Things to Do in Lilburn

Inflatables abound inside the family-owned indoor playground of HippoHopp, where kids leap about in bounce houses, glide down slides, and navigate their way through obstacles courses. Free air hockey and foosball keep kids of all ages busy, and play castles and age-appropriate bouncers entertain youngsters in the toddler area. While the tots are busy, free WiFi and magazines are available to parents, who join their children at the bistro-style café for snacks such as paninis made each morning, fresh-ground fair-trade coffee and biscotti, and kid-friendly options including chicken nuggets and grilled-cheese sandwiches. Along with encouraging health-conscious exercise in kids, the staff at HippoHopp maintains an eco-conscious space by cleaning its facility with nontoxic, biodegradable products and only using windstorms to inflate the bounce houses.

Matt Janke dreamed of landing the perfect glass-blowing job. After moving to Atlanta in 1986, he realized there wasn't a single glass studio in town, granting his art a ready-made niche. After settling in, he returned to grad school, earning an MFA in glass with the intent to launch his own university program and ultimately procure his own space. By the time he graduated in 1992, Matt further honed his skills, stockpiled equipment, and, in 1996, opened his own studio and hired himself.

Beyond the perks of being his own boss, having his own studio affords Matt a great deal of creative freedom. He infuses all his handblown light fixtures, tumblers, and vases with the prismatic swirls of his signature style, in which precise lines and natural variations vie for attention across undulating surfaces. A downtown gallery space facilitates sales of these works.

But the studio has also fulfilled more than Matt's original goal of finding glass-blowing employment, going on to catalyze a glass-blowing community. From single apprentices in the early days, the studio is now a full-fledged classroom, with space for five instructors, a dozen students, and the kilns that must melt their glass until they each finish their training by capturing and taming a fire-breathing dragon.

In 1975, four friends with hearts full of the great outdoors decided they needed a place to get gear indoors. This quest for adventuring equipment lead Bubba Sloan, Gerald Marshall, Denny Mays, and Ned Buxton to found High Country Outfitters as a gear shop for all manner of activities performed under the sun. These days, Bubba runs the retail side of things in Buckhead, while Gerald continues to captain daring cruises down the Ocoee River's relentless rapids. The store kits out customers for safe communing with nature with tools and togs from manufacturers including The North Face, Patagonia, and Big Green Egg, whose verdantly painted smoker grill creates hot meals in the midst of a long trip or particularly boring wait in the airport. Meanwhile, guides lead expeditionary parties along on waterborne trips down the Middle and Upper Ocoee’s burbling banks, recapturing the sun-dappled fun that inspired the store's creation in the first place.

A household name on the Atlanta yoga circuit and a skilled teacher of the ancient art, Bethany Vaughn brings credibility to Red Hot Yoga. She houses the studio in a space formerly used by an antique flooring company, welcoming students to spread their mats over beautiful 100-year-old wide-plank pine flooring in the two expansive practice spaces. Bethany centers her fifth and favorite studio on a power-yoga style that's performed in a 105-degree setting. Three levels of power classes cater to practitioners of all abilities, helping those new to the practice to link the flowing poses with conscious breathing techniques while challenging more experienced stretchers with advanced postures. Red Hot Yoga's 4,200 square feet of space includes changing and shower facilities, eliminating the need to bring along a tent equipped with shelves.