Things to Do in Katy

The Katy Home & Garden Show—where expert contractor John DeSilvia, a familiar face on various DIY Network programs, will speak—inspires homeowners with access to dozens of home-improvement businesses. From fundamental services such as homebuilding and landscaping to design details including lighting, blinds, and curtains for garden-gnome homes, attendees can seek out the advice of a diverse panel of area professionals. Additional attractions include design seminars with Susan Fruit as well as a gift market and gourmet-food samples.

Though you're free to take the machine on a pub crawl or bring your own under-21 drinks, alcoholic drinks are only allowed onboard for very specific routes. Check the FAQ page for drinking restrictions and other information. You can keep the afternoon clean and family oriented too, which is especially easy if you have multiple wives and enough children to fill all the seats. This centipedal device has the distinction of being one of only two activities perfect for both bachelorette parties and church outings, the other being barbecue wrestling. And since the cruiser never tops eight miles per hour, you'll be safe from accidents and, if not every chupacabra, at least the fat ones.

Tank’s Paintball Park ensures safe battles for beginner and advanced gunsmiths with referees certified by the World Paintball Federation, safety briefings, netting around the fields, and thorough marker testing before each round. After snipers strap on protective gear, Tank's constantly evolving fields host play with frequent upgrades that generate new experiences for returning clientele and prevent debilitating battle flashbacks. A covered staging area accommodates more than 100 visitors between sessions with comfy chairs and benches as well as concessions and a snow cone stand for pregame or postgame energy boosts. Back at the headquarters, Tank’s pro shop stocks players' arsenals with paintball essentials such as goggles and vests that allow fearless ambushes and midbattle fashion shows.

When Henry Harvey went to the University of Houston in 1975, he realized the dance moves he'd picked up at high school in Fort Worth were more valuable than he thought. In fact, he gave lessons to new people in the area who wanted to fit in on the dance floor. Years later, his wife decided they should start dancing together. "I went to dance class and found out they were doing the same things I was 10 years before," he said. Taking stock of his management abilities and previous dance experience, he realized he had the opportunity to be successful, so he brushed up his skills and founded High Steppers Dance Troupe LLC in 2007.

At locations throughout the area, Harvey and his team of instructors teach the Houston two-step—set to cool urban R&B tunes—as well as swing-out dancing and line dancing. He claims that his students, many of which are aged 40 and older, come not only for the health benefits of dancing for two hours, but also for the atmosphere, which he calls "very upbeat and very festive." His dance classes can also act as a stress reliever after a long day at work. "They get into dance class and they're rejuvenated," Harvey says.

In addition to dance lessons, the group takes charter buses on regional trips and hosts two to three showcases per year, where students regale audiences with a synchronized dance routine. At their social dances, a DJ spins tunes as students get the chance to put their lessons into practice and leave behind their days of doing the worm shyly on the dance floor sidelines.

Steve and May Chadick both grew up surrounded by American saddlebred horses, making their rounds as competitors in the southwest circuit before becoming trainers as adults. The pair channels more than 50 years of equine expertise into Vantage Point Farm. They and their highly trained staff devote themselves to priming green riders and steeds for recreational trots around arenas as well as struts in front of show judges. Riding instructor Amy Wagoner Cain, a pupil of nationally renowned teacher Dorothy Dukes Ford, leads lessons for equestrians aged 5 or older. Amy helps novice riders to mount gentle, reliable horses and progress from private sessions to group instruction, and her more seasoned students canter atop less compliant steeds.

At day camps held during winter and summer breaks, kids enjoy daily rides and tackle responsibilities in the barn including grooming and tacking. Overnight camps for advanced riders culminate in an end-of-week horse show. The farm also boards horses in stalls spacious enough to also accommodate the ventriloquists who speak for them.

Arthur Murray has been a leading name in franchise dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and the Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, the Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with other classmates as the instructors assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.