Things to Do in El Reno

After teaching art in public schools for three years, Jen Holloway wanted to put her Master's in Art Education to use in a different way. Channeling a desire to bring people in touch with their creative sides while pursuing her own artistic endeavors, she founded Heart to Art. Her workshops unleash the murmur of creation, letting the flick of brush against canvas sound in the light-flooded, industrial interiors of In The Raw Sushi, one of the several local eateries that have served as hosts. At each event, she progressively guides students through a chosen topic or artistic style, supplying all materials, including paints, aprons, and back braces for refrigerators laden with masterpieces. To help students relax, she encourages them to snack on appetizers and sip drinks during painting time. Jen also leads private events such as bachelorette parties, reunions, and company picnics, which participants can look back to fondly by gazing into the colorful swirls of their completed painting.:m]]

While chatting on the phone with a friend, Katrina Uhls had a startling realization: her kids had been playing video games for hours. She discovered that by effectively “unplugging” her kids, she could steer them toward more creative, introspective pastimes.

Now, as the owner of Unpluggits Playstudio, she fosters a safe, welcoming space where all kids can "unplug" and explore their artistic sides. Kids will find shelves stocked with play-doh, stamps, stencils, and other craft supplies. They can don smocks and wield nontoxic paints at miniature easels. Paint’n take projects give them personalized crafts to take home, such as picture frames and piggy banks useful for saving up to buy new toys or a gold-plated piggy bank. For more active playtime pursuits, kids can gambol toward the indoor playground, which features slides, a pirate ship, and air-hockey tables.

As kids explore the 3,000-square-foot studio, parents are welcome to cruise free WiFi or monitor tykes from the snack bar, which serves freshly ground organic coffee, juices, and soda. Special workshops open the space for toddler-specific activities, adults-only craft time, and parents' nights out.

Though they have coached celebrities and worked with Broadway producers, the instructors at Elegance Ballroom appreciate that some people just want to cut loose on weekends. In beginner classes, they walk students through a curriculum of ballroom and Latin styles, laying the groundwork for steps such as the tango, foxtrot, rumba, and waltz. Private and group lessons prepare students for competition-level strutting or a casual night out. Regardless of the goal, instructors put guests at ease with encouraging attitudes, a selection of complimentary refreshments, and the solemn promise that they will never release wild wolverines into the studio to punish a missed step.

Apart from classes, staffers host regular practice parties where their protégés can socialize. They also rent out the Elegance Ballroom Event Center for special occasions, prepping food, drinks, and the dance floor to accommodate up to 500 guests.