Things to Do in Ionia

A passionate staff of potters and painters oversees brushstrokes at Piece of Mine, which boasts hundreds of paintable items, ranging from mugs to vases to piggy banks, for beginner and veteran maestros. Unlike the antiquated pottery studios of yesteryear, Piece of Mine has done away with the cumbersome slips, molds, and cleaning greenware that bog down the process, affording artists total focus on their work. Sponges and stamps supplement brushes, and nearby design books are full of great art ideas, such as painting a personal Mount Rushmore with your own face four times.

Susan Molnar’s world is made of glass. As the owner of Glass House Designs, she oversees the facility’s three divisions: the gallery, the classroom, and the artist’s studio. In the gallery, Susan showcases her work alongside the pieces of more than 50 other local, regional, and national artists. For visitors hoping to create glass masterpieces of their own, Susan offers classes in fusing, mosaics, lampworking, and stained glass, and guest instructors offer classes in other artistic disciplines.

One of three devoted dancers who founded Studio 3 Performing Arts Center, Megan Stanley told the Dexter Patch that she wanted a venue where "girls or guys of any skill level feel they can have a place to dance." Today, the center has broadened her dream by teaching visitors how to become a triple threat onstage. Lessons in music, dance, and theater place its students—some as young as two years—on the road to self-expression, while an atmosphere of fun and acceptance keeps them practicing.

The owners teach most of the classes themselves, building a community of students and parents that trust their expertise and attend regular recitals. This convivial spirit carries over to theater performances, where audience participation and Samuel Beckett's famous call-and-response cheers ensure everyone's involvement. Classes welcome all-comers to try their hand at intuitive cardio workouts and competitive choreography alike, the latter of which has led the studio's crew to a Best in Studio award at the 2012 JUMP dance convention.

Brighton Beads & More helps beadists, metal workers, and other crafty artists fill their supply boxes and hone their crafts. Their experienced instructors teach novice and seasoned artists alike, helping them create custom art in a variety of classes. Students can sign up for skill-building classes, such as bead stringing, metalsmithing, or wire wrapping, or learn how to make specific pieces such as fused-glass mirrors or decorative chains. The calendar’s many offerings allow guests to work around brimming schedules or coordinate alibis for ice-cream-truck holdups. Brighton Beads & More also encourages customers to place orders for supplies they don’t carry and request custom classes they don’t offer, so their staff can attempt to leap through beaded rings of fire to accommodate those wishes.

Inside Center for Yoga Sanctuary, the studio space lives up to its name. Natural wood floors flow beneath a flood of natural light, which mimics the buttery yellow walls of the studio. Here, students take part in a slew of classes that range from 60 to 90 minutes. The shorter sessions follow a guided practice format, whereas longer ones offer more detailed instruction on alignment. The schedule features classes divided into levels: Level 1 suits all participants, and Level 2 and beyond welcome those with experience in yoga or those with pipe cleaners instead of bones.

Once upon a time, the grounds surrounding the Mill Lake Outdoor Recreation Center was filled with the gleeful laughter of children, but today only screams can be heard cutting through the darkness. First opened in the 1930s, the camp's cabins have sunk into disrepair since their closure in the ‘90s, but that doesn't mean they've remained empty. The festering site now serves as home to a whole host of ghouls, foul creatures, and lingering campers still struggling to master the square knot.

If they make it through the sinister paths, guests can calm their chattering teeth while warming up by a bonfire or embrace a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing a portion of the haunt's profits goes toward restoring the historic Mill Lake Cabins.