Things to Do in Cypress

Steve and May Chadick both grew up surrounded by American saddlebred horses, making their rounds as competitors in the southwest circuit before becoming trainers as adults. The pair channels more than 50 years of equine expertise into Vantage Point Farm. They and their highly trained staff devote themselves to priming green riders and steeds for recreational trots around arenas as well as struts in front of show judges. Riding instructor Amy Wagoner Cain, a pupil of nationally renowned teacher Dorothy Dukes Ford, leads lessons for equestrians aged 5 or older. Amy helps novice riders to mount gentle, reliable horses and progress from private sessions to group instruction, and her more seasoned students canter atop less compliant steeds.

At day camps held during winter and summer breaks, kids enjoy daily rides and tackle responsibilities in the barn including grooming and tacking. Overnight camps for advanced riders culminate in an end-of-week horse show. The farm also boards horses in stalls spacious enough to also accommodate the ventriloquists who speak for them.

Merlot 2 Masterpiece's encouraging art instructors guide fledgling van Goghs in reproducing images on canvas with a flurry of colorful brushstrokes. Each of their painting classes escorts up to 30 students though the creation of a preselected composition, which ranges from landscapes and holiday themes to still lifes and blurry moving lifes. The studio provides all attendees with canvases, brushes, and paints, and welcomes students to bring their snacks and bottles of wine. Artistic expression chugs along to the beat of up-tempo music, easily muted to accommodate student solos. Merlot 2 Masterpiece regularly updates its locations' schedules with listings of dates, times, and featured paintings for each class.

Sculpted onto 55 acres of sprawling plains, including 6 acres dedicated solely to paintball, Oil Ranch entertains visiting families with farm activities, play areas, miniature golf, and paintball areas. The working ranch's friendly staff curates a barnyard full of animals, allowing guests to run their hands through a sheep's soft wool or learn how to milk a chicken. The cheery red-and-blue engine of the OIL Express train chugs around Lake Buenas Noches with passengers in tow, while a green John Deere tractor carts around the hayride wagon. Other activities include a summertime swimming pool, catch-and-release fishing in Lake Buenas Noches, mini golf, and a maze.

Also nestled within the ranch's grounds is a full paintball facility, where varied fields pit groups against each other in friendly clashes of chromaticity. On each field, competitors dive behind mobile cover such as large wooden spools, barrels, and crates, enacting countless tactical situations. All participants must sign waivers don masks, and really, really promise to not stare into the barrels of their own markers before entering the field.

The Katy Home & Garden Show—where expert contractor John DeSilvia, a familiar face on various DIY Network programs, will speak—inspires homeowners with access to dozens of home-improvement businesses. From fundamental services such as homebuilding and landscaping to design details including lighting, blinds, and curtains for garden-gnome homes, attendees can seek out the advice of a diverse panel of area professionals. Additional attractions include design seminars with Susan Fruit as well as a gift market and gourmet-food samples.

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.