Things to Do in Southbury

Lifelong paintballers Glen Kapostas and Eric Schreiber founded Yankee Paintball with the aim of introducing new people to their favorite sport on a safe and fair playing field. Their 50 acres of paint-strewn battlegrounds include five different fields, each with a distinct layout and environment. Inflatable obstacles are scattered throughout the Airball Field, the layout of which changes every few weeks to enhance replay value. The 10-acre Castle Field—the largest of the bunch—spans the length of a small hill. Its battlegrounds light up with multi-colored crossfire during team games in which players crouch in bunkers, take shelter behind trees, and hide in the crowded nests of woodland critters.

In their dedication to educating the pilots of tomorrow, Image Aviation Services only employs flight instructors who have graduated from top-level aviation institutions. Those instructors pass on their winged wisdom on in numerous training packages, including certification programs for aspiring sport and private pilots. Meanwhile, each of the aircraft in Image Aviation's fleet features the industry's latest avionics. The company ensures the utmost safety in its planes, too—they hire only certified mechanics for maintenance and require leashes on all pet rocks making the flight.

Sprawled throughout 8,000 square feet, Fun Factor of Middlebury's indoor inflatable playground, free WiFi, and fleet of arcade games regale children and adults alike. As youngsters bounce atop the facility's soft recreational equipment, grownups can supervise, join in the merrymaking, or talk reason to the screens of arcade games in an attempt to score their kin prizes. A cache of preschool-appropriate toys keeps littler ones entertained, and staff members can shepherd toddlers into a special play area suited to their size.

Fun Factor of Middlebury also bolsters rambunctious revelry with classes and day camps and frequently hosts staffed birthday parties, local fundraisers, and regional Duck, Duck, Goose championships in two party rooms. Though the facility welcomes guests of all ages, most activities are geared to children aged 1–12 years old.

In the past 40 years, the Southern Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut have seldom stood without an echo of laughter or music. That's because Woodbury Ski Area keeps them pulsing with skiers and snowboarders during winter months and warm-weather revelers and concertgoers throughout the summer. Tubing slides run down the hills throughout the summer, along with zorb balls—inflatable spheres that carry passengers to the bottom in 45 seconds.

Woodbury Ski Area's president Rod Taylor, who competed as a member of the U.S. Ski Team, maintains the facility with the same drive he used to become the national downhill ski champion and record holder for clearing 222 feet in the Glendale Jump contest. While helping to keep adrenaline levels high, Rod ensures the facility hosts more laid-back cultural events with concerts on the Woodbury stage. Past shows have featured legends including The Wailers, Fela Kuti, and UB40, as well as Muddy Waters, The Band, Bonnie Raitt, and Earl Scruggs.

Utah-certified instructor Michael J. Capozziello teaches the Utah Basic Pistol Shooting Course to familiarize clients with basics of handling, firing, and owning a pistol. In addition to demonstrating and supervising skills, he educates students about gun laws at both the state and national level.