To ring in the spooky season, Bath Garden Center and Nursery hosted a Halloween-themed art class Sunday, Oct. 11. This class was part of their Sunday Fun Days, where the community is invited to come craft for a few hours.

Every month features a different craft with specialized art instructions for different mediums, such as painting, macrame, centerpieces and wreaths.

Julia Kallis, a class participant, described her involvement with the nursery and the art program.

“I’ve been a customer at Bath for a while, and I’ve done a couple of other classes. I did a Kokedama class here a while ago,” Kallis said. “I’m trying to do more things on my own.”

For the Oct. 11 class, each participant was given a ball of clay and instructions on how to contruct a clay ghost. Then, everyone used decoupage, a technique in which one glues paper cutouts to a surface, to customize their creations in a unique, family-friendly seasonal activity.

“It’s calm and creative, and everybody enjoyed it,” said Tansy Fox about the ghost-making activity. Fox attended the class with her mother and son.

Bath Garden Center, a family-operated plant nursery, isn’t necessarily the first place one might look for art classes. However, the art classes have become a staple of the nursery, growing from a seedling of an idea into a full-blown program that sells-out tickets frequently.

Evan Howk, the class instructor, explained that the idea behind the classes came about “a few years ago, (when) the assistant store manager wanted us to start doing fun craft events on Sunday, just as a way to bring in more people from the community and get ourselves a bit more out there.”

Colorado’s climate fluctuates through seasons, and the nursery subsequently experiences a drop in community engagement and patronage during the autumn and winter months. Initially, the classes were a way to help promote the nursery during the slower seasons.

“During the fall, especially when we are really slow, we wanted to find a new way to engage people and give them something that was fun,” Howk said.

Howk explained this class on creating clay ghosts initially ran last year and that after seeing the excitement among the community, the organizers of the nursery decided to repeat it.

“This one was so popular that we got several people calling after the class sold out, being like, ‘Hey, are there any more tickets available?’” Howk said. “So it’s just really taken off because people love the ghosts.”

In a hands-on teaching approach, Howk walked the class through the steps of the craft, giving demonstrations and individual assistance when needed. Each participant was able to make two clay ghosts and decorate them with paper flower clippings.

Howk described how he came to be a part of the Bath Garden Center art classes.

“Honestly (it) was luck of the draw and me finding this place and seeing that the environment was super cool and the people that I spoke to, the two times I had as a customer, were really friendly,” Howk said. “I was like, I think that sounds like a great working environment and it ended up being the case. I’ve been here for five years.”

The event was a kid-friendly way for people to get out, be creative and enjoy a third-space for community connection. With attendants ranging from toddlers to seniors, this class was perfect for anyone who enjoys nurturing their creative side.

“I get the newsletter from the store, and so I’m always looking for activities,” Fox said. “We’ve gone to some with (my son) … and so when they had this event, and I knew my mom was (going to) be in town, I thought it’d be a great one.”

Bath Nursery has a lot of events throughout the year. Howk mentioned how there are seasonal events, such as the ghost-making class or around Christmas when they host reindeer petting zoos. In addition to regular classes, private events can also be hosted at the garden center.

“People can have birthdays here, or I’ve even taught for a few bridal shower terrarium classes,” Howk said.

Ultimately, the event just worked as a way for people to come, disconnect from the outside world and do something creative and fun.

Kallis noted her favorite part on the event, saying she enjoyed, “slowing down and doing something creative.”

Reach Claire Nestor at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.