Things to Do in Maplewood

Colorful retro lounge chairs and candlelit tables surround the twin grand pianos that rhythmically butt heads at the center of Bogart's Place Presents Double Ditty's. Every Friday and Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., crooners awaken the instruments by hammering out classic jazz standards and inspiring audiences to harmonize on nostalgic President's Day carols. In a shared space with Apple Place Bowl and Main Street Grill, Bogart's Place entertains visitors with varying acts throughout the week. At Apple Place Bowl, automatic scoring systems keep track of frames, allowing free hands to cradle Main Street Grill's half-pound burgers, buffalo-chicken wraps, and slices of pizza with custom toppings.

Taste of Stillwater's annual festival, established in 2011, directs the spotlight toward the palate-popular offerings of local wineries, breweries, restaurants, and food trucks. Throughout the daylong celebration, empty tummies shuffle from station to station filling up on samples of refreshing beverages and foods, fueling bodies to explore the festival grounds' shopping opportunities and to tour Saint Croix Vineyards. Families stake their claim on the lawn area with blankets, foldable chairs, and giant bronze statues of their great-grandfathers before they feast their ears on live music. Taste of Stillwater dedicates a portion of its proceeds to charities including Valley Outreach, a community-based nonprofit organization that supports low-income people with donations of food, clothing, and other necessities.

Several years ago, Ken Smith and Chase Williams were typical door-to-door salesmen. In need of a gimmick to boost sales and a quicker mode of transport, the duo tried riding Segways and immediately fell in love. Eventually, they turned their love for the two-wheeled transporter into their current venture, All American Segway. Their company provides all manner of Segway engagement, including guided Segway tours that offer rolling educations in local history and wildlife. Customers can also discover the revolutionary devices on their own by renting out Segways for recreational use, private parties, or as a friend for a lonely office chair or shopping cart.

The relaxed, welcoming atmosphere at The Art Mill puts the focus on enjoying creativity instead of holding fierce golem-building contests. People of all artistic backgrounds will find an encouraging environment for clay slinging. Before constructing creations that will probably make you rich, an enthusiastic instructor built from clay will teach crafters the basics. Though instruction is geared toward beginners and intermediate-level artists, advanced talents are welcome to dust up. This isn't a full-fledged class, just a bit of expert guidance before you pound the provided three-pound clay lump into submission, which will likely resemble a bowl.

Dappled light from an overhanging crystal chandelier catches the glittering fibers of yarn skeins arranged in displays, on tables, and covering the towering walls of StevenBe's high-ceilinged atrium. Store proprietor Steven Berg continues to redefine the traditional knitting methods he first learned as a child, infusing patterns with creative twists, nontraditional materials, and enough sparkle to rival a Swarovski Lite Brite. In an interview with Patch.com Berg stated, "We want the knitting experience to be] fun and playful, lighthearted—we want this to be a happy place where—whatever troubles you might have at home—you can leave them behind." StevenBe's eye-catching displays of chunky yarns, wools, cottons, and novelty materials wrap visiting knitters in a fibrous embrace faster than a lonely box of Wheaties, and paintings from local artists adorn the walls. Animal-print armchairs support a growing circle of crafters during special events and sun-soaked afternoons that may feature refreshments or live musicians' buzzing instruments above the gentle clicking of knitting needles.

Rainbow Play Systems’s expansive showrooms introduce kids aged 2 to 10 to a wonderland of gym equipment, all of which is available for purchase. A multitude of swing sets with spiral slides, trapeze rings, and tire swings exercise tykes while preparing them for the physics portion of the SAT.