South Carolina State Fair

I can’t fight this peeling anymore 🍏

Here is where to pick apples within driving distance of Columbia
Apple picking Columbia
Try these apple orchards within two and a half hours of Columbia. | Photo by @victoriacpetit
Summer’s winding down, and apples in the South begin to ripen in August. Here are five apple orchards you’ll apple-solutely want to visit within driving distance of Columbia.

Don’t worry, we’ve got all the in-cider information.

Grandad’s Apples ‘N Such | Hendersonville, NC | Have you ever shot an apple out of a cannon? Well, you’re missing out if you don’t while visiting this orchard. Don’t miss the apple cannon, the cow train, the corn maze, the pumpkin patch, and 30+ varieties of apples.

Sky Top Orchard | Zirconia, NC | No judgment here if you’re only going for the apple cider doughnuts + slushie. Enjoy U-pick apples, a playground, an animal barn, hayrides, and other family-fun activities.

Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard | Hendersonville, NC | DYK this 100-acre U-pick orchard + farm was the first pick-your-own apple orchard in Hendersonville? Explore its 5-acre corn maze and its pumpkin patch.

Windy Hill Orchard & Cidery |York, SC | Visit this family-owned + operated boutique apple orchard located in the upstate. It’s also an award-winning Hard Cider producer + its Cider Bar is open for tastings on select weekends. If you’re looking to pick your own apples, register for a time.

The Apple Truck | These apples are coming to you. The Apple Truck — an Ann Arbor-based traveling food truck that delivers farm-fresh, flavorful, juicy Michigan apples and cider to eight states — will be local stops in SC.
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    Wednesday, October 12
    • 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 | 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.*
    • Bingo Night | Wed., Oct. 12 - Wed., Nov. 23 | 7 p.m. | Molto Vino, 2822 Devine St, Columbia | Free | Enjoy six rounds of bingo and several chances to win gift cards up to $100.
    • 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.
    Thursday, October 13
    • Bluegrass, Bidding, & BBQ silent auction | Thu., Oct. 13 | Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens: 1615 Blanding Street, Columbia | 7-10 p.m. | $40-$60 | This event raises money for Historic Columbia’s vital preservation + advocacy work.
    • South Carolina Jazz Festival | Thu., Oct. 13 - Sat., Oct. 15 | 12 p.m. | Multiple venues | $25.00 | Enjoy smooth jazz during this festival that honors John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, born in Cheraw and known as the founder of modern jazz.*
    • West Columbia Meeting Street Artisan Market | Thu., Oct. 13 | 4-8 p.m. | Interactive Art Park, 425 Meeting St., Columbia | Free | Visit the Artisan Street Market on the second Thursday of each month and every Saturday for original arts and crafts from local makers, local prepared food vendors + fresh produce.*
    Friday, October 14
    • The NoMa Flea | Fri., Oct. 14 | 6-9 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St, Columbia | Free | Enjoy a funky and fun evening artisan market.
    • Fright Night Laser Lights | Fri., Oct. 28 | 6-10 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia | $8.00 - $10.00 | Enjoy a frightful night at the State Museum featuring a laser show choreographed to Stranger Things music in the planetarium, Dark History Tours, food, brews + more — come in costume.*
    We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
    100+ MORE EVENTS
    Columbia Metropolitan Airport

    Oh, this old bird? SC State Museum adds to fossil collection
    South-Carolina-State-Museum-Bird-Fossil
    The Parahesperornis was a flightless bird that used its strong legs, large feet, and big toothy jaw to dive for fish. | Photo provided by the South Carolina State Museum
    Did you know? The South Carolina State Museum’s Natural History collection includes almost one million unique specimens and fossils — and they just added a brand-new one.

    The cast skeleton of a Parahesperornis (Latin for “alongside western bird”), a long-extinct bird most closely related to our modern-day ducks and chickens, was just acquired by the museum.

    It’s not every day you see a bird that lived 83 million years ago, so stay tuned for when you can check it for yourself. 🦤 *
    MUSEUM HOURS + TICKETS THIS WAY

    Weather
    • 77º | Scattered thunderstorms | 70% chance of rain ☔️
    Coming Soon
    • 92Chicken — a Korean-style fried chicken restaurant — is coming soon to Columbia. Double-fried chicken dishes are coming to 2652 Decker Blvd., near Dent Middle School. An opening date has not been announced. 🍗 (The State)
    Open
    • Howdy, La Herradura Western Wear Inc. — a Mexican-USA company based out of NC — opened a store in Columbia. Head to 7380 Two Notch Rd., located across the street from Harbor Inn Seafood to purchase any and all western wear. 🐴
    Concert
    • ”...and look, we made it. Yeah, we made it.” We are three days away from Post Malone coming to Columbia. Head to Colonial Life Arena on Sat., Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. to see this American rapper, singer, and songwriter who’s garnered over 51,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Grab tickets here.
    Award
    • Carolina’s head football coach, Shane Beamer, was awarded the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week. The award honors football coaches who led their team to a noteworthy victory (ahem, their 24-14 win over Kentucky) while encompassing the award’s three pillars — scholarship, leadership, and integrity. 🏆 (Gamecocks Online)
    Community
    • COR (Columbia Opportunity Resource) is bringing back Capture Columbia, a free program for college-age students to kickstart their careers in our region. The four-week series takes place every Wednesday from 5–7 p.m., beginning Wed., Oct. 19 + will run through Wed., Nov. 9. Details and registration information can be found here.
    Number
    • ~$250,000 — the amount The South Carolina State Museum was awarded in grant money from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America. The funding will go toward a new digitization project that includes inventorying over 3,500 objects within the museum’s science and technology collection + ~2,000 objects currently on view in the museum.
    Active
    • The SC Philharmonic is inviting you to join its first-ever Chamber Crawl 5K. Head to Saluda Shoals Park on Tues., Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. to walk or run and then enjoy food, drinks, and live music. Register by this Friday (Oct. 14) to receive a t-shirt. 👟
    Announced
    • If you love this newsletter (and supporting local) as much as we love strolls along our riverwalks, morning lattes from Azalea coffee shop + Saturdays spent at Soda City (which is a lot) — we’ve got something for you: COLAtoday just launched a membership program. Learn more + sign up.
    Health
    • Experts predict a more severe flu season this year. Find out where to get your flu shots — and get helpful tips to prevent the spread. 🦠 *
    Cause
    • Save lives and see your donation grow this month. For every blood donation made now through the end of October, a tree will be planted in Uganda (read: more jobs + cleaner air). Bonus: You can even track your tree and watch it grow online. 🌳 *
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    Lowes Foods

    2 local apple-of-your-pie recipes 🥧

    Two classic apple pie recipes written by Soda Citizens from Columbia, SC
    Apple Pie Recipes
    Recreate this local apple pie recipe from 1947. | Photo from the Richland County Library’s Digital Archives.
    City editor Sam here. 👋 One of my favorite memories as a kid was going to an apple orchard, picking my own apples, and making an apple pie with my grandmother for dessert.

    We found two classic local recipes — one from the local 1950 cookbook, “Relishing recipes from rural Richland” + the other from the 1947 cookbook, “Favorite recipes of the Woman’s Club of Columbia, South Carolina.”

    Take some tips from Kitty T. Young and make this Crum Top Apple Pie on page 130 or this Apple Pie recipe from Mrs. Leonard Ragsdale found on page 139 with the regional apples you bring home on your next apple-picking adventure.
    6AM City In-house
    THE WRAP
    Today’s issue was written by Sam.

    Editor’s pick: If you find yourself around Ellijay, GA at all this fall, the orchard I traveled to as a kid with my grandparents was B. J. Reece Orchard (9131 Highway 52 East, Ellijay.) It’s bakery, apples, and petting zoo is definitely worth a stop.

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    Editorial: Samantha Robertson, David Stringer, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea| Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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