Things to Do in Largo

When crafters step into Pottery Bears 'n Beads' vast studio, shelves brimming with more than 1,000 paintable ceramic pieces and finished works by other artists dash away inhibition and flood minds with inspiration. Picassos and fledgling artists create side-by-side, forming a social community buttressed by friendly staff members who lend guidance and break down creative barriers with templates and design suggestions. Whether painting pottery with a floral pattern or painting canvas with a portrait of a family pet, crafters draw from a rainbow of paints and a full arsenal of supplies. Artisans of all ages can also hand-stuff a bear, leopard, frog, dog, or other animal, outfitting finished friends with birth certificates, sounds, or outfits to ready them for a tea party or NATO convention.

While letting their creative sides flourish, patrons can munch on BYO snacks, order in from several nearby restaurants, or enjoy complimentary adult beverages on Friday ladies' nights. To document the good times and give clients a solid alibi, Pottery Bears 'n Beads gifts a free photo of the festivities. Also, to encourage good grades in its younger crafters, it waives the studio fee for students who present a report card with an A.

At Tampa Bay Downs, thoroughbred horses burst through the starting gates, and spectators cheer for their picks and spend an afternoon basking in the amenity-rich premises. Visitors can wager on live and simulcast races, or wander into The Silks Poker Room and hunker down for a game of Texas Hold’em. The racetrack features numerous restaurants, grills, and bars as well as a fully lit, 22-acre golf-practice facility with all-Bermuda-grass hitting stations, chipping greens, and a covered range.

Judie Dazzio believes that everyone can be an artist. And at Dazzio Art Experience—a comprehensive art school—she helps everyone from children to adults and novices to professionals harness their creativity. Though she's a painter herself—having won awards for her work with watercolors and acrylics—she caters to range of artistic interests, offering classes in acrylics and watercolors but also branching out into sculpture, illustration, and Photoshop. For the experienced artist, she and her instructors provide developmental classes to help them produce portfolio pieces and host group critique sessions.

Beyond teaching her students the techniques to create, she also displays their works in a gallery attached to her school. Here, rows upon rows of painted canvases, sculptures, and handcrafted jewelry showcase their newly acquired talents.

As a former national-level figure skater and ISSA-certified personal trainer, Jessica knows what a full-body burn feels like. However, she didn't know that a stationary bike could replicate the feeling, until a fellow trainer encouraged her to climb aboard a RealRyder cycle. Jessica became a devotee after just two rides. Determined to share her newfound passion with others, she gathered a team of certified instructors, populated two studios with RealRyder ABF8 bikes, and opened their doors to prospective pedalers of all fitness levels.

Inside Ryde For Life, Jessica and her staff host 45- to 60-minute classes synced to each teacher's music playlist. They lead stationary teams atop RealRyder bikes, whose specialized frames allow riders to lean, bank, and steer as they would an on-road bike. In addition to pumping up cardiovascular systems, sessions engage the core, upper body, legs, and the scalp muscles that hold helmets in place.

Staffed by a corps of chimp-loving volunteers working alongside veterinarians, the nonprofit Suncoast Primate Sanctuary provides a safe haven for more than 100 rescued animals. Chimpanzees and monkeys swing freely in their enclosures, living out their days after being moved from other environments, including zoos, sanctuaries, and research centers, or retiring from the film industry as animal actors and studio executives. During public hours, children and adults can wander among the menagerie to feed the monkeys and meet other critters such as orangutans, macaws, lemurs, and alligators.