10.26.2023

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Weekend Forecast

🌦️ Expect highs around 55° + a rainy Saturday

City Editor Sam here. Beware while reading this newsletter, Soda Citizens, because this is your COLAween weekend newsletter and it may just be full of tricks + treats.

There are many spine-chilling events happening around Columbia this weekend, so grab your costumes + prepare for these Halloweekend events — if you dare.

Events

Friday, Oct. 27

Main Street Haunted Hop | Thursday, Oct. 26-Sunday, Oct. 29 | Times vary | Main Street, Columbia | Free | Put on your most creative costume and get ready to hop from bar to bar, indulging in delicious drinks and treats along the way.
Watch Freely: Halloweentown | Friday, Oct. 27 | 3-5 p.m. | Richland Library North Main, Columbia | Free | Join Richland Library for a screening of the family fun movie “Halloweentown.”
River Rat Halloween Party | Friday, Oct. 27 | 6-10 p.m. | River Rat Brewery, 1231 Shop Rd., Columbia | Free | Join River Rat Brewery for its annual Halloween Party and participate in the costume contests for prizes.
Dracula: Ballet With A Bite (Columbia City Ballet) | Friday, Oct. 27-Saturday, Oct. 28 | Times vary | Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia | $35-$60 | This eerie and sensual ballet, based on Bram Stoker’s classic novel, promises to captivate and thrill both dance enthusiasts and newcomers.

Saturday, Oct. 28

Halloween Cake Decorating Class | Saturday, Oct. 28 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Sweet GG’s Bakery, 631-B Harden St., Columbia | $60 | Take home a fully decorated cake and an increased cake decorating confidence.
Howl-O-Ween in the Park | Saturday, Oct. 28 | 2-4 p.m. | Sesquicentennial State Park, 9564 Two Notch Rd., Columbia | Free | Dress yourself and furry loved ones and have a howling good time.
SWEENEY TODD | Thursday, Oct. 5-Saturday, Oct. 28 | Times vary | Trustus Theatre, 520 Lady St., Columbia | $30-$35 | Attend the dark, witty, and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder, and revenge.

Sunday, Oct. 29

SC Philharmonic: Halloween at Hogwarts | Sunday, Oct. 29 | 3 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia | $20-$52 | Enjoy a program of hair-raising Hollywood favorites and plenty of John Williams’ works from the Harry Potter films.
Halloween Comedy Showdown | Sunday, Oct. 29 | 7-11 p.m. | The Attic Lounge,134 1/2 State St., West Columbia | $15 | Hosted by Christian Williams, join in on the laughs at this Halloween comedy show.
Boo at the Zoo | Friday, Oct. 20-Monday, Oct. 30 | 6-9 p.m. | Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Pkwy., Columbia | $17-$20 | The annual family-friendly Halloween event is back with magic shows, haunted carousel rides, trick-or-treating, and more.*

More Halloween events

Click here to have your event featured.

👻 Ghost story

A spine-chilling story from Adluh Flour Mill

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The Adluh Flour Mill | Photo via @brycesmithphoto

Gather around, Cola. We are just a few days away from Halloween, so we want to share a hauntingly-good story to prepare you for the creepiest day of the year.

We promise not to give you too terrible of a fright. Next time you drive through the Vista, stop by the Adluh Flour Mill + Old Chicago where our story took place back in the 1900s.

The Adluh Flour Mill was one of the main producers of flour + cornmeal — creating 50,000-60,000 pounds of flour a day — and has since been dubbed the “South Carolina State Flour” by the SC Department of Agriculture. The mill also makes baking mixes, grits, and feed products.

Today, the mill is still in operation with one employee who never leaves. Rumor has it — there was a haunted work cart that stuck to the job through the years.

Picture this — in the 1900s mill work was one of the more common jobs in South Carolina, so Jerome Busbee got dressed in his overalls, went to work, and clocked in for his day at Adluh.

His job included moving the 50-pound bags of flour and sewing them closed. To help with the task, employees used work carts to make moving the heavy bags a little easier.

Jerome had one work cart he really enjoyed using, which everyone knew was his favorite, and got to work moving bags of flour around the mill.

According to the story, one of his hobbies outside of work included practicing voodoo. After Jerome died, the hair-raising detail is that his soul was pinned to his work cart and the cart wouldn’t move from its spot. Many people tried, but the cart wouldn’t budge.

Whether you believe in ghost stories or not, the cause of the unmovable cart remains unknown to this day.

Asked

Where would you film a scary movie in Columbia?

Imagine a horror movie set in the Soda City. Where would the final characters end up or meet their unfortunate demise?

Think: Outdoor spaces, buildings, neighborhoods, etc. that are built for a scream queen.

Set the scene

Holiday

Treat yourself to a Halloween-themed night out on Main Street

Two cocktails at Urban Tiki in Columbia, SC

Participating venues include: Smoked, The Grand (Urban Tiki), Robinson Room, Hanabi, The Venue, and more. | Photo provided by Urban Tiki

Planning a night out this spooky season? Enter: The Main Street Haunted Hop Bar Crawl, happening tonight through Sunday, Oct. 29.

Guests are encouraged to dress up in their best costumes and visit a series of bars, pubs, and restaurants in the Main Street District.

No tricks here: Grab a punch card from the host stand or bar at each venue, and get ten punches for a chance to win a free appetizer from any of the participating restaurants.

See the full list of participating venues

Eat

Culture

Doctors’ Orders: Eating healthy at Mr. Friendly’s

Presented by a COLAtoday Partner

What would a doctor order at local fave Mr. Friendly’s? | Photo via Pexels

Feeling hungry, Cola? Good news. It’s time for another serving of Doctors’ Orders, a series in which Midlands doctors share what they like to eat at some of our favorite local restaurants.

Today, we’re hearing from Dr. Meleigh Groff of Lexington Family Practice West Columbia, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice. Our location? Right in the heart of Five Points at Mr. Friendly’s.

“When choosing a meal, I try to ensure at least half of the plate is produce,” says Dr. Groff. “I would choose a mixed green salad with dressing on the side to start.”

“For the entrée, I would get the applewood bacon wrapped filet mignon and ask for it to be cooked without excessive butter — and definitely take home leftovers.”

A tip from Dr. Groff: “Try to keep portions small and fill up on healthier options (like salad) first.”

Hungry for more recs? Check out local physicians’ go-to orders at Cafe Strudel, Black Rooster, and Halls Chophouse.

An easy guide to healthy food choices

👹 Help City Editor Sam to safety

puzzle — *Hint:* This is an image of where the Third Eye Man supposedly lives. | Puzzle made with Jigsaw Explorer

Oh no — City Editor Sam has been tricked!

She was walking along and began following a trail of candy (because she couldn’t resist a sugary treat.) She was lured into one of USC’s old service tunnels sometimes referred to as the catacombs by someone — or something.

Local legend has it — there lives a Third Eyed Man, rumored to terrorize students at USC. Help her escape + find her way out by solving the puzzle above.

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.

Can you solve it?

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

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
COLAtoday Team

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