As you’ve no doubt heard many times before, REI is building a flagship store at the former Uline Arena in NoMa. That remains exciting news.

Less exciting is, the store is not set to open until the Fall of 2016. Well, drat.

Fear not, because REI has been partnering with the Wunder Garten beer garden to offer up classes on a range of topics.

For the remainder of August, REI will host (mostly) free classes at the REI Community Space at Wunder Garten (NoMa).

The topics are as diverse as your interests. From running to bike repairs to backpacking to yoga to camping, they basically run the gamut on outdoor activities. They even have a Pub Trivia night scheduled for August 20th.

The REI Community Space is mere steps away from the beer garden itself, so you can grab a pint, pick up something from the daily food truck option and enjoy the class.

I have attended one class (Backpacking in the Appalachians on August 5th), which was informative, with lots of practical tips. I found it helpful as it sparked ideas on what gear I needed and what tasks were needed when planning your own backpacking trip. Thumbs up.

Have a look at the offerings for the rest of August and sign-up!

REI Classes
REI Community Space at Wunder Garten Beer Garden
Select August Dates
Evenings (Times vary)
Free (mostly)
All ages