Reframe 2020 with DIY Experiences
Get Festive with Plants
As you move indoors for winter, don’t forget to bring the natural world with you. Experts at Altum’s can help you find the best houseplants for your interior conditions. Treat yourself to a holiday favorite: amaryllis or narcissus bulbs. Put them in water and watch them bloom indoors. Or make your home’s front entrance festive by assembling a winter porch pot of cut greens and white birch. You can also cultivate a green thumb when you tap the nursery’s online library of tutorials.
Altum’s, 11335 N. Michigan Road, Zionsville, (317) 733-4769, www.altums.com.
Study Architecture with Expert Guides
Get your daily exercise with a self-guided walking tour of Indianapolis architecture and historic landmarks, accompanied by audio from the city’s most exuberant guides — prominent local architects who share the stories behind local sites.
Download maps and audio at Walk Indianapolis, www.walkindianapolis.org, or subscribe via iTunes.
Hone Your Baking Skills
Master the perfect macaron, croissant, and other classic French pastries at a virtual or in-store class, taught by one of Indy’s leading pastry chefs, Ben Hardy. The Gallery Pastry Shop and Bar hosts several classes to help DIY bakers make melt-in-your-mouth desserts and pastries. During an in-store class, you get a hands-on learning experience in a professional kitchen. Baking supplies for virtual classes are delivered directly to your home. Either way, it’s a win because you get to eat the product afterwards. Classes can be adapted for adults or children.
Gallery Pastry Shop, 1101 E. 54th Street, Suite G, Indianapolis, Gallery Pastry Bar, 110 S. Pennsylvania Street, Suite B, Indianapolis, www.gallerypastryshop.com.
Make Peace
The world needs peacemakers. Having constructive conversations with people who hold opposing views and supporting whole communities that have been harmed by racism are acquired skills. The Peace Learning Center hosts a range of virtual classes to help people develop better relationships at work, at home and at school. Prepare for a season of peace by attending one of many virtual classes designed to educate, inspire, and empower people to live in peace.
Peace Learning Center, 6040 Delong Road, Indianapolis, (317) 919-8690, www.peacelearningcenter.org/events.
Walk in Circles
End the year on a tranquil note with an ancient ritual: walk a labyrinth. While labyrinths are part of many cultural and spiritual traditions, they can also be useful for centering your thoughts. A few area labyrinths are open to the public from dawn to dusk all year. Indy’s quaint Rivoli Park Labyrinth doubles as an urban wildlife habitat and outdoor art gallery. Call ahead for a facilitated experience. Or take a drive to Historic Camp Chesterfield, where you can walk the labyrinth, then stroll the Trail of Religions, a stunning tribute to world religions. The site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, also has a bookstore and art gallery.
Rivoli Park Labyrinth, 943 N. Kealing Ave., Indianapolis, (317) 372-6983, www.facebook.com/rplabyrinth.
Historic Camp Chesterfield, 50 Lincoln Drive, Chesterfield, (765) 378-0235, www.campchesterfield.net.
Crystal Hammon is a writer living in Indianapolis, Indiana.
