timing and button-smashing dexterity from gamers, and a track-side casino sets up rounds of blackjack, poker, and craps.

Arthur Murray has been a leading name in franchise dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and the Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, the Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with other classmates as the instructors assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.

Each year, the Spring Home & Garden Show gathers home-design experts into one location so that enthusiasts of home decorating and outdoor living projects can catch a glimpse of the latest in domestic products and design. Visitors peruse booths hosted by professionals occupying cozy niches that span the home-improvement spectrum, from landscaping and gardening to organizing garages and building a custom home. While attendees bounce from booth to booth, a lineup of notable industry sages take the stage to discuss the year’s best ideas and products and answer any embarrassing questions that fairgoers might have about where houses come from.

1960 Beads stocks a plethora of glamorous beads and baubles including Swarovski crystals, pearls, and semiprecious gemstones. Shoppers can peruse racks of beaded strands arranged by color and size. 1960 Beads’ workshops guide students and to create personalized accessories, from macramé to stone-pendant wire wrapping, that can ornament twin Chia pets in order tell them apart.

Friendly hostesses welcome in parties of little princesses or grown-up empresses for enchanting themed celebrations within Posh Tea Parties' frill-filled pink-and-white tearoom. Parties for young ones begin with girls sifting through the theme-specific outfit finery that turns them into princesses, 19th-century ladies, or world travelers replete with pink passports stamped for every country's tea they taste. Once dressed, girls can practice their manners or check for homework-completing genies while topping off compatriots' cups of tea and snacking on an array of artfully presented sandwiches, cupcakes, and chips.

Parties can be upgraded with a slew of exciting extras, which can augment parties with a dessert-filled snack bar, extra themed activities, and sashes or tiaras that let the birthday girl flaunt her special status without ordering all the kingdom's dragons to light her birthday candles. Meanwhile, adults can put on their own lace-lined shindigs, which eschew the dressing up and playtime activities for each attendee's own fanciful attire and a bevy of more mature amusement.

Paintball warriors can prepare for their next big adventure at Pro Edge Paintball, which houses an extensive selection of paintball guns, ammunition, protective gear, and other game accessories. Lonely trigger fingers can find suitable mates in the form of paintball markers from top brands including Spyder, Tippmann, and Luxe. Protective gear such as masks and goggles, pads, and combat-ready pants help clients run fearlessly into enemy fire, and new air-tank systems ensure paintballs fly fast and true. Pro Edge Paintball complements its exhaustive inventory with a repertoire of maintenance services to repair common deficiencies such as a crooked barrel or a pacifistic trigger.