Things to Do in Richfield

First a teacher, and then a stay-at-home mom, Melissa Spredemann turned to indoor cycling to help her get into shape. With 12 years of experience under her belt, she decided to become certified to teach others the exercise form she loved so much. Just one year into teaching, she knew she wanted to pursue her passion full-time, so she opened Velocity Cycling Studio to share stationary cycling's benefits with others. She handpicked a team of instructors, each chosen for their commitment, enthusiasm, and innate ability to bike while not covering any distance. Melissa made the conscious decision to open a niche gym, focusing on indoor cycling and only indoor cycling. In the studio, an army of Spinner NXT bikes with SPD clips seats students as they bike through poses, drills, and movements designed to mimic outdoor riding. Thumping tunes pump up pupils as they ride, keeping them motivated to pedal to the upbeat tempos. Unlike big-box gyms and arranged friendships, Velocity Cycling Studio never requires a contract—guests simply pay per ride.

Elite Sports Clubs' encyclopedic menu of group classes injects novelty into stale workout routines with more than 200 classes each week. Choose from pound-pummeling programs in five categories: cardio, strength, aquatics, mind/body, and fusion. Zumba shimmies off unwanted pounds and boot camp drop-kicks calories through intense cardio and agility training. Let supple limbs flow smoothly between strength-building postures during a graceful session of Vinyasa yoga or mesmerize muscles with Trouble Zone Tone, a speedy weight training and cardio routine. Joint-friendly classes such as H20 Blast provide aquatic-based fitness that’s far more enjoyable than pumping iron while chasing the neighbor's sprinkler. Body benders can drop off their child or tofu-based child substitute at Elite Sports Club’s daycare before their class, and retire to the locker rooms afterward to towel off accumulated sweat and war paint. Check out Elite Sports Clubs’ schedule for a list of classes offered at each location.

Lizz Wright is a gospel-trained contralto, born in Georgia and now based in New York. As Stephen Holden of the New York Times articulates, "Her voice, luminous and smoky and perfectly pitched, is one of the most wondrous rhythm-and-blues instruments of our time." Lizz wrote the majority of her latest album, Orchard and, like her other releases, it's as smooth and mysterious as butter melting over butter. Equally as impressive are her interpretations of classics including Patsy Cline's "Strange," Ike and Tina Turner's "I Idolize You," and Led Zeppelin's Korean Conflict protest ballad, "Thank You." Mitchell Park, which allows Lizz Wright's sultry vocalizations to float to lawn-lounging ears unimpeded, also features sustenance options from Haute Taco, North Star American Bistro, Loaf & Jug, and Bella Caffe.

Warehouses are often drab and dusty, but not the colorful, warehouse-sized interior of Cream City Skatepark. Graffiti and illustrations of pop culture staples such as the California raisins and The Simpsons enliven the spacious indoor park, whose layout was meticulously designed by skateboard enthusiasts. For each skater’s street and vert pleasure, the park includes wooden ramps, a massive bowl, brick ledges, and sets of stairs and handrails.

Along with open-skate sessions, the park accommodates camps that combine instruction and games, as well as occasional demos from touring teams such as Zero and Volcom. If they need new gear, such as decks or trucks, skaters can head to Cream City’s onsite skate shop before kickflipping their way into the park.

Presented by MilwaukeeFood.com, The Milwaukee Chili Bowl hosts a steamy collection of chili crafted by local restaurateurs from across the state. Spotlighting traditional and unconventional ingredients such as bratwurst and sweet potatoes, chefs pit their unique recipes against each other, bringing enough variety to satisfy vegans, vegetarians, or children teethed on tabasco chew toys. Guests mingle through the sea of silver serving trays and cast-iron pots, spooning nibbles from each entrant as they go. A nexus of food info for the area, MilwaukeeFood.com hosts tasting events throughout the year, including summer’s Rock the Roost buffalo-wing festival and fall’s Best-Wurst sausage, cheese, and beef festival.

Munich, Germany, has plenty to offer by way of Bavarian beer, cuisine, and music—but so does Glendale, Wisconsin, site of the Bock Bier Festival. For two days, visitors flock to the Bavarian Soccer Club Complex of Heidelberg Park, where they dance to live German musicians such as Austrian Express and Johnny Hoffman. To replenish their energies, they can dine on German sausages from the kitchen or American snacks such as coleslaw and nachos. German maibock beer washes everything down in 16-ounce cups, 1-liter glass steins, or pitchers. Parking is complimentary, so visitors can dance the night away without pausing to deposit more bratwurst in the meter.