Things to Do in Lawrence

The resident experts at Beads Amore impart the intricacies of beading in classes for all skill levels. From the fundamentals of stringing and design to wire working and project-specific lessons, classes cover a wide spectrum of jewelry-related topics. Each class takes place inside Beads Amore's shop, which practically overflows with exotic and semi-precious stone beads. The jewelry artists teach with beads made of everything from pewter to gems, and lessons cover silversmithing and using beads to accentuate lamps or your cat’s tail.

The first 18-hole course ever designed by legendary architect Pete Dye, Maple Creek Golf and Country Club's challenging course layout unfurls across 6,633 yards of tree-lined, water-kissed topography. The club's driving range is an expansive tract that absorbs players' practice shots as they prepare for the fast-starting course where the second hole is the most difficult and most willing to throw a tantrum. Babbling streams and rippling ponds add to the scenery of the pristine par 72 course, threatening the life force of ill-struck orbs on as many as 11 holes. Class-A PGA pro Jim Grossi roams the verdant valley, shoring up swings in lessons, on a never-ending mission to appease his golf mentor, who was half golf cart.

Once a year, spurred perhaps by the rise of the harvest moon or the purchase of thousands of Halloween costumes, the grounds at Corpse Manor transform from a quaint home into a trio of haunting exhibits. Within the manor itself, the terrifying tale of Lord Henry Calvert and his family unfolds as their house comes to unlife with walking corpses and ghosts. Also within the walls lies the Night Shadows experience, where hungry things stalk visitors through the interplay of light and shadow. Outside the house proper lies a stretch of forested land known as the Sinister Woods, where ghouls and monsters lurk behind each trunk, pursuing the unwary as they wander the gore-strewn paths.

Wheels glide gracefully across Skateland Roller Skating Center's indoor rink to a soundtrack of popular music and gleeful shrieks. Guests don rolling shoes while capering to Disney tunes, which frequently inspire hand-holding, friend-making, and adopting a wisecracking animal sidekick. All ages stir and stomp as they skim across the hardwood to the sounds of Top 40 hits and hip-hop songs, and skaters can upgrade their skill levels at Saturday morning skate lessons. All-inclusive party packages are fun options for birthday, bachelorette, or office-related celebrations and safer than traditional icicle-jousting tournaments.

Orchard in Bloom’s annual garden show and symposium in Holliday Park raises funds for The Orchard School, an independent grade school for grades pre-K through 8. Select local landscapers create macro-landscapes with in-season botany as well as specialized microgardens, designed to showcase specific plant varieties and new design ideas that homeowners can easily incorporate into their own yards. Gardeners can stock up on tools, plants, and art at the Gardener’s Market, full of national and regional artisan vendors. The children’s area entertains youngsters with age-appropriate activities, such as filling flowerpots with soil and playing patty-cake with the limbs of trees.

At any given time, the rowers making their synchronized strides across the Eagle Creek Reservoir could be adults or youths, Olympic-level competitive athletes or recreational paddlers out for exercise and sun. This variation in ages, backgrounds, and skill levels is in keeping with the Indianapolis Rowing Center's mission of popularizing the sport regardless of socioeconomic status or past experience. Upon opening the center in 1982 at Eagle Creek Park, the founders began to instill their nonprofit, Olympic-level training and competition knowhow unto rowers of all levels. Oarsmen buzz about the boathouse March–November, getting tips and taking lessons from a staff that includes a 2008 Beijing Olympian as well as collegiate-level competitors. Over time, the IRC has created a regional hub for rowing with its many programs for high-school, collegiate, and adult athletes as well as hosting collegiate rowing championships.