Insider Guide: April Wagner

April Wagner is the owner of Epiphany Glass Studio in Pontiac. Epiphany creates one-of-a-kind and limited production hand-blown glass artwork ranging everything from Christmas ornaments and paperweights to $90,000 sculptures. April has always been an artist, attending high school at Interlochen then and attending college at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, when she started her own business during her senior year. “I’ve known since I was a little kid that this was what I wanted to do,” she says. It took her a couple of years to build up enough money to open her own studio, which she did in Pontiac in 1997.

“I’ve always liked Pontiac and when I was looking for a property to build the shop … [the property I found] is very pretty. I have lake access, I’m located right off a major road, it’s just pretty. Plus the city was very welcoming; I had a lot of special requirements for zoning and safety with the kiln and everything ... they were very helpful.”

Pontiac is located in northern Oakland County in an area that is surrounded by multiple lakes. April says that Pontiac Lake itself (actually located in Waterford) is a great place to mountain bike and just “a great lake in general” (it is also located in Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, which has miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding).

For dining, April loves La Fonda Mexican Kitchen. “It’s a DIVE dive Mexican place, but the food is great!” She also recommends Bo’s Brewery and Bistro in downtown Pontiac for American brewpub food and house brews. Also in downtown Pontiac is the Crofoot, a massive entertainment complex that functions as a concert hall, bar, nightclub and performance space. The complex features a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and draws in major name acts from all over the country. During the summer, the outdoor Phoenix Plaza Amphitheatre hosts concerts and events on their rooftop, and the Pontiac Silverdome hosts extreme sports events like motocross, motorcycles and wrestling. For shopping, the Dixieland Flea Market offers an eclectic mix of vintage wares, antiques and various goods for the savvy deal-seeker.