Things to Do in Gastonia

At Megart Pottery Painting Studio, visitors of all ages bring plain white clay to life with kaleidoscopic splashes of color. Upon entering the shop, guests can peruse the selection of more than 1,000 pieces of decorative pottery that owners Sherry and Scott George have hand selected, including cookie jars, ornaments, child and pet handprints, and piggy banks. Adult and kiddie visitors embarking on new painting projects can look to the gregarious proprietors for guidance, and Sherry and Scott gladly will help them with each step of the painting process, from penciling in their patterns onto the bare clay, to turning their clay pieces into shiny new vases or uncontrollable living golems. Visitors can make their painting sessions even more relaxing with tasty drinks and desserts from the in-house espresso bar, which serves tea, milk shakes, and java from Counter Culture Coffee. After guests are done putting the finishing touches on their pottery, the helpful staff will fire pieces in a kiln for no extra charge, and each item is available for pickup in 7 - 8 days.

Angie Acosta, founder of Queen City DanceOut, has a simple motto for her students: "If you're moving, you're doing it right." This encouraging, low-pressure attitude attracts people of all ages to her dance-inspired fitness classes, which meet at 18 public locations. Angie and her instructors aim to make exercise feel like a celebration and a refreshing break rather than a dreaded routine. To this end, their classes incorporate intuitive dance moves and invigorating music. DanceOut, the signature course, blends genres as diverse as swing, hip-hop, and reggae into a workout, relying on repetition and basic choreography to keep everyone grooving. Other highlights of the curriculum include the Latin rhythms of Zumba; the Dance Impact class, which fuses dance and kickboxing; and JamStrong, a mixture of core-conditioning, dance, and fun.

Community is a central aspect of every DanceOut class. As pupils practice their twirls, they can follow both the teacher and the Jam Crew—a team of regulars who help make the steps easy to follow and can assist fellow dancers. In addition to group workouts, instructors host skill workshops such as Booty Bootcamp, where attendees learn rump-shaking techniques and how to turn any chair into a rocking chair. They also put on performances and lead private classes for special events and parties.

Brent Clevenger founded Sink or Swim Scuba in 2006 to provide regular open-water dive experiences to fledging and senior divers alike. He trains neophytes in his full-sized pool, letting them control their buoyancy to drop to the full twelve-foot depth after they master underwater breathing fundamentals in the shallow end. He also oversees scuba certification training during group dives at the Piedmont Dive Rescue Association Lake Norman Quarry. The former dig site provides plenty of underwater excitement with schools of fish and sunken objects to explore, such as the quarry manager's shed which used to house instructions on how not to flood the quarry.

Yasmine or one of the talented protégés in her troupe of hip-swivelers will lead your class. She and her team have spent years studying and performing multiple dance styles, including Middle Eastern dance, ballet, tap, and the safety dance. Women of all fitness levels are welcome to participate in the introductory class. This gently paced lesson imparts the basic twists, turns, and moves that allow dancers to shimmy on stage and out of haunted hedge mazes. Forgo carnation-laden mother-daughter banquets in favor of a heartfelt bonding and hip-shaking session with the masters at Yasmine & Magic Hips. The comfortable atmosphere of the studio is an ideal environment for anyone's initiation into this artful combination of fitness and femininity.

If you paint your own pottery, there is no studio fee, and the price of the pottery includes all supplies and firing. Costs vary depending on the chosen 3D canvas. Kids’ pieces are $10–$25, dinnerware is $15–$60, and picture frames $22–$35; the average price of all pieces falls in the $15–$30 range. If you are distracted by a Night Court marathon and don't finish your masterpiece in one sitting, you can come in another day to finish for free (after that, it's $5 per visit). Upon completion, turn your project over to the pottery masters at the studio. They'll put the finishing flames on your project, which will be available for pick-up after about a week. This Groupon is also good for those who want to give glass fusing a whirl. First timers can take the glass class to learn the basics (schedule here), then put newfound skills to work building personalized frames, bowls, jewelry, and more. The typical glass project costs $15–$40.

Haunted rides amble through picturesque stretches of the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, surrounding guests in the season's spine-tingling chills and frightful sights on select October evenings. Rolling through the dark shadows of the haunted forest, the ride activates guests' latent scream sensors while it creeps past eerie haunts and awkward zombie family reunions. After hopping off the macabre vehicle, groups are free to peruse the premises' plethora of fall activities, such as a jaunt through the twists and turns of the straw maze ($3), a ride on the cow train ($2), or malicious marshmallow roastings over an open flame ($1) (additional activities are not included with this offer).