Things to Do in Gainesville

At Trapeze High, students ranging from novices to veteran high-fliers hone their skills in workshops held four days a week. Beginners learn key flight poses on the ground before donning safety belts to soar through the air under the watchful gaze of up to three trainers. Meanwhile, experienced aerial artists swing unfettered by safety gear, building a repertoire of circus-appropriate tricks ranging from the forward roll to advanced peanut-selling techniques. Enthusiasts can also celebrate occasions at the location of their choice with a circus party replete with all equipment and full-service event-planning.

The dedicated instructors at Salsa Caliente teach salsa, mambo, and bachata dances with an emphasis on form, timing, and style. They separate their classes into four levels, allowing dancers to progress naturally. Beginner classes might teach forward spot turns, and level-four classes might introduce pull turns and flick spins. In addition to these drop-in group classes, Salsa Caliente offers private lessons and hosts dance socials.

Clattering pins echo off the kaleidoscopic murals beaming over Alley Gatorz’ synthetic lanes, which host a hurtling horde of orbs until 1 a.m. on the weekends. Multicolored kicks safeguard toes for rounds of celebratory pin punting, and cheese-smothered nachos from the snack bar sail down swallow tubes on sudsy waves of beer.

At West End Golf Club, the 3,940-yard executive golf course, driving range, and putting green are all fully lit, allowing players to tee it up during the day or night. Scott Dombeck oversees the pro shop, which has been arming golfers with equipment from brands such as TaylorMade, Ping, and Wilson for more than 30 years. The shop also helps golfers shave strokes with custom club repair, private and group golf instruction, and associations for men and women.

The Gainesville Rock Gym staff cultivates years of international climbing experience as they shepherd visitors up the sheer faces and overhangs of their spacious gym. The facility's array of classes instruct single or small groups on all aspects of cliff facing, from anchor setting to lead climbing to yodeling SOS distress calls. Instructors help trainees hone teamwork and technique on special retreats or boost range of motion and flexibility during challenging workout sessions. To lift the sport to even greater heights, Gainesville Rock Gym also sponsors the UF Climbing Team, which placed second in the nation two years in a row.

Asbury Arts Center owner Jeanne Glogowski taps experience on both sides of the curtain—boasting bachelor's and master's degrees in dance—to oversee an eclectic array of dance classes for children and adults of all experience levels. Instructors gather budding dancers, fitness-minded patrons, and experienced shimmiers in practice rooms lined with mirrors to ensure both students and teachers can keep an eye out for proper form during dance, yoga, and martial-arts classes. Hammier classes include lessons in performing arts and music, giving patrons the opportunity to test their performing chops under the same level of personalized attention they enjoy in the studio’s fitness classes and during IRS audits.