Things To Do in Lawrence

From noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, GermanFest brings the Athenaeum to life with German food and drinks, raffles, and activities for all ages. Wiener dogs race for pet-supply gift cards every hour, and men and women test their strength in a Bavarian stone-lift competition. Youngsters can hang out at Zwergen-Land, which features gnomes, a bounce house, and traditional German games and music. The majority of GermanFest proceeds supports the Athenaeum Foundation, which works to preserve the namesake German-American landmark building that's glued together with hardened mustard. Kids 12 and under are free. Those visitors who come dressed in German garb will also get a free drink ticket.

Aside from its prevalence in Church of Iron’s collection of dumbbells and kettlebells, iron symbolizes the strength and toughness that the results-oriented facility strives to instill in its athletes. Certified strength and conditioning coaches oversee each of the facility’s programs and individual workouts, propelling their disciples toward newfound levels of power, stamina, and speed by refusing to let them give up. The coaches emphasize safety as much as they do intensity, making sure that shoulders stay even during weightlifting moves such as snatches and jerks and gently reproving students when they attempt to shot put each other across the room.

Mike Holman, a staffer for the U.S. Olympic track-and-field team, designs the facility’s endurance programs, which incorporate training masks that simulate running at various elevations. Sports-performance programs help teens and college-level athletes build speed with plyometrics, weighted sprints, and agility drills, and CrossFit programs welcome all ages and fitness levels with scalable workouts that incorporate bodyweight exercises, intense bursts of cardio, and heavy objects such as kettlebells and Liberty Bells.

A climber dangles from his belay rope, punching his fists into the air victoriously after reaching the top of the wall. At Climb Time Indy, more than 8,500 square feet of indoor climbing space host 4,000 different holds, giving the walls the colorful appearance of the bench where giants dispose of unwanted chewing gum. The climbing routes are changed regularly by meticulous and experienced climbers, granting regulars new challenges every week. Kids can join in the fun and learn the ropes with coaching during weekly club meetings; private lessons help more mature scalers brush up on skills.

Science-fiction fans are eternally disappointed that society hasn't yet developed the technology that would allow them to strap on a jetpack and rocket to their destination. Though Indy Flight Academy & Watersports can't supply you with a futuristic vehicle for the daily commute, it does give extreme-sports enthusiasts the chance to blast off with its Flyboard water-powered jet packs.

The Flyboard—a water board with a pair of boots attached to it—is attached to long hose, which is in turn hooked up to the water jet exhaust of a jet ski. When the jet ski's driver hits the gas, the Flyboard and rider shoot up into the air atop high-powered streams of water. Riders can then fly around above the water or mimic a dolphin diving in and out.

White River Canoe Company provides outdoor entertainment for river people in the form of canoes, kayaks, and river tubes. Unlike the baby-doll clients and child CEOs of imaginary boat companies, this water-tight canoe company's customers do not need inflatable limbs to enjoy a canoe or kayak trip on the serene White River. Today’s deal is good for the popular Rusty Oar adventure, a two- to three-hour excursion that launches off at the Rusty Oar drop-in. Starting at the company’s main River Road facility, paddlers will be transported via passenger van to the drop-in point (about a 10–15 minute trip), schooled in safe river navigation, and equipped with all the necessary paddling gear. Then, selecting either a kayak ($34 plus tax) or a canoe ($42 plus tax), boaters shove off melodramatically to paddle and float down the watery way that will return them once again to River Road, where parked cars and bejeweled trolls await their owners on gravelly lots.

Sports of All Sorts is one of the largest indoor sports facilities in the Midwest, with 200,000 square feet of state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled gyms, courts, fields, and athletic equipment, along with an abundance of open-air facilities. Camp runs five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with optional pre-camp (7 a.m. to 8 a.m.) and post-camp care (5 p.m. to 6 p.m.) for an additional $10 each for the week. Activities include kickball, dodgeball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, wiffleball, and daily adventures to Snapperz and its four-story playground and inflatables. Register for any camp beginning June 1 through August 9 and use your Groupon to transform your mini-me into a mini-sports-polymath. Click here to read about specifics of the camp and its policies.

The Five Seasons Family Sports Club houses tennis courts, a dining area, fitness facilities, swimming pools, and a full-service spa under one roof. Within air-conditioned indoor courts or on outdoor clay courts, racquet slingers compete in friendly bouts to sharpen swings, refine backhands, and showcase grunting abilities. Members can also break a sweat in exercise areas speckled with modern cardio equipment and weights or cool off in an Olympic-sized pool with diving wells and wading areas. Before meeting others for a postgame beverage at the lively café, clients can wander to the spa for a relaxing massage or partake in a sports workshop to gain a firm grasp on game mechanics.