Things to Do in Edwardsville

At Pottery Hollow, kids and adults alike find inspiration to create ceramic works of art from a fanciful story about a potter in need of an apprentice to help him and his fairy friends adorn ceramic mugs, platters, and knickknacks with colorful paint. Guests enter the potter's enchanted hollow—complete with twisted tree trunks and brightly colored chairs—to work on the unpainted pieces stored deep beneath the forest. While guests create their masterpieces, staffers keep them supplied with paints and brushes and take finished pieces to be baked in the kiln.

In addition to walk-in sessions, Pottery Hollow's three locations host parties and events such as mommy-and-me sessions, bridal showers, and corporate events. And on Friday nights until 9 p.m., ladies can create beautiful works of art while sipping on their favorite BYOB drinks. Staffers also craft custom pieces in less than a week, which can be given as gifts, kept as future heirlooms, or offered as sacrifices to the home-decor gods.

Studio owner, chiropractor, and hot-yoga enthusiast Dr. Bridget Brasfield helps her students to hone mind-body awareness through therapeutic yoga practice. Her studio heats up to a balmy 95 degrees to help even the most rigid of students to stretch and strengthen as they flow through a series of poses. As a result of the heat, students can also expect to sweat out the naturally occurring toxins that stem from everyday living and daily attempts to become superhuman via lab mishaps.

When asked about their teaching qualifications, the instructors at Finney's MMA and Finney's HIT Squad—including Jesse Finney himself—all point to their win records. All of them have a competitive fighting history in their chosen disciplines, and several have earned championships or black belts. As full-time employees of the gyms, they school guests on MMA, kickboxing, boxing, Brazilian jujitsu, and wrestling. They also access their inside knowledge of the industry for fighter-development programs, which strive to transform beginners into professional combatants without stuffing them into hollowed-out punching-bag cocoons for 5 years. For amateurs and experts alike, they assert that "you fight how you train," and aim to simulate official rounds inside their onsite cages, boxing rings, and matted arenas. In 2011, their professional chops helped Finney's HIT Squad take the title of Best MMA Gym in the Riverfront Times Best of St Louis feature.

Despite their investment in competitions, however, the staffers view the two gyms as all-inclusive spaces. Whether they are instilling confidence in children through kids' jujitsu, orienting a new member to the fitness equipment, or leading a women-only martial-arts class, they mentor students of all backgrounds.

Rush Studio of Dance's seasoned cadre of dance instructors lead sessions in hip-hop, jazz, ballet, tap, and breakdance. While each style varies drastically, one-hour classes generally focus on artistry, rhythm, and techniques popularized by venerable dance legends such as Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, and Fred "Twinkle Toes" Flintstone.

Sculpted into the rolling hills of western Illinois, Clinton Hill Golf Course’s undulating fairways flow into large, challenging greens across two distinct, nine-hole layouts. Mature arbors pepper the landscape, threatening the autonomy of airborne balls while providing scenic, shady plots in which golfers can pause to gawk at the layout’s lush greenery and herbivorous golf carts grazing on native grasses. A longer layout and a higher concentration of bunkers supply the bulk of the difficulty on the front nine, and water hazards await at seven holes on the course’s back nine, placing a high demand on confident swings and deft club selection. Those looking for new gear can peruse Clinton Hill’s pro shop, which peddles golfletic apparel and accessories from the game’s top brands. After a round of aggressive pin-hunting, players can retreat to Big Mama’s BBQ & Casual Dining, where guests can enjoy live sporting events on one of several TVs or revive sleepy golf bags with an icy beverage.