Main Street gets its glow on ✨

A canopy of lights on Main Street in Columbia, SC

Mattison Canopy of Lights.jpg — A preview of the new canopy of lights being installed in downtown Columbia. | Photo by @mattisonheatherly

Santa Claus and Mayor Daniel Rickenmann will be flipping the switch on a new ceiling of lights installation that will cover the 1600 block of Main Street. The ceremony will be held in front of Mast General Store today at 5:30 p.m.

The block was closed on Wednesday as crews installed the 28,000 decorative LED lights that will be a permanent fixture on the block and a picturesque highlight of downtown visits.

“We have seen this in other cities and really think it will be wonderful for Main Street, potentially as a prototype for other blocks,” said Matt Kennell, President + CEO of the Main Street District. “It’s a way to add some additional lighting with a lot of charm on one of our busiest blocks, and we think people will just love it.”

The lights are similar to those seen in other cities across the country like the ones seen below on Dauphin Street in Mobile, AL.

Southsounds Mobile.jpeg — The Marcus King Band trailer sits under a canopy of lights in Mobile, AL. | Photo by COLAtoday

The 1600 Block is one of the Main Street District’s most active blocks, featuring restaurants like Smoked, Hendrix, and The Grand, along with The Nickelodeon theatre.

At a cost of $40,000, funding for the lights was provided by the Main Street District + some Main Street business owners. The district sees the 1600 block as the pilot project for the canopy of lights and hopes to light up several more blocks in the future, most likely ones with two and three-story buildings.

Click here to have your event featured.

Friday, Dec. 16

Pitchy Woman | Friday, Dec. 16 | 8:30-10 a.m. | femme x COLUMBIA, 1501 Richland St., Columbia | Practice your elevator speech and talk about your business with other business owners.
Yacht Rock Revue | Friday, Dec. 16 | 6-10:30 p.m. | The Senate, 1022B Senate St., Columbia | $38 | Rock out to popular songs from the 1970s and 1980s at this concert benefiting Camp Cole.

Saturday, Dec. 17

Columbia Fashion Week Met Gala | Saturday, Dec. 17 | 5-9 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | $75-$150 | Walk the red carpet and experience a night of runway, music, entertainment, and more at this high fashion event.
Weekend Holiday Market at NoMa Warehouse | Friday, Dec. 16-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 6-9 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St., Columbia | Free | Enjoy this three-day holiday market full of Columbia’s best local vendors, delicious food, hot chocolate, spirits, live music and entertainment, and all of the holiday cheer you can imagine.

Sunday, Dec. 18

University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s Basketball vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers | Sunday, Dec. 18 | 2 p.m. | Colonial Life Arena, 801 Lincoln St., Columbia | $10-$15 | Watch the Gamecock’s women’s basketball team defend their No. 1 ranking.
Holiday Market | Sunday, Dec. 18 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | femme x COLUMBIA | Coworking Space, 1501 Richland St., Columbia | Come sip on hot cocoa, roast a s’more, and get some holiday shopping done.

Plan Ahead

Christmas EVE EVE Shellabration | Friday, Dec. 23 | 12-11 p.m. | Steel Hands Brewing, 2350 Foreman St., Cayce | Free | Shellabrate the season with a little buttah and a whole lotta lobster + live music during this special Christmas EVE EVE Cookout featuring lobster rolls (it’s the holidays after all...).*

We have a calendar filled with events and 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

Shining a light on upcoming SC Jewish Federation events

Jewish Federation of SC members walk on the street

The events were designed to help spread the light of the season. | Photo provided by the Charleston Jewish Federation

This December, as the Jewish Federations of SC gear up for the celebration of Hanukkah, aka the Festival of Lights, they’ll also be shining a light on growing antisemitism, racism, and hate in all its modern forms.

Soda Citizens are invited to two upcoming events hosted by the organization — one in-person, one virtual — designed to help spread the light of the season and dispel the darkness:

SC Statehouse Menorah Lighting Event and Reception | Monday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m.
Statewide Virtual Menorah Lighting and Solidarity Event | Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. | Zoom*

SEE THE EVENT SCHEDULE

Weather

56º | Sunny | 5% chance of rain

Open

Coco Bowlz is now open at 2015 Devine St. in Five Points, in the space formerly occupied by Sub Station II. This is the first Columbia location for the business that offers fresh dining options like açaí bowls, smoothies + more. 🥤

Real Estate

Short-term rentals will be allowed to stay in Columbia with restrictions approved by a city committee on Wednesday night. Homeowners who advertise on Airbnb + VRBO for rentals that aren’t their primary residence will need to get permits 90 days after the new ordinance goes into effect. 🏠 (The Post and Courier)

Community

The Three Rivers Bike Share Plan is in the works and is looking for community input as they put together the plan. Take a short survey here and suggest locations on the interactive map. 🚲

Holiday

Hanukkah sameach. This Sunday evening (Dec. 18) marks the beginning of Hanukkah — the Festival of Lights that lasts for eight days. Celebrate by attending the annual State House Menorah Lighting or Chanukah at the Riverbanks Zoo. 🕎

Biz

Have a winning business idea? Columbia wants to make it easy for you to start your own small business. Follow the City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities to see how you can make that dream a reality, whether it’s food trucks or flying cars.

Feel Good

Networking group BNI Southeast made one server’s day at Cafe Strudel in Lexington on Tuesday when they left a $1,000 tip. The group hopes to spark a chain reaction of kindness in the community and has 13 similar prizes in the works this holiday season. 💸 (WISTV)

Shop

It’s ok if you waited until the last minute to shop this season. There’s still time to shop items from our online shop Six & Main. We’re talking cocktail glasses, shirts, candles, mugs, and more. Our gift guides make shopping easy. 🛍️

Family

Did you know? Research shows children with involved fathers have more confidence + make better decisions. During the holidays, fathers play an important role in creating family traditions while the family spends time together. These interactions create positive parent-child bonds. Learn more about how the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition supports 50,000+ fathers across the Midlands.*

Health

We’ll call this a win for humankind. After years of collaboratively researching a procedure conceptualized by MUSC Health pediatric cardiac surgeon T. Konrad Rajab, MD, Duke Health performed the first-ever human partial heart transplant. The surgery saved 5-month-old Owen’s life, and is revolutionary for children with congenital heart defects. Find out why. 🫀*

History

From navigating a global pandemic to welcoming the SC Air National Guard to the airport, the 2020s have been memorable at Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), to say the least. Take a peek at the major CAE milestones (and photos) from the 2020s so far. ✈️ *

Travel

Calling all globetrotters. If exploring bucket list destinations while meeting like-minded travelers is one of your 2023 goals, consider booking a small group trip with Encounters Travel. See one of the seven wonders of the world on the Jordan & Egypt Explorer Trip or snorkel among diverse marine life on the Maldives Uncovered Tour.*

Finance

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement — its free tool can match you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help you work towards financial freedom. Try it out for yourself.*

Outdoors

Still shopping for the hunter or angler in your life? Sportsman’s Box, the leading gear discovery service for outdoorsmen, is adding a free $100 credit for all new members through Saturday, Dec. 31. Choose from nine leading brands with your first Sportsman’s Box and claim your free gift. 🎣 *

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Y’all means all in Cola 💚

Columbia’s Municipal Equality Index score

Outfest 2021 In the Vista — There’s a lot to be proud of in the Soda City. | Photo by SC Pride

The Human Rights Campaign released the 2022 Municipal Equality Index, and Columbia is on the list. How did we score?

Each year, the Human Rights Campaign releases a Municipal Equality Index which takes a deep dive into municipal laws, policies, and services and how inclusive they are of LGBTQ+ people. This year’s edition examined 506 cities on 49 different criteria across five categories — non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, services and programs, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

Based on these criteria, Columbia earned a score of 77 out of 100. Not too shabby. Click the link below for a breakdown of how we got here… and how we can go even further.

WAYS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by David.

Editor’s pick: I drove by on Wednesday night as they were installing the new lights and they look amazing. Check them out this weekend and catch dinner and a movie on the 1600 block. I hear The Menu playing at The Nick is a thriller.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Read through the top Google searches of the year in Columbia, here.

Connect with us.

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

Sales: Lindsey Rhinesmith| Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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