Five Cool Places to Learn Something New

by Carrie Havranek     Photo by Jandra Weninger

1. Northampton Community College. There are plenty of non-credit courses where you can learn both fun and important things, such as knife skills in the kitchen, how to plan your investments, or learn to make a guitar. The college calls these “adult leisure” classes.

2.  Banana Factory, Bethlehem. I am not visually creative, but I’ve always wanted to either do pottery or learn glassblowing. One of these days, I will actually do either or both. Luckily, the Banana Factory has a kiln and a glassblowing facility. There’s something really compelling about blown glass, and a beginner’s class starts March 22. Hmm…..

3. Knitter’s Edge, Bethlehem. Ok, I didn’t intentionally set out to feature Bethlehem. But this full-scale knitting shop in Bethlehem has everything you need, from novice to pro–including classes nearly every day of the week, for only $6.

4. Blue Mountain Ski Area, Palmerton. No more jokes about the snow, but now’s about the time to embrace it if you haven’t already. Classes and lessons are offered several times a day throughout the week–check the schedule on their site to find one that suits you (and/or your children), whether it’s for skiing or snowboarding.

5. School of Rock, Easton. What happens when a bunch of aspiring young musicians get together in a room on the second floor of a building in the Bank Street alley? You get the sound of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” or “Stairway to Heaven,” or any other standard (nowadays, at least) rock tune that kids wanna learn.

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who always wants to learn something new, every day.