Things to Do in Jasper

All Fired Up’s owner, Noelle, opened the small pottery shop as a wholesome place where families could come together to create art and bond in a fun, supportive environment. She and her helpful staff aid in the creation and kiln firing of one-of-a-kind dishware, piggy banks, and ceramic socks, with occasional pop-ins from her wayfaring sister and store manager Laura. The sturdy shelves lining each wall of the cozy shop brim with unglazed porcelain, dozens of paint colors, and an array of inspirational stamps, stencils, and design books. In addition to scheduled pottery wheel lessons led by Laura herself, All Fired Up fuels creativity through children’s art classes, summer camps, and birthday parties.

Just walking through the door of All Fired Up can lead to artistic inspiration for paint-your-own-pottery sessions. Paper butterflies, flowers, and stars speckle the floor-to-ceiling windows, and ceramic tiles in the shape of birds, hearts, and trees cover the back wall. Artists of all experience levels can select a bisque piece to decorate with the studio’s vast supply of paints and melted Skittles.

Instructor Hannah Padgett first fell in love with American Saddlebred horses at age 5, so when it came time to establish a business in 2006, she knew there was really only one thing she wanted to do. With experience in riding, showing, and working for some of the field’s most prolific trainers, she shares her expertise at the facility’s outdoor riding areas, which include several miles of trails. In addition to showing amateurs the ropes, she instills showmanship in both horses and riders, including some state and national champions.

Dance instructor Gabriela Gonzalez calls upon more than nine years of experience to lead high-energy classes that compel groups of as many as 50 students to shake, spin, and sweat while learning the principles of styles such as ballroom and salsa. Gabriela’s bilingualism allows her to conduct classes or private sessions in English or Spanish, leaving no student charged with the task of interpreting her lightning-quick body language as she teaches such skills as leading and following, dance steps, and transitions. Most group classes welcome students of all skill levels, and since no partner is necessary, they're a fantastic way to socialize. More advanced classes cater to competitive dancers and tend to focus on fancy footwork, dance-floor etiquette, and proper stage-diving form.

As students enter Hot Yoga of Huntsville’s studio, they immediately start to sweat. At a temperature of 100 to 105 degrees and a humidity level of 40%, the studio’s atmosphere allows students’ muscles to naturally release metabolic wastes and Hulk tendencies through perspiration. The skilled instructors foster a noncompetitive environment for all levels of body benders with classes ranging in difficulty and age appropriateness.

In two theaters, Sapphire Motion Pictures projects current movies from booths equipped with 3-D image and digital sound technology. As new pictures emerge from Hollywood, Sapphire casts a line to snag the films and project them inside state-of-the-art theaters. Each theater also sells snacks from the concession booth to complement the movie-watching experience and feed the giant humans that act out scenes inside the screen.