Things to Do in Mandeville
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
Situated on the lush tree-lined waterfront of City Park Lake, Ocean Water Beach Rentals' fleet of eco-friendly watercrafts carries visitors on casual aquatic voyages. Yellow and blue pedal boats take couples on human-powered trips into the tranquil waters, while single-person vessels such as eight-foot kayaks coast alongside lakefront houses, hovering birds, and extremely lost treasure ships. The aqua aficionados welcome boaters from March through November.
New Orleans Harley-Davidson outfits first-time and seasoned riders with the hardware, services, and skills to dominate the road. Bikers can scour a chromed-out collection of new and used bikes, including Sportsters, Dynas, and Touring Harley-Davidsons, as well as trike bikes, Yamahas, and Suzuki cycles. Factory-trained and certified technicians tackle standard services and upkeep, or soup up bikes with performance modifications and accessories such as leather training wheels. New Orleans Harley-Davidson also equips part-time riders with rentals and hosts educational boot camps that impart riding skills.
As dusk descends on an isolated bayou, a horde of zombies emerges from fetid swamp waters—their low moans drifting through the humid night air. They smell flesh. Five hopelessly lost travelers have wandered off-road into their domain, and now they must scramble to escape the approaching onslaught.
This spine-tingling scene hails from one of three harrowing vignettes set against the backdrop of Louisiana’s shadowy swamplands and fog-laced backwoods that make up the titular The Dark Tales of El Diablo—the half-eaten brainchild of independent filmmaker Spencer Lee. Throughout the film, failed horror writer Charlie—played by Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman alum Chad Allen—turns to an unholy muse to revive his middling career, summoning the demon Diablo and forcing him to share the three demented fables. But as Charlie listens to the tales intertwine, he soon discovers Diablo's true intention—to escape into the outside world.
Underwater Adventures's owner and veteran diver Mark Smith has spent the past 22 years assembling exclusively NAUI–certified instructors for his team. For the company's classes, they hop into pools or natural bodies of water to help pupils as young as 10 to achieve a diving certification. In addition to teaching recreational scuba and seahorse riding, they also train first responders on underwater search-and-rescue tactics and public-safety diving. Mark is also an instructor for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Department and has facilitated dive training for several municipal agencies including the Louisiana State Police and multiple fire departments.
The instructors at Creations Bayou, formerly known as Sadie’s Closet, encourage students to let their artistic instincts run wild during painting classes, sewing classes, and children's summer camps. In a flurry of brushstrokes, aspiring Claude Monets create their own interpretations of reference pieces, painting wall-worthy pictures depicting lovebirds on a tree branch, multicolored sunsets, and blossoming foliage. During camp sessions, youngsters take on a different artistic endeavor each day, tie-dyeing pillowcases, constructing picture frames, or spelling out their favorite Supreme Court Justice’s name in glitter. Creations Bayou also regularly hosts art-themed parties for both kids and adults.
Of the two activities most associated with pub crawls—drinking and walking—the guides at Buckhead Pub Crawl know which their guests prefer. That’s why, when it came to plotting the course for their nightly crawl, they handpicked seven local bars within a short walking distance of one another.
On designated nights, the guides lead revelers on whirlwind tours that highlight the eccentricities of each bar, english pub, and club on their list. At the various stops along the way, guests receive complimentary drinks and a rhythm for sipping said drinks courtesy of four live bands and six DJs. Crawls typically embark from East Andrews Café, where acoustic music wafts over a marble-topped bar and up to a second-floor terrace. A go-go cage, disco ball, and lava lamps mark the indoor dance floor, and DJs spin records throughout the night in an outdoor courtyard.
After a catered dinner, guests travel to six additional venues. Bad puns notwithstanding, Stout Irish Pub sets the bar high for the rest of the night with its 50 draft and bottled beers and 19 satellite TVs. On a deck behind the honky-tonk-inspired Lost Dog Tavern, bartenders mix drinks on a granite-topped bar sculpted into the shape of a question mark. Each evening ends at Tavern 99, where guests find seats in front of a brick-walled stage as live musicians sigh before obliging yet another request to hear “99 Bottles of Beer.”
