8 Cool Classes for Adults

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One of the Hux Family Farm goats rests on Tara Fusco’s yoga mat during a class. Photo by Briana Brough

YOGA WITH GOATS

Saturdays and Sundays, with the occasional weekday class

Sure, you’ve done an outside yoga class, but Hux Family Farm adds the fauna to the flora nature component with their yoga classes featuring goats and sheep, an idea that originated on the West Coast last year. “We started offering meditation and reading therapy with the goats at the end of last summer,” says Amanda Avery, who owns the farm with her husband, Matthew Hux. “I had been meditating with the goats myself and wanted to share it with people. Then a friend sent me some videos of goat yoga in Oregon and Arizona on Facebook, so I thought maybe we could add yoga to the program. We started the yoga in October of last year.”

A couple of baby goats assist Sophie Brickman and her boyfriend, David Freeman, with their yoga poses. Photo by Briana Brough.

While an instructor leads the class, the animals amble among participants, eating grass, asking for pets or attempting to play. “[They] can either be cute and funny, jumping around and asking for cuddles,” Amanda says. “Or they may choose a person and settle in with them on their mat for some sweet one-on-one time (they all take naps with us during meditation). I think this helps people not take themselves so seriously, to really reap the relaxing benefits of the yoga and meditation. It also helps to release stress just from the joy and love you feel from the goats and sheep.”

Along the lines of not taking yourself too seriously, remember that these are farm animals, and accidents do happen. Don’t worry, there are towels for cleanup! $10 for meditation classes; $15-$20 for yoga classes


BREW SCHOOL

Friday, August 11, at 6:30 p.m.

Interested in learning to brew your own beer? Have you brewed a couple of times, but still have questions? Bull City Homebrew instructors lead this class created for novices – no prior homebrewing knowledge is required – and go over everything you need to know from opening the extract recipe kit to bottling the beer to enjoy with friends. Each class lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes and is limited to about 20 people per class. Stick around after class to ask your “professors” questions, and pick up equipment and ingredients to make your first batch of beer at a 10% discount.


Photo by Jennifer Gregg.

DOCUMENTARY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Friday, September 29, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, September 30–October 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

New York City-based professional photographer, teacher, lecturer, author and curator Harvey Stein teaches this workshop at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The class aims to provide each student with knowledge of and experience in documenting people in a street environment through lectures, demonstrations, a photographic field trip, slide presentations and critiques. Note: On Friday and Sunday there will be an hour-long break for lunch. On Saturday, the class will photograph the NC Pride Parade and Festival, which takes place within walking distance of the Center (bring a packed lunch). $280

*THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED*


FIBER ARTS – FRESH-LEAF INDIGO DYEING

Saturday, August 19, 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Textile artist Diana Cathcart leads an exploration of fresh-leaf indigo dyeing using North Carolina-grown Japanese indigo at the Durham Arts Council. Learn about growing indigo as you create a dye vat from leaf to dyed natural fiber, and take part in two different processes: a cooked vat and a simple, organic indigo ice bath. A $30 materials fee is due to the instructor at workshop. $27


BARTENDING/MIXOLOGY CLASS

September 5–October 10 or September 7–October 12

Become a bartender or improve your bartending skills in this continuing education course at Durham Technical Community College. Master cocktail preparation and techniques as well as how to recommend wine. Learn industry recipes, vernacular, product usage, sanitation, bar set-up, customer service, etiquette, garnishes and frozen drink preparation. Become certified under the Responsible Alcohol Seller Program (RASP), Training for Intervention ProcedureS (TIPS) and BARS, and gain a fundamental knowledge of N.C. ABC laws and regulations. Open to beginners, this course also serves as a refresher for bartenders. $90


NASHER CREATES WITH MARTHA CLIPPINGER

Thursday, August 10, 6-8 p.m.

Join in this drop-in creative workshop led by local artist Martha Clippinger at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and stay for a drink at the cash bar. Free


HAWAIIAN LUAU

Wednesday, August 30, 6-8 p.m.

Aloha! Durham Spirits Company’s Katie Coleman hosts this tropical-themed, hands-on cooking class at The Kitchen Specialist, 3407 University Dr. Recipes include bacon-wrapped pineapple with sweet chili dipping sauce; Hawaiian ahi poke with macadamia nuts; lomi-lomi salmon; grilled huli huli chicken with Spam and pineapple fried rice; and haupia (coconut pudding cake). $59


Photo by Allie Mullin of Allie Mullin Photography.

WORKSHOPS AT THE ZEN SUCCULENT

Succulent Terrarium Workshop with Megan George of The ZEN Succulent–Tuesdays: August 15; September 26; October 17; and November 14, 6-8 p.m. $60
Macrame Hanging Planters with Kathryn Zeringue–Sundays: August 27 and November 5, 5-7 p.m. $55
Spoon Carving Basics with Ask the Trees–Sunday, September 10, 5-8 p.m. $70
Romantic Succulent Wreaths with Megan George–Sunday, September 24, 5-7 p.m. $55
Winter Herbal Blend Workshop with Empress Herbs–Sunday, October 1, 5-6:30 p.m. $55
Classic Tropical Terrarium Workshop with Megan George (pictured)–Sunday, October 15, 5-7 p.m. $70
Modern Calligraphy Workshop with Happy Tines–Sunday, October 22, 5-7 p.m. $80
Photography & Cocktails with Melissa Maureen Photography–Sunday, October 29, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. $70
Botanical Embroidery with Se Paz Studio–Sunday, November 19, 5-7 p.m. $55

All workshops will be held at the neighborhood plant and gift shop, located at 125 E. Parrish St., Ste. 100-A, and are limited to 10 students. Locally made sweet treats and tea or wine will be available also for guests. More dates will be added as they become available, like a oral design workshop and embroidery. To sign up for each workshop or to learn more information about the courses, visit thezensucculent.com/workshops.

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Amanda MacLaren

Amanda MacLaren is the executive editor of Durham Magazine. Born in Mesa, Arizona, she grew up in Charlotte and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in journalism. She’s lived in Durham for eight years. When she’s not at work, you can usually find her with a beer in hand at Fullsteam, Dain’s Place or Bull City Burger or getting takeout from Guasaca.
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