Quick overview

• January was the month with the highest open rate for newsletters.
• We’ve gained ~2,000 new subscribers.
• Between Instagram + Facebook, we have a combined ~74,000 followers.

Data from the doom scroll

• This was the best-performing post pertaining to likes this year — we’re talking over 16,000 likes. This post was viewed 288,000 times + garnered over 265 comments.
• This was the best-performing post pertaining to views. This post received 297,000 views, 13,800 likes, and 87 comments.

Top webpages

1. Events page
2. Our Instagram page
3. Unwritten rules of Columbia
4. Try these five new Columbia restaurants
5. Where to find lunch for $10 or less in Columbia

Top headlines

1. Finlay Park is getting a $23 million makeover.
2. The new Campus Village opened at USC.
3. The city celebrated the Babcock building’s cupola restoration + reinstallation — bonus, Tupelo Honey is coming soon to the BullStreet District.
4. Scout Motors Inc., is bringing a record-breaking $2 billion investment to establish its first manufacturing plant in Cola.
5. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden’s new Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center opened.

• Christmas in Cayce | Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1, Saturday, Dec. 2 | Times vary | City of Cayce/Cayce Riverwalk/Cayce Historical Museum, 1800 12th St., Cayce | Free | Kick off the magic of Christmas with three unique events to celebrate Christmas in Cayce.*
• Midlands Clay Arts Society Annual Holiday Sale | Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1, Saturday, Dec. 2 | Times vary | Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton St., Columbia | Free | Local ceramic artists will showcase their sculptural, functional, and whimsical wheel thrown and hand built ceramic art.
• Holiday Planetarium Lighting | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 4-7 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia | Free | Kick off the holiday season with an after-hours event featuring special shows, and shopping time in the museum store.’
  Home for the Holiday’s Pop-Up Bar | Thursday., Nov. 30 | 4 p.m. | The Venue, 1624 Main St., Columbia | $10-$50 | Step into a winter wonderland to sip on specially crafted holiday beverages and sing along to your favorite holiday tunes*

• Historic Columbia’s Holiday House Tours | Wednesday, Nov. 15-Saturday, Dec. 30 | Times vary | Hampton-Preston Manion, 1615 Blanding St., Columbia | $18 | Tour guides will provide stories of holidays past in Columbia and discuss how families decorated and entertained during the 19th century.

• Bierkeller Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) | Saturday, Dec. 2 | Times vary | Bierkeller Columbia, 600 Canalside St., Columbia | Free | Delight in the charm of a traditional German Christmas market along the Congaree River.
• Santa’s Market Craft Show | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | Seven Oaks Park, 200 Leisure Ln., Columbia | Free | Complete your holiday shopping with one-of-a-kind items including paintings, handmade jewelry, home décor items.
• Midlands Native Tree & Shrub Sale | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Woodrow Wilson Family Home, 1705 Hampton St., Columbia | Free | These trees and shrubs are selected to thrive in the Midlands.

• Homes for the Holidays | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 1-5 p.m. | Hollywood-Rose Hill Neighborhood, 2818 Devine St., Columbia | $35 | Join this tour in the Shandon/Hollywood-Rose Hill area of homes decked out for the holidays.
• Snowball Parade | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 3 p.m. | Main Street, Lexington | Price | Get in the holiday spirit by watching an array of parade floats make their way through downtown.

• Women in Philanthropy’s Leadership Breakfast | Thursday, Dec. 14 | 7:30-9 a.m. | The Palmetto Club, 1231 Sumter St., Columbia | $30-$40 | Enjoy breakfast at The Palmetto Club with Women in Philanthropy, celebrate women leading the way, and hear from keynote speaker, Judge J. Michelle Childs.*

• USC plans to develop over 800 acres near Williams-Brice Stadium. With the university ranking last in the SEC for student green space, the development may favor sports fields over buildings. The Daily Gamecock dives into all possibilities for the development.

• Members of the USC swim team will participate in the US Open in Greensboro, NC. Competitors aim to achieve qualifying times for the Paris 2024 Olympic Trials. Finals for the event can be streamed on Peacock today + Friday, Dec. 1. (Gamecocks Online)

• 25. That’s the new speed limit in key residential areas in West Columbia. The reduced speed limits aim to enhance safety, particularly in neighborhoods like Westover Acres and Saluda Gardens, situated between Sunset Boulevard + the Saluda River. (The Post and Courier)

• Phil Savitz, the state’s most successful high school boys soccer coach, is retiring after 45 seasons, with the last 12 at River Bluff High School. Coach Savitz, with 15 state championships and over 800 wins, expressed gratitude for those who contributed to his success. (The State)

• In a recent episode of Around Town with @ColaMayor, Mayor Rickenmann sits down with Sumner Bender, the Executive Director of The Nick. Bender emphasizes the significance of community engagement in shaping cultural identity and discusses strategies to enhance Columbia’s art scene.

• Join News19 WLTX and Salvation Army at local Stuff-A-Bus events, happening on Friday, Dec. 1 + Friday, Dec. 8. Drop off unwrapped new toys and non-perishable food, or make a monetary donation at these Walmart locations in the Midlands between 6 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (WLTX)

• From improving digestion to boosting endurance to making your complexion glow, here are 10 reasons you may want to include beets in your diet.*

• From essentials like heating, cooling, and lights to daily necessities, our lives run on electricity. Looking for a way to protect your home’s power supply? Enter: Generac®, an automatic standby generator to keep life going without disruption. Learn more + schedule an appointment.*

• Consider this your invitation to explore the magic of Aiken this holiday season. Holidays in Aiken means exciting holiday activities for the whole family, magical events, festive shopping + dining experiences, and memories that will last a lifetime. Learn more + start planning.*

• If a cookie exchange with friends or family is on your holiday calendar (or you’re finding it harder to keep your pantry sweets stocked), these candy cane cookies and chocolate-kissed thumbprint cookies top our list of must-bakes.*

• Last call for this exclusive deal: Score 50% off everything online at Harlestons — the Golf Digest/Golfweek/Golf Channel-featured premium men’s apparel brand — with code BF50. (We especially love their performance polos.) Bonus: Free shipping on $125+ and easy returns, always.*

• Grades 6-11 grades for Summer Programs
• Grades 9-10 for the Residential High School (depending on the program area)