Activities

• Dress up in your best costumes and explore the zoo after hours at Boo at the Zoo — a family fun trick-or-treating event, happening Friday, Oct. 20-Monday., Oct. 30.
• The Free Times’ Halloween party will be to die for. Get dressed up on Friday, Oct. 27, and enjoy an open bar, haunting decor, and a DJ dance party from 7-11 p.m.
• Prepare for the Nightmare In Elmwood 5k — the annual hauntingly fun community event happening on Saturday, Oct. 28. Locals can enjoy running through the historic Elmwood Park neighborhood in downtown Columbia.
• Take a road trip with the family and head to one of these regional U-pick apple farms; all within three hours of Cola.

Fall events

• Oktoberfests | Six Oktoberfests will take place this weekend and the weeks following | See a full lineup and get ready for German-inspired beers + foods.
• Cayce Fall Fest | Saturday, Oct. 7 | Join locals at Granby Gardens Park for an afternoon of family fun, live music, food, drinks, a kid’s area, face painters, balloon artists, a petting zoo, and more.
• SC Philharmonic: Halloween at Hogwarts | Sunday, October 29 | 3 p.m. | $10-$50 | Experience a family-friendly Halloween celebration at the Koger Center, where it’ll magically transform into the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Haunted houses

• Deceased Farm | 382 Olde Farm Rd., Lexington | $25+ | Take a self-guided jaunt through six terrifying buildings, three outdoor zones, and creepy corn fields.
• Terror Falls Haunted Farm | 370 Mack St. Gaston, SC | Beginning tomorrow, $20 will give guests access to all four haunted attractions — Meemaw’s Bed and Breakfast, Terror Trail, Terror Falls Hospital, and “Carnevil” of Souls.

• 120th Diamond Gala | Thursday, Oct. 5 | 5:30-9 p.m. | Segra Park, 1640 Freed St., Columbia | $165 | This celebratory business gathering will bring together influential leaders, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and notable professionals for an unforgettable experience.
• Restaurant Week Midlands | Thursday, Oct. 5 | Various locations, Columbia | Price of purchase | Restaurant Week gives you a chance to enjoy meals at discounted prices while giving restaurants exposure.
• Sweeny Todd | Thursday, Oct. 5-Saturday, Oct. 28 | Times vary | Trustus Theatre, 520 Lady St., Columbia | $35 | Attend the dark, witty, and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder, and revenge.

• City of Columbia Food Truck Fridays | Friday, Oct. 6 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | REI Co-Op Parking Lot, corner of Bull and Colonial, Columbia | price of purchase | Enjoy local food + support a local business.
• 2023 Annual Blythewood Oktoberfest | Friday, Oct. 6-Saturday, Oct. 7 | Times vary | Doko Meadows Park, 171 Langford Rd., Blythewood | Free | There will be German food and beverages, Biergartens, and swag for the whole family.
• Great American Whiskey Fair | Friday, Oct. 6 | 5:30-9 p.m. | 701 Whaley, 701 Whaley St., Columbia | $90 | This is an evening of festive appreciation dedicated to America’s native spirit and its culture, as well as to whiskey from around the globe, from cask to glass.
• Fallapalozza | Friday, Oct. 6 | 6 p.m. | Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main St., Lexington | $18 | The show will be headlined by Angry Chair: Tribute to Alice in Chains.

• Columbia Craft Oktoberfest | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 1-10 p.m. | Columbia Craft Brewing Company, 520 Greene St., Columbia | Free | Celebrate with the release of the new Festbier and grab a Curry Wurst from The Wurst Wagen.

• Miniature Market | Sunday, Oct. 8 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St., Columbia | Free | NoMa Warehouse will be transformed into a wonderland of tiny creations.

• Retire early?
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• All of the above?

• Assemble a real 500-piece puzzle.
• Scan the QR code.
• Get a cash prize ranging from $1 to $1,000,000 (yep; that’s six zeroes).

• Lexington County is considering restricting apartment development, proposing a cap of 200 units per complex in a special district between Chapin + Lexington. The goal is to address concerns about traffic, emergency response times, and school overcrowding. Some argue apartment complexes provide significant property tax revenue. (The Post and Courier)

• Richland County may propose a new transportation sales tax as the current one, approved in 2012, nears its $1.07 billion collection limit. County Council voted to prepare for another transportation sales tax referendum, but details on the amount and specific projects are pending. The next referendum could be on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot. (The State)

• Lake Murray has been selected as one of the six Bassmaster College Series Tournament Trail stops, scheduled for January 26-27. This renowned bass fishing location, ranked the fourth-best bass lake by Bassmaster Magazine, will launch the Legends Trail before the series continues its national tour.

• USC men’s basketball will face Wofford in a charity exhibition game on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Colonial Life Arena. All proceeds from the $10 ticket sales will go to the Maui Strong Fund, which supports wildfire-affected communities in Maui.

• The 4th Annual Contractors for Hope fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Steel Hand Brewing, benefiting Harvest Hope Food Bank. The event will feature live music, a silent auction, food, and beverages. Contractors for Hope aims to raise $100,000 pounds of non-perishable items this year.

• The 2024 Cottontown Art Crawl is scheduled for March 9. Artists interested in participating, whether previous participants or Cottontown residents, must submit their applications by Friday, Nov. 17. All items for sale must be created by the artist.

• Prepare for cooler temperatures with fall HVAC maintenance — and don’t leave out your plumbing system and hot water heater (they also need to be checked annually). Enter: Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing & Refrigeration‘s preventive plans for HVAC and plumbing.*

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