Things to Do in Minneapolis

Debut feisty kicks and perfect punches learned from using today’s Groupon and dazzle fellow holiday partygoers into a standing ovation. For $35, new students can get one month of unlimited classes in martial arts, self defense, kickboxing, and more at Minnesota Kali Group, a state-of-the-art, multi-level, martial arts multiplex that will not only teach you the skills to enter a Mortal Kombat tournament, but also teach you why you shouldn't.Follow @Groupon_Says on Twitter.

Gordon Franks and Pat Worley are more than black belts. They’re ninth-degree black belts who share their chosen martial art with youngsters and adults alike through USA Karate, the school they cofounded. The school - which opened in 1973 and has been operating for more than 40 years - was featured on the local CBS station and teaches self-defense techniques that help students graduate to higher-level belts and translate into increased agility, coordination, and self-confidence.

After moving from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001, the Grizzlies have established themselves as one of the NBA's perennial playoff threats, making the postseason five times since 2004. Competing in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference, the Grizzlies face off against formidable division rivals San Antonio and Dallas, scratching and clawing their way to victory and stretching to reach the food bags hoisted to the top of the backboard.

In between rim-rattling dunks, fans can explore the amenities at FedExForum, such as a variety of concessions and restaurants. The theme song that plays in the arena's concourse salutes Memphis's rich history of music and pays homage to the way Grizz the mascot's growl could sort of sound like a harp.

Pump It Up's Inflatable Party Zone balloons kids’ excitement with an enormous playspace that welcomes open-play sessions and private parties. Tots 34" and taller run and leap in huge bounce houses, soar down an inflatable slide, and practice for future zero-gravity triathlon events in a bouncy jousting arena and basketball court. Various open-play sessions give kids of all ages free rein to the fun zone while accompanying parents stand by to officiate bounce-house property-line disputes. Pump It Up also boasts myriad celebratory and special-event shindigs, with friendly staffers supervising jumpers, and serving pizza and favors in a vibrant party room.

Paula Atwell wasn't born an artist. She didn't pursue any art form in college, instead achieving a degree in English and a minor in accounting. After logging years in standard 9–5 jobs, she had an epiphany—it was time to do something for herself. Taking this newfound motivation to action, Paula enrolled in a beading class and followed it with forays into metalsmithing, crafting, and soldering.

These experiments in creativity led her to join the Lake Erie Artists co-op in 2003, where she began to show her eclectic jewelry at their booth during local festivals. When the co-op became incorporated in 2005, Paula's business world experience made her an obvious choice to lead the diverse group of artists in forming their own gallery. Today, the co-op-turned-gallery now carries hundreds of art pieces that span a range of media.

Producing blown-glass sculptures and handcrafted metal jewelry and pottery, the artists each specialize in a few select media as decided during the gallery's annual game of spin-the-paintbrush. The staff at Lake Erie Artists Gallery is also a strong proponent of local business, encouraging their patrons to browse Shake Square after looking at their wares. In project-oriented classes taught by working artists, students explore jewelry and painting and leave with their handcrafted pieces.