Things to Do in Elmhurst

New Traditions Riding Academy's head instructor Martha Thompson-Hoyt and her staff of instructors improve the rein-handling abilities of aspiring riders and accomplished champions. The full-service riding academy offers group lessons, which provide learning and bonding opportunities for families and friends in addition to private lessons that help students achieve personal goals and weeklong camp programs, which completely immerse riders in the equine experience. All students are required to wear long pants, helmets, and hard-soled boots with a half-inch heel to ensure safety and looking fetching atop hoofed beasts.

Positive Focus Productions organizes motivational-speaking events that include discussions on world events and advice to enrich daily lives. Past workshops have tackled myths and scientific interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the effects of an uncertain economy, and coping with the continuing absence of new Spin City episodes. Founder and positivity adviser Carol uses her years of experience in public relations and event planning to coordinate morning and afternoon workshops, in which both virtual and physical communities learn to live more positively.

Custom-built mountain bikes and hand-built wheelsets may be Richard’s Bikes’ specialty, but cyclists have frequented the store since 1910 to find road, cross-country, and freeride accessories. Staff pack more than 100 years of combined biking experience into the well-oiled gears that power their minds and match customers with premade bikes and equipment from manufacturers including GT, Schwinn, Mongoose, LeMond, and Klein. Richard’s carries a wide selection of helmets and protective gear, cycling apparel, and bike parts of all kinds.

Lombard Park District's Western Acres Golf Course features nine holes that unfurl across an expansive blanket of bluegrass characterized by mature trees, numerous sand traps, and three ponds that come into play on multiple holes. Each day from sunrise to sunset, the 3,051-yard course demands a repertoire of hazard-avoiding strokes, such as bending shots around imposing tree trunks or giving golf balls arm floaties to avoid sinking in the intersecting waterways.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 35 course

• Total length of 3,051 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 69.2 from the back tees

• Course slope of 111 from the back tees

Metro Dash pits athletes against their own limitations as they sprint through a 600-meter course dotted with 20 obstacles that test endurance and strength. High hurdles, balance beams, rope swings, and cargo nets impede the path as contestants—guts wrenching and muscles pounding—sprint to awaken their inner warriors. The Metro Dash staff stands by to control the flow of runners and penalize those who refuse to do an obstacle for fear of soiling their powdered wig.

Metro Dash staff members divide the race into waves, sending runners through the course to climb and crawl in their race T-shirts as spectators cheer on in support. They require runners in the Elite division to run the course a second time, totaling the scores for competition. After the race, awards for the top three cumulative male and female finish times will be announced. A portion of proceeds goes to benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation

After running a daycare for 10 years and coming home at night to raise her own three children, Tiffani Wilson realized that sometimes parents need a night out. To meet this need Tiffani opened Just Kidding Around, offering parents the flexibility to drop off their kids aged 18 months–12 years for hourly stretches with no long-term commitment, contract, or promises to bring back their leftovers for the staff. Visitors are greeted by a DCFS-, first-aid-, and CPR-certified staff at the pristine, socks-only play area that combines a classroom, indoor playground, and kid-sized lounge. While under the care of Tiffani and her crew, kids take part in age-appropriate learning activities, such as studying math, science, phonics, and art, with plenty of time left over for educational games and video games. Additionally, healthy snacks are provided by Quality Catering for Kids for $5 per meal.