Things to Do in Duluth

Aurora Theatre, recently named Best Theatre Company in Atlanta (Creative Loafing Best of Atl 2010) is the professional theatre of Gwinnett County and home of the best entertainment in Northeast Georgia. With over 300 events annually, Aurora Theatre has live entertainment to suit everyone’s taste. The Aurora Theatre main sta

Throughout the week, Knockout CrossFit’s 12,000-square-foot facility is abuzz with the clatter of weights and kettlebells and the raspy chorus of patrons striving intensely toward fitness goals. A crew of instructors certified by CrossFit leads adults of all levels of fitness through CrossFit classes and boot-camp sessions. After helping groups loosen up with stretching exercise, CrossFit instructors lead students through the system's signature workout of the day, an ever-changing exercise that is scaled to each participant's fitness level. Their hardcore cardio classes boost heart rates and core strength with a regimen dedicated to increasing both power and agility, and their kickboxing classes blend moves from MMA, karate, boxing, and muay thai that help exercisers hone speed while simultaneously bolstering confidence. The trainers also help youth bolster speed, conditioning, and techniques in an athletic program. In lieu of monotonous cardio machines, each course works with the facility’s abundance of ropes, rings, free weights, and kettlebells, and the open floor leaves ample space for running, jumping, and gesturing how big you want your muscles to be.

When searching for a business venture that would let him spend time with his kids, former commodities trader Mike Nasatir looked to his daughters for inspiration—a decision that paid off when he founded The Painted Penguin. The family business showcases the art of ceramics, inviting participants with any level of experience to unhurriedly paint their bisque and plaster pieces in the company of friends, family members, or particularly chatty coffee mugs. When designing their own pieces or attending any of The Painted Penguin's parties, customers can enlist the help of staff members, who are always on hand to provide tips or inspiration.

Nestled in the high branches of Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center, a network of ropes, ladders, and bridges invites amateur adventurers to scurry across their lengths. Although Treetop Quest’s ropes courses hover as high as 55 feet above the ground, guests stay safe thanks to a belay system that’s impossible to detach at canopy level. During self-guided adventures, they encounter more than 70 obstacles, whooshing along ziplines, scaling rope nets, and carefully crossing suspension and monkey bridges. Before guests ascend through the branches, instructors issue them harnesses and gloves and give them a thorough safety briefing. The courses vary in difficulty and height to accommodate all experience levels and ages, allowing visitors as young as 4 to enjoy a challenge, even if it’s just trying to sweet-talk a squirrel into sharing his stash of Corn Nuts.

Amid the excitement, Treetop Quest educates patrons on the surrounding environment through plaques and info boards at each course level. The courses operate sustainably to respect their arboreal hosts; the structures are treatment-free and don’t puncture the trees in any way.