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.

A tool is defined as "a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task." While the tools at EnCore Pilates don't all rest easily in the palm, they efficiently aid students in building strong cores and agile muscles. Demystified by owner and instructor Shannon Foley—with the help of teacher Jenna Robinson—the fleet of towers, mats, balls, rolls, and other devices help Pilates-performers to perfect their techniques. In private, semi-private, or group lessons, students can build their strength and carve out abs flat and firm enough to host lengthy games of Jenga.https://admin.groupon.com/admin/deals/encore-pilates-1/coupon

Kristin Hendrix teaches students to create functional and decorative ceramics during Morning Glory Fire Arts' classes, field trips, and other hand-crafting adventures. All materials are included in the two-hour clay classes ($24/child, $30/adult) where students can sculpt a bowl, vase, or replacement sock before returning a week later to glaze the fired piece. Clay players can also put together a pottery-to-go kit ($7+ depending on selected item) packed with a custom set of brushes, glazes, and other materials to create and fire ceramics at their own pace. Hendrix will tote glazes, tools, and clay or bisque to a location of the customer’s choice for a reverse field trip ($5/person for groups of 12 or more), sparing supervisors the trouble of collecting notarized permission slips.

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.