09.07.2023

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Weekend Forecast

🌦️ Expect highs around 55° + a rainy Saturday

Screenshot 2023-09-06 at 2.50.03 PM.png — Click the image above to watch the Reel on our Instagram. | Image by COLAtoday

Happy Thursday, y’all. David here. When Sam posted this Instagram Reel last week, we weren’t sure if it would get 100 likes or 1,000. Turns out, we were both wrong. So far, the Reel has wracked up about 4,000 likes and nearly 100,000 views. I guess Gamecock fans can really relate and are excited about the home opener on Saturday night.

Pro tip: instead of looking for the boiled peanut guy, stop at Cromer’s on the way to the game as suggested in our top-liked comment.

Keep scrolling for six events happening this weekend and three upcoming events to keep on your radar.

Events

Friday, Sept. 8

Columbia Craft Kickoff | Friday, Sept. 8 | 7-9 p.m. | Columbia Craft Brewing Company, 520 Greene St., Columbia | $15 | Kickoff the USC football season at Columbia Craft with a tour of the brewery, live music, food trucks, and a free pint of your choice.
The Big Grab | Friday, Sept. 8-Saturday, Sept. 9 | 7 a.m.-7 p.m. | Columbia | Shop the annual 50-mile yard sale and take home a few treasures.

Saturday, Sept. 9

Trustus Theatre Season 39 Kickoff | Saturday, Sept. 9 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Trustus Theatre, 520 Lady St., Columbia | $15 | Join Trustus to celebrate the kickoff of Season 39 with a block party featuring performances by local artists Natural Mystic, Pluto Wilson, Tony Opus, as well as performances from its season opener, Sweeney Todd.
Soulja Boy | Saturday, Sept. 9 | 8 p.m. | The Senate, 1022B Senate St., Columbia | $35 | Youuuu should get in front of your mirror and practice your “Crank That” dance before the show.

Sunday, Sept. 10

Freeman Sundays @3 | Sunday, Sept. 10-Monday, Sept. 11 | 3-4:30 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia | $15 | These Sunday concerts feature the university’s renowned music faculty in fresh and vibrant chamber music programs.
Colony House: The Cannonballers Tour | Sunday, Sept. 10 | 8 p.m. | The Senate, 1022B Senate St., Columbia | $23 | This indie rock band is made up of brothers Will and Caleb Chapman and is self described as “landlocked surf rock.”

Plan Ahead

Columbia’s Greek Festival | Thursday, Sept. 14-Sunday, Sept. 17 | Times vary | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1900 Main St. | Price of purchase | Come and enjoy the music, atmosphere, food and drink, and learn a little about Greece.
Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture | Saturday, Sept. 16 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site, 1403 Richland St., Columbia | Free | Now in its 45th year, this free festival brings musicians, artisans, and storytellers together to celebrate South Carolina’s black history and culture on the grounds of the Mann-Simons Site.
2023 Therapalooza: The Greatest Show in the Southeast | Friday, Sept. 22 | 6:30-10:30 p.m. | The Goodman Building, 1200 Rosewood Dr., Columbia | $105-$275 | The building will transformed into a Big Top Tent with live circus (aka house) entertainment, music by Hot Sauce Band, delicious food, and an open bar.

Calendar events here

Click here to have your event featured.

History

The history of Cocky

Celebrating 42 years of Cocky

A newspaper clipping from The Columbia Record after Cocky’s gameday debut. | Clipping via Newspapers.com

We hear Cocky will be making a new entrance this weekend at Williams-Brice Stadium as the Gamecocks take on Furman. Let’s take a quick look back at the history of USC’s beloved mascot.

On Oct.18,1980, South Carolina’s new mascot took the field as the Gamecock’s took on Cincinnati for the season’s homecoming game. Presented as the son of the then mascot Big Spur, it ended up being Cocky’s only game of the season.

“The telephone rang off the hook for weeks” Linda Singer, UofSC’s athletic director for women’s sports told The Columbia Record at the time. “A lot of people really didn’t like him. He was little on the top and big through the middle and he looked, well, pregnant.”

Carolina fans’ reaction + passion for our mascot sounds a bit familiar, but thankfully Cocky was immune to the boos at his debut and has since become Sports Illustrated’s No. 7 college mascot of all time.

A brief history of the mascot:

1971 — Former professor + alumnus John Nelson and his mother created the first homemade costume called “The Rooster.”
1980 — Big Spurs son, Cocky, makes his first appearance in Williams-Brice Stadium at the homecoming game against Cincinnati.
1984 — Cocky is “kidnapped” after the owner of the costume left it in the back seat of their 1967 Mustang that was stolen in the Rosewood area.
1986 — Cocky was chosen as America’s First “National Mascot” by the Universal. Cheerleading Association (UCA), Ford Motor Company, and American Airlines.
1986 — Cocky wins his first UCA Mascot Championship.
1994 — Cocky wins his second UCA Mascot Championship.
2003 — Cocky wins the Capitol One mascot championship.
2017 — Measuring 6-foot-5 and weighing 773 pounds, Cocky’s bronze statue is erected outside of Davis College.
2021 — Cocky gets a makeover with a “little added fluff.”

Today we celebrate you Cocky; thank you for representing South Carolina as an official Goodwill Ambassador, showing up at weddings, hospitals, and bringing joy to children and fans everywhere.

Game

🧩 A skyline view

Screenshot 2023-09-06 at 2.38.53 PM.png — A puzzle with a skyline view. | Puzzle via Jigsawexplorer

From the tops of Columbia’s parking garages you can get a whole new view of the city. Put together this puzzle and you’ll see lush green trees and an iconic water tower.

You can make this as difficult or easy as you like (from six to 1,054 pieces) and there’s even a multiplayer mode. It also keeps track of your time — send us a screenshot of your quickest finish and we might just have to shout out your puzzle prowess.

Shop

MKT Weekend Shop 9.7 (Affiliate)

Travel

Love flying first class? Snag an Elite membership from Going and get emailed when first + business class flights are 40-90% off (hello, European vacation).

Drink

The internet’s favorite tumbler — the 40-oz. Stanley Quencher — is in stock in cute colors like pool, jade, and orchid.

Home

The piece of furniture we’re drooling over: this Poly & Bark leather ottoman pouf in cognac brown. Hello, soft leather and beautiful living room.

Let us know what you think about COLAweekend, a product of COLAtoday, by answering a few quick questions.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
David

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