10.27.2023

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

66º | Heavy thunderstorms | 90% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:30 a.m. | Sunset 5:32 p.m.

🎃 Winner winner, pumpkin seed dinner

See the winning pumpkin from our 2023 jack-o-lantern contest

May the best pumpkin win. | Photo via Pexels

The votes are in for the COLAtoday Pumpkin Carving Contest. Check out the pumpkins below, including the contest winner our readers voted for.

Winner: Mean Muggin’

Talk about some serious carving skills. We can’t decide which were more impressed by — the perfectly straight teeth or the expressive eyebrows. Nice job, Emily C.

Out of 514 votes, Mean Muggin’ received 291, garnering 57% of the votes.

Pumpkin carving contest — And the winner is... Mean Muggin’, created by reader Emily C. | *You’ve got some killer carving skills.*

Runner up: Butch the Grizzly Bear at Riverbanks Zoo

This gourd-geous painting of Butch the Grizzly Bear from the Riverbanks Zoo submitted by Alyssa C. has us roaring with excitement.

Out of 514 votes, Butch the Grizzly Bear at Riverbanks Zoo received 155, garnering 30% of the votes.

Fun fact — Alyssa C. used a teddy bear to create this pumpkin, and we think it was beary unique.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated this year, we had so many great submissions. Take a look at the rest of our finalists at the button below and give them all a round of applause, because they were this year’s cream of the carving crop.

See all carving finalists

Events

Friday, Oct. 27

Alice in Wonderland | Friday, Oct. 27 | 5-9 p.m. | Smoked, 1643 Main St., Columbia | $50-$150 | During this in-person event, you’ll experience a magical atmosphere filled with fantastical decorations and live performances.
Fright Night Laser Lights | Friday, Oct. 27 | 6-10 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia | $8-$10 | Enjoy planetarium laser experiences including Laser Stranger Things and Dark Side of the Moon — costumes are welcome.
Folklore & Legends Lantern Tour | Friday, Oct. 27 | 6-7 p.m. | 222 Broad St., Camden | $10 | Join Historic Camden for this spooky tour with ghost stories and legends.
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.

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.
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.

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.

Calendar events here

Click here to have your event featured.

Finance

Hedonova outperforming S&P 500 by over 200%

Graph showing that since late-2019, Hedonova has outperformed the S&P 500 by more than 200%.

Since late-2019, Hedonova has outperformed the S&P 500 by more than 200%. | Graphic provided by Hedonova

Investing in alternative assets can be complex and challenging to fund. That’s where Hedonova comes in.

Hedonova makes it easy to invest by serving as a single access point to a diverse portfolio of alternative assets, including media royalties, pre-IPO startups, wine, and fine art. Since late 2019, Hedonova has outperformed the S&P 500 by 200+%.

This SEC-regulated fund has captured the spotlight, securing the best multi-strategy hedge fund award at the 2023 Hedgeweek European Awards.

Start investing with just $5,000

News Notes

Open

Partager, Gallery, Gifts, and Home — a new store now open at 5910 Garners Ferry Rd. — offers a retail space for vendors to sell art, furniture, clothing, and more. The owner, Leslie Francis, opened the 20,000 sqft store and plans to host various events. A coffee shop and bakery addition are in the works. (The Post and Courier)

Community

Who will be this year’s Pump Track Death Race Pumpkin Pump champion? Say that five times fast. Join Bluetile Skateshop at Owens Field’s pump track for a free skating competition, happening on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. Dress up in a Halloween costume + showcase your skills. Awards for the fastest lap, best costume, best trick, and more will be given out.

Sports

Spend Halloween with South Carolina women’s basketball on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at Colonial Life Arena. The free open practice is from 5-7 p.m., with trick-or-treating until 8 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter will be there + the event serves as a send-off for the Gamecocks, who play Notre Dame in Paris on Monday, Nov. 6. (Gamecocks Online)

Concert

White Knoll High School’s choir will join rock band Foreigner on stage during their concert at Township Auditorium on Monday, Oct. 30. They’ll sing “I Want to Know What Love Is” and receive a donation from the band to fund a trip to Myrtle Beach, where students will perform at the Carolina Opry. (The Post and Courier)

Show

Tickets for “Hamilton” at the Koger Center will go on sale beginning Thursday, Nov. 2, and range in price from $49 to $129, with some premium and lottery options available. The show is scheduled to run from Tuesday, Feb. 27, through Sunday, March 10, 2024 + is the only performance in the Carolinas on the current North American tour. (The State)

Edu

Gov. Henry McMaster, SC’s superintendent of education, and the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office introduced the new Education Funding Dashboard, offering transparency on how the state’s public schools spend taxpayer money. Users can access data on spending, sources of funds, district-specific information, and more. (WIS)

Community

Looking to support local? Start right here: with the COLAtoday news team. We live, work, and play all things Soda Citizen so we can bring you the kind of news you actually care about. Directly support us by becoming a COLAtoday member — you’ll keep this free newsletter hitting inboxes.

Festival

There’s free fun happening in West Columbia. The 7th Annual Fall Back Fest is happening Friday, Nov. 3 5:30-9:30 p.m. on the 100 Block of State Street. The festival features live music, live mural artists, food vendors, and more — plus, local shops and restaurants will be open late. Get more details.*

Food

🔥 3 chefs that can take the heat

The 2023 Lake Murray Country Team will compete in the the World Food Championships

Team Lake Murray Country will represent the Palmetto State at the World Food Championships. (From left to right) Chef Michael Ellis, Chef Chris Williams, and Chef Maegan Horton. | Photo provided by Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism

Team Lake Murray Country is returning to the World Food Championships (WFC) in Dallas, TX, running Wednesday, Nov. 8 through Sunday, Nov. 12. Fun fact — Over 450 teams from 40 states and 10 countries are anticipated at this year’s event, which features 10 food categories.

Meet the three chefs representing Lake Murray Country, who were selected through popular vote at the Taste of Lake Murray fundraising event.

Chef Chris Williams | Owner and Chef of Roy’s Grille & BBQ and 2022 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.
Competition Category: Sandwich

Chef Maegan Horton | Executive Chef of Blue Marlin Restaurant
Competition Category: Seafood

Chef Michael Ellis | Director of Culinary Services for Smoked, The Grand, The Main Course, Good Life Cafe, The Players Club, and Peak Drift Brewing
Competition Category: Chef

The WFC winner in each category advances to the Final Table, where the top 10 chefs vie for first place and a $100,000 prize. Fun fact — Capital City/Lake Murray Country hosted the 2022 Final Table.

Shoutout

Happy birthday, COLAtoday member Catherine Adan. We hope your special day (October 29) is filled with your favorite things in Columbia! — COLAtoday team

Become a member, get benefits

Share COLAtoday

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

Facebook

Twitter

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_10}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.

Claim your rewards

The Wrap

Samantha Robertson in a white shirt and grey vest

Today’s edition by:
Sam

From the editor

Are you into yard sales or need to do some fall cleaning? Join in on the Soda City Market’s community yard sale, taking place on Nov. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clear out your closets and sell home decor, clothing, books, and more. If interested, fill out the application. Note: Review takes 3-5 business days.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY