Things to Do in Deerfield

Under the moniker of David Anthony Art, multifaceted photographer David Geary captures everything from sizzling boudoir portraits designed to express love to personal headshots inside his private studio or on location. Before each appointment, David and his clients meet for a brief consultation to discuss wardrobe changes, stylistic desires, and the most dignified ways to say "cheese." After retouching images from the completed session, David then uploads them to a secure online gallery, where subjects can select their favorite shots to be immortalized in high-resolution prints.

Celebration Rentals’ moonwalks give at-home celebrations an extra boost of fun with hours of bouncing during half-day or full-day stints. Although they allow jumpers to defy gravity, Celebration’s moonwalks adhere to a strict code of safety that eschews sharp edges and trippable surfaces. Inflatables come in one of several themes, such as Disney princesses, superheroes, and classic solid colors, adding imagination and decoration to events. Each moonwalk measures 13’x13’, enough to fit several children or a basketball team in search of extra air time.

Aloha Falls Miniature Golf channels the exotic vibes of a waterfront locale with waterfall- and beach-themed mini-golf courses. The harder of the two layouts, the Waterfall Course runs alongside misting cascades and challenges players with tricky bridges, ramps, and sudden drops. For a less-competitive outing, guests can traverse the Beach Course, which features fewer obstacles and sand ideal for etching only mildly threatening heckles such as “Your mother is terrible at badminton!” Aloha Falls also engineers group fun with a variety of party packages for birthdays, corporate outings, and fundraisers.

Lake Arlington's surface ripples in the breeze as shouts, cheers, and drumbeats echo across its shores. Ornately painted boats, carved into the likeness of Chinese dragons, glide across the water to the rhythm of 40 paddles turning in unison. The male and female boaters at Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival split into four racing divisions and follow the roots of a traditional eastern sport as they paddle, drum, and steer in coordination with their teammates. Spectators view the proceedings from tiered grandstands, which enable them to see the full scope of the race without having to rent a jetpack. They can also revel at an outdoor beer garden, listen to live entertainment, and usher their kids to participate in interactive activities in the Dragon's Nest. Competitors plunge into challenge races to benefit causes such as public services and breast-cancer research and rush to complete the most pushups after the race during the Workout of the Dragons.

This year's event benefits the nonprofit organization Salute, Inc., whose staffers work to support soldiers and veterans through fundraisers. Great White North assembles the event in partnership with local Windy City Dragons, in an effort to pay it forward to local charities while spreading enthusiasm for the sport. Their staffers also design each boat, specializing in the crafting of ornate vessels bearing the likenesses of colorful Chinese dragons and glorious Burt Reynoldses.

Terra Sounds doesn’t just look for book smarts when procuring its staff of expert instructors. The school of art and music places equal importance on backgrounds in stage performance, organizing art shows, and studying a foreign language. Here, instructors with a well-rounded approach to their subjects connect more easily with their students, introducing them to the Italian alphabet in a language class, helping them learn guitar chords during a music class, or instilling the proper way to make an origami swan out of a speeding ticket in an art class.