Things to do in Carlsbad this January

You may still be recovering from a flurry of holiday activity, but the fun rolls right on into the new year here in Carlsbad. Check out the many events and activities going on all around your favorite village by the sea this January.

Get fit
Was one of your new year’s resolutions to get in shape? Classes offered by the City of Carlsbad can help you do just that alongside neighbors, friends and even your little ones and pets.

Try stroller or kids’ yoga and let the Zen begin for the whole family! Stroller yoga at Poinsettia Park brings together stretching, strength training and cardio fitness for Mom and Dad with baby in tow, utilizing the stroller for certain exercises and poses and engaging the children along the way. Kids’ yoga teaches Hatha yoga poses in a fun and kid-friendly way. Pint-sized yoga students learn breath control techniques and how these can be applied to help calm themselves in stressful situations, as well as how food choices affect their bodies.

Join the Zumba craze that has taken the country by storm, with exotic moves set to high-energy Latin beats, and get a weekly dose of full-body “exercise in disguise.” Zumba classes are offered at locations around the city for adults and teens ages 14 and up.

Or bring your canine pal up to Hosp Grove for an hour and a half of socializing and exercise every week at the Hosp Grove K-9 Workout. Owners and their pups walk, run and workout along the trail using resistance bands and plyometric exercises. Dogs must be well-behaved and on a six-foot or shorter leash.

Click here for more information on these and other classes and to register.

Pick up a new hobby
Want to impress your friends with newfound artistic, musical or dance skills? Perfect your rhythm with lessons in the dance style of your choice—the city offers hip hop, salsa, line dancing, cha cha, swing and ballet for individuals or couples at locations in north and south Carlsbad during day and evening hours. Provide live tunes at your next party after taking the city’s new hand drumming or ukulele class. Or give your greetings a personal touch with the handmade watercolor greeting cards you create in the Watercolor Greeting Cards class at Calavera Hills Community Center. Click here for more information on these and other music, dance and specialty classes.

Travel across the globe
Get away without leaving Carlsbad! Join award-winning documentary filmmaker Rick Ray at the Carlsbad City Library’s Schulman Auditorium as he transports you to the Taj Mahal, Himalayas and river Ganges through a free screening of his documentary “The Soul of India” on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., followed by a Q&A session. Click here for more information.

Get up close with the opera
Musicologist Ron Shaheen brings behind-the-scenes insight into the history and music of the world-class operas featured in the San Diego Opera’s 2013 season with his popular free Opera Previews series at the Carlsbad City Library. This month, he investigates Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Daughter of the Regiment,” with visual and musical selections from the comedy about a girl adopted by a battalion on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. Click here for more information.

Be part of the scene!
Enjoy an evening of entertainment by young local bands, filmmakers and artists at the City of Carlsbad’s tenth annual Teen Scene on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. All ages are welcome to join in this night of creative expression showcasing the talents of Carlsbad teens at Calavera Hills Community Park. Highlights include art exhibition, dance room, film festival, video game truck and the main event: the City of Carlsbad Battle of the Bands. Admission is $5 presale until 4 p.m. on Jan. 25 and $8 at the door. For more information on the event and how to enter your or your teen’s work, click here or call 760-602-7519.

Celebrate Jane-uary all month long
This first month of 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, and the Carlsbad City Library is celebrating with an entire month of festivities at locations around the city. Don’t miss screenings of the films Pride and Prejudice, Bride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Clueless, all based on Austen’s work. There will also be a special Austen display at the Georgina Cole Library throughout January. Click here for movie screening dates and times and more information.