Not an Outdoor Type?
Here are some winter activities you can warm up to
By Lynette M. Loomis
If you ski, snowboard, skate or have a passion for skiing, Rochester’s winters are welcome. But if you would like to keep your mind and body active without wearing three layers of clothes, here are a few suggestions.
Get a New Hobby
Have you wanted to learn to fence? Create a metal sculpture? Paint with watercolors or oil? Or perhaps you’d like to try your hand at blacksmithing, glass fusing, or resin canvas art. Rochester Brainery offers over 30 classes each month throughout the community. Explore or expand your inner artistic self or a passion that has been put on hold while working or raising children, or both.
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Join A Trivia Group
Who was the competitor of James Garner for Doris Day’s affection in the film “Move Over Darling” For which team did Jackie Robinson play? If you know the answers, you might enjoy Trivia nights throughout the area. Yelp lists the Top 10 Best Trivia Nights Near Rochester. It’s about food, fun, friendship, a lot of laughter, and brain stimulation!
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Go to The Movies Often
Have you noticed that the older you get, the fewer people you recognize at the Academy Awards? If you want to stay current and not wait until you can stream films months later, consider being enticed by the unique smell of theater popcorn by going to the movies. Regal offers a three-month unlimited pass at a very reasonable price. The Little Theater shows independent and foreign films, and music. If you enjoy dining while watching films, The Cinema offers wait staff service for your meal. IMAX’s two locations offer fast food, movies, documentaries, and special events.
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Go to the Library, Not to Read
The Monroe County Library system, with its Central Library and 11 branches, offers knitting clubs, tech training, citizenship classes, caregiving forums, discussion groups, bookmark craft, resume and tax help, and genealogy support. You can teach a class or take a class, and it doesn’t matter if that class is held in your local branch — everyone is welcome. Classes are free or offered for a nominal fee.
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Volunteer to Make Someone Else’s Life Better
Have skills you want to put to good use? Volunteer. There are opportunities to share your time and talents from one day of activity to weeks of involvement. Rochester’s Community Wishbook lists two dozen categories of volunteer help needed, ranging from animal care, building, driving, tutoring or mentoring, sports coaching, and grant writing to food prep, telephone counseling, and seasonal events.
For more information, go to:
www.communitywishbook.org/volunteersneeded.html
Join a Community Theater Group
Ever dream of being on stage? Have you looked at a play and thought, “I could do that…?” Here’s your chance. The Rochester area is home to several community theater groups, including the Off Monroe Players, who have been entertaining audiences for 30 years. Their goal is to enjoy the process while performing Gilbert and Sullivan productions. If you’re more interested in behind-the-scenes work, you’re welcome to help with costume creation, set design, production and ticket sales.
Other groups include Rochester Community Players and The Company Theatre.
These groups offer many opportunities for performance and involvement, a chance to meet new people and maybe even discover a star within yourself.
For more information, go to:
www.rochestercommunityplayers.org/volunteer
www.thecompanytheatreroc.org/auditions
Take a Cooking Class
Sauté, aioli, grill, confit, poach, blanche, sous vide, bain-marie, caramelize, dredge… Enhance your culinary skills and your vocabulary by taking classes at the New York Kitchen in Canandaigua. They offer weekly culinary and beverage courses for cooks and wine lovers of all levels. The class leader adds interest to the fun by sharing stories about local agriculture and the abundant food and craft beverages of New York State. You can schedule a group class or attend as an individual to meet like-minded people. You will be inspired to explore the incredible bounty of New York state.
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