Things to Do in Newton

[[m:####Clay Escape

At Clay Escape, hundreds of blank clay pieces line the walls, waiting for a new life in someone’s garden, kitchen, or dining room. Instructors help visitors pick the piece that best suits their artistic intention, and then painters go to work selecting from more than 74 paint colors and 92 specialty glazes with which to decorate their pottery. Stencils and sponges help fuel the artistic process, and a computer generates endless images for potters to paint onto a bowl or glue to a sibling’s cheek. One week later, pieces emerge glistening and brilliant, ready to take home. Clay Escape also hosts private parties for events such as birthdays, bridal showers, or Girl Scout and church meetings, and it also holds special events for holidays such as Father’s Day.:m]]

Instructors at The Painted Parrot take a lighthearted approach to painting. Each strives to empower budding artists with guidance and feedback but emphasize creative expression over technical form. Their studio space reinforces the cheerful, no-pressure vibe: green and blue walls peek out from beneath previous classes’ paintings, and the studio’s resident parrots, JoJo, Petie, and Ralphie, squawk out commands for crackers or deliver lectures on art history over the popping of BYOB bottle corks.

Owner Jessie Smith and the staff at Barefoot Archery maintain a pro shop packed with an all-encompassing array of gear for enthusiasts of all skill levels, from dedicated hunters to hobbyists. Every time a customer purchases a bow from the shop, one of Barefoot Archery's experts takes time to show him or her how to properly wield and maintain the new piece, reducing the chance that customers will accidentally pull the self-destruct string. Jessie also relishes the opportunity to teach youngsters the art of the bull’s-eye through Junior Olympic Archery Development classes held in the shop's indoor range.

As the sun melts into the horizon, the opening chords of an ebullient country song rip through the evening air, coaxing stomps from even the most stoic of feet. Energetic audience members dust off their dance moves and sing along with the music between sipping lagers. The third-annual North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival is coming to an end, and its guests are determined to celebrate under the unfurling night sky until the notes of the last encore fade away.

Presented by Rural Hill, the rollicking festival takes over the historic farmlands of Huntersville, delighting guests with live music, eats, and brew-centric activities. Throughout the day, festival booths bustle as more than 20 of North Carolina’s top brewers showcase their libations via tastings and educational sessions, and chefs flood the air with the aromas of sizzling fare including vegetarian options. Young festival-goers enjoy family-friendly music and keep busy by wishing they were old enough to sample the festival's sudsy wares. As the clock strikes noon, the festival stage comes alive with a lineup of bands and musicians performing all manner of music, from country to prog-rock to bluegrass.

Guests are also welcome to continue the celebrations into Sunday morning by spending the night at the festival campsite in tents, RVs, or the branches of surrounding trees. All festival proceeds go toward Historic Rural Hill, a nonprofit historical site that presents educational field trips and cultural events throughout the year.

During childhood, the sloped handlebars of kids’ bikes often made a perfect seat for riding a friend around town. Fast-forward to today and the grown-up Party Pedaler, a large bike craft that seats up to 14 people, eschews handlebars for a flat bar top that holds elbows, drinks, and listens to you boast about how much faster you’re going than everyone else. This rolling, people-powered bike rolls through custom routes or a choice of four pre-planned treks through the Queen City. In the South End, crawlers cruise along mills and warehouses and into eclectic pubs and restaurants. North Davidson’s art district boasts funky galleries and theaters, and in Uptown, wheels push past cultural institutions such as the Fillmore and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Designed and built in Oregon, the party bike saddles up to 10 pedalers and cradles up to four more on a back bench. Speakers and iPod hookups fuel the cycling, as do BYO beverages and snacks. Most of the bar-crawl routes make four stops, giving riders ample opportunity to sample what local bartenders are mixing up.

Travels in Wine Tours' co-founders, Kimberlee Young and Derek Schuler, share their love of wine, food, and travel with curious tourists through tours designed and led by certified sommeliers. Epicurean scenic tours of boutique wineries, personalized luxury Napa vacations, and custom weekend getaways marry viticultural education with flavorful indulgence as guests take in picturesque panoramas of vineyards that stretch to the horizon before curving upward and forming bridges to the moon.