🎡 Rides

• The Zipper: Returning with thrilling vertical G-forces, spins, and delightful surprises.
• The Wave Swinger: This ride tilts at its peak, offering a cooling breeze as it takes riders of all ages to new heights.
• Flying Dumbos: This kiddie ride sends young ones soaring.
• Double Decker Carousel: The enchanting double-decker carousel is making a comeback.
• Celebration Wheel: A 150-foot Ferris wheel that accommodates up to six people, providing breathtaking views of Columbia.

🍩 Food

• Billy G’s Carolina BBQ
• Pumpkin spice funnel cake
• Dill pickle pizza
• Donut dog
• Wisconsin cheese curds
• Fried salted caramel pretzel brownies
• Mighty mango tea
• Oliver Gospel Mission coffee
• See a map of the vendors here.

🎪 Entertainment

• CIRCUS | The circus will be performing three 40-minute-long shows each day. Shows begin at 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The CIRCUS is free with admission + is located near the South Gate Entrance.
• Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition | Immerse yourself in the life of Princess Diana with a unique walkthrough documentary showcasing iconic and intimate moments in Royal Family history from Diana’s perspective.
• Music | See a lineup of shows each night on the Pepsi Place Stage at 7 p.m.
• See more entertainment options here.

🐄 Don’t forget about

• Agriculture and livestock exhibits
• The pig races
• Located inside the Pro Kitchen Cookie Kitchen, Oliver Gospel Mission will be selling coffee. Buy a cup of coffee and a meal is given to a neighbor in need. Purchase coffee beans, and you provide shelter for someone experiencing homelessness.
• See more attraction options here.

🎟 Tickets

• Martini Monday | Mon., Oct. 10 | 5-10 p.m. | Aloft Columbia Downtown, 823 Lady St. | Free | Head to the WXYZ bar for “Martini Monday and enjoy $2 off any martini all night.

• Peppa Pig’s Adventure | Tue., Oct. 11 | 6 p.m. | The Township Auditorium, 1703 Taylor St, Columbia | $27.75 - $57.75 | Peppa and friends are excited about their outdoor adventure, full of singing, dancing, games, and surprises.

• Evening for Educators | Wed., Oct. 12 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St, Columbia | Educators from across the state are invited for an evening of art, wine, and nibbles as they enjoy a private look at new exhibitions European Splendors.
• Pitbull: Can’t Stop Us Now | Wed., Oct. 12 | 8 p.m. | Colonial Life Arena, 801 Lincoln St, Columbia | $29.95 - $499.95 | Dance the night away with Pitbull and Iggy Azalea in Soda City.
• South Carolina State Fair | Wed., Oct. 12 - Sun., Oct. 23 | 12 p.m. | South Carolina State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Dr, Columbia | $10.00 - $20.00 | The South Carolina State Fair back for another year, featuring the free daily circus, concerts, exhibits, rides, fair food, and so much more.*

• Stranger Queens: Halloween Drag Bar Crawl with Ariel Versace! | Thu., Oct. 13 | 6-10 p.m. | The Vista, 902 Gervais Street Suite F, Columbia | $10.00 - $100.00 | Each bar will be a different group of entertainers and specialty cocktails inspired by the crawl, with a big finish at The Capital Club for a drag show with RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Ariel Versace.
• Members’ Opening Celebration | Thu., Oct. 13 | 5-8 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St, Columbia | Free | CMA members are invited to celebrate new fall exhibitions European Splendors: Highlights from the Kress Collection and The Art of Elizabeth Catlett: From the Collection of Samella Lewis .*

• 29th Annual Apple Harvest Festival | Sat., Oct. 15 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Windy Hill Orchard and Cider Mill, 1860 Black Highway, York | Celebrate fall with apple picking, hard cider tastings, and music by Glen Watkins Band.*
• Miles Ahead - Musings for Miles Davis | Sat., Oct. 15, Sat., Oct. 15 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St., Charleston | $25.00 - $64.00 | The Charleston Jazz Orchestra and virtuoso trumpeter Sean Jones present a musical tribute to the legendary Miles Davis — bonus: Save $5 on tickets with promo code COLATODAY. *

• Know yourself. Understand your healthcare needs before you search.
• Ask questions. Ask about referrals, specialty trainings, after-hour policies, office protocols + more.
• Make sure you’re compatible. What style of care do you want? Proactive? Holistic? Personal? Find out your provider’s healthcare approach.*

• 76º | Partly cloudy | 20% chance of rain ☁️

• The City of Columbia is divvying out funds for qualified businesses, thanks to resurfacing its Community Promotions Grant program + Hospitality Tax Revenue. We’re talking $100,000-$260,000. See all of the programs, available funds, and deadlines here. 💰 (The Post and Courier)

• Beginning Sat., Oct. 15, The Nickelodeon Theatre will be hosting Dog Video Fest, showing 75 minutes of the best, funniest, most touching dog videos. Dog Video Fest raises money for local animal shelters by spreading the joy of dogs. 20% of proceeds from ticket sales will go to PAALS. 🐶

• Plan to head to Busby Street Community Center (1735 Busby St.) on Thurs., Oct. 20 from 8:30-10 a.m. for Make That Dough, a small business + nonprofit event discussing food access expansion event. The event will feature breakfast, a panel, a case study on partnerships in food access, and more. 🍳

• Did you know? Scheduling regular maintenance on your HVAC increases the lifetime of your system (read: saves you money in the long run). Cool Care Heating & Air offers fall preventive maintenance to help extend the lifetime of your HVAC. Learn more + schedule your appointment.*

• World Mental Health Day — a day created in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health. Acknowledging this day can be as simple as taking several deep, grounding breaths or phoning a friend. If you’re looking for local resources, you can find them here, provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 🧠
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a federally recognized day honoring Native American peoples and commemorating their histories and cultures + Columbus Day, a federal holiday commemorating Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ voyage across the Atlantic on Oct. 12, 1492.

• Are you a self-starter ready to join a fast-paced, entrepreneurial industry? NAI Columbia is hiring a Sales and Leasing Administrator to provide support to assigned brokers, verify contracts and closing documentation, and more. Learn more + apply.*
• CommunityWorks is hiring for multiple positions, including Business Support Program Director, who will support the team’s high-quality post-loan business support services for entrepreneurs across SC, and a Resource Development Officer, who will oversee + implement CW’s capitalization strategy to advance the organization’s overall mission. Interested? Learn more + apply.*

• Did you know a clinical pharmacist is different from a traditional pharmacist? Palmetto Primary Care Physicians has two in-house clinical pharmacists, available to serve as a resource for patients, clinical staff members, advanced practitioners, and physicians. Looking for a medical provider? Find one at PPCP. *

• Want to bring the birds flocking to your feeder? Attract local and migratory birds to your backyard with premium, customized bird seed from Happy Birdwatcher. Each bag is made-to-order based on bird-sighting data for your zip code and delivered to your door (in plastic-free packaging). 🐦 *

• Did you know? Soda Citizens can access free tax services to file their returns + claim their tax refunds via the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The Cooperative Ministry is searching for volunteers to help support VITA for the upcoming tax season. Learn more + sign up to volunteer.*

• The fall season means it’s time for pumpkin spice + everything nice. Make this easy, 5-minute Pumpkin Pie Smoothie before work for a refreshing pumpkin fix. 🍂*

• Become bilingual — but make the learning process fun. Babbel’s bite-size, 10-minute lessons are designed to fit into your busy life, helping you learn a new language in as little as three weeks. Pro tip: Get 55% off your subscription for a limited time. 🗺️ *

• Ernest A. Finney Jr. | 1932-2017 | Elmwood Memorial Gardens | In 1994, Ernest A. Finney Jr. became the first African American to be appointed as Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
• Lillian “The Fabulous Moolah” Ellison | 1923-2007 | Greenlawn Memorial Park | Lillian was best known for being the longest reigning women’s champion in sports entertainment history. She began wrestling in the 1940s and was the first female inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.
• Sophia Nance | 1824-1853 | Washington Street United Methodist Church | Sofia Nance died at 28 years old and is buried under the Washington Street United Methodist Church in a full metal tomb with a glass window to show her face. Rumor has it that her family decided on this due to her beauty and youth.