Things to Do in Fairmount

In the brick-lined subterranean showroom of Wise Guys Comedy Club & 201 Bistro, nationally touring rib ticklers ply their craft. The intimate comedy den comfortably seats up to 110 revelers and allows for prime viewing of top-notch comedians from every angle. Tableside cocktail service allows guests to stay seated throughout the shows, and Wise Guys doesn’t require standard drink minimums. The bar beckons with sterling woodwork and bar-side tarot-card readings. Before or after the side-splitting comedy shows, 201 Bistro satisfies guests with a hearty menu of steak, pasta, and seafood entrees.

At Create Art Studio, owner and instructor Karyn equips prospective paint-slingers with the instruction and inspiration to realize artistic dreams during step-by-step classes, private parties, and open-studio sessions. The studio seamlessly combines two of Karyn's greatest passions, drawing on both her art-education degree from Purdue University and more than 10 years of classroom experience as a teacher.

During the two-hour step-by-step sessions, she and other instructors equip aspiring artistes with all of the necessities to create an original masterpiece, including smocks, easels, canvases, paints, brushes, and haughty French accents. In addition to the instructors' aid, creatively challenged participants can glean clever ideas from the inspiration wall, which helps pupils explore art-worthy subjects beyond traditional bowls of fruit and sunsets. Like conscientious speakeasies, the studio invites guests aged 21 and older to bring along their own snacks and alcohol.

While some artists gravitate toward certain media, Ilene Layow—or “Eye” to her friends since childhood—unabashedly loves them all: glass, pencil, clay, pastel, metals, acrylic. Her body of artwork is staggeringly diverse. She has designed murals for both homes and businesses, painted family portraits, created silver jewelry, formed intricate candleholders out of clay, and fused glass to form night lights perfect for scaring off closet monsters that hate beauty. She has even developed her own art form she calls “formscapes,” which combine the gentle contours of landscapes with abstracted shapes. In flexible classes tucked into a tidy ranch house, she introduces many of the crafts she loves to teen and adult students.

For more than a decade, Raven Helicopter's pilots have dazzled skyborne passengers with stunning vistas seen during aerial tours and chartered flights. During each journey, a certified pilot deftly ferries passengers through the skies in a striking, streamlined R66 turbine helicopter, outfitted with a wraparound bubble canopy for easy viewing of scenic landscapes, and a cargo hold for carrying skis, golf clubs, and other, smaller helicopters. Guests drink in the idyllic forests, hills, and lakes of the region as they snap pictures or roll film for posterity.

Players at NVP Paintball wreak colorful havoc across two speedball courses during weekly skirmishes. A massive indoor arena houses the action during winter months, keeping harsh elements and battle-tested yetis away from combatants as they unload paintballs on nearby frenemies. Padded Turf XL flooring simulates the experience of playing on grass, and an upper-level viewing area gives onlookers an overhead view of every match. On the outdoor field, players duck behind strategically placed inflatable covers stationed on blue astroturf. Between matches, players can retire to the pro shop to peruse new equipment or grease their ammo hoppers with nacho cheese from the snack bar.

The ember of Nick Coppola's fervor for fishing began years ago. While Nick studied biology in college, this passion bloomed into a full-blown vocation as he spent summers scouring the rivers of Southwest Montana. Since those early moments wading in the tides, Nick has become a New York State–licensed guide, continuing to catch trophy salmon, steelhead trout, brown trout, and runaway goldfish as the head of Slickwater Adventures.

Throughout two seasons each year, Coppola and his staff lead anglers of all levels into some of the East Coast's most picturesque habitats, including the Ausable River during summer months and the eastern Lake Ontario tributaries during winter. No matter the location, Coppola encourages participants to customize each adventure to their specific goals, whether they are honing existing skills, learning basic techniques, or luring in trophy catches with tricks and well-timed eyewinks.