Greenville, SC

Charleston, SC

Asheville, NC

• Live Music by Paisley Marie | Friday, Dec. 22 | 6-9 p.m. | Gardener’s Outpost, 1211 Franklin St., Columbia | Price of purchase | Grab a cold drink from the bar and enjoy the holiday spirit.
• Winter Wonderland | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 31 | 6-9 p.m. | 1600 Block of Main Street, 1621 Main St., Columbia | Free | Enjoy snowfall every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in December on the 1600 Block of Main Street.
• Holiday Lights on the River | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 31 | 6-10 p.m. | 6071 St. Andrews Rd., Columbia | $25-$75 | Journey through more than two miles of lights featuring colorful, animated light displays of all shapes and sizes.

• Santa Saturdays | Saturday, Dec. 2-Saturday, Dec. 23 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia | $6.95-$8.95 | Meet Santa at the South Carolina State Museum, see holiday shows, explore four floors of exhibitions and shop in the museum store every Saturday leading up to Christmas.*
• Soda City Farmers Market | Saturday, Dec. 9, Saturday, Dec. 23 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Columbia | Free | Browse over 150 vendors and find everything you need to nourish your brain, body, and belly.

• Crackin’ Up Comedy Brunch: Holiday Edition | Saturday, Dec. 30 | 1-2:30 p.m. | The Hideout in WeCo, 118 State St., West Columbia | $5-$10 | Live local comedy in a cozy brunch setting.

• Nordic Nights New Year’s Eve Extravaganza | Sunday, Dec. 31 | 12 p.m.-1 a.m. | Savage Craft Ale Works, 430 Center St., West Columbia | No cover charge | Ring in the new year with Savage Craft, hosting events from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• New Year’s Eve 2024 | Sunday, Dec. 31 | 7 p.m. | The Senate, 1022B Senate St., Columbia | $60-$600 | Enjoy a block Party at The Tin Roof and The Senate, featuring two stages, a live DJ, a champagne pour, and more.
• NYE 1600 Block Party | Sunday, Dec. 31 | 9 p.m.-1 a.m. | 1600 Block of Main St., Columbia | Event prices vary | Indulge in a red carpet welcome at Smoked, dance with the DJ under black lights in The Grand, and experience the Roaring 20s at Robinson Room.

• See the Northern Lights in 4K in the museum’s digital dome planetarium show “Arora”
• Watch “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” shine in a magical 4-D Experience®
• Explore four floors of exhibitions
• Enjoy immersive fun with “Shark: A 4D Experience®"

• A potential boutique hotel, The Shepherd Hotel, has been proposed for Columbia’s former Central Fire Station at 1001 Senate St. If approved, the 60-unit hotel plans to integrate the fire station’s history and include a fire truck in the lobby, a restaurant, and a bar. (The Post and Courier)

• ND Stevenson, a Cola native, saw his childhood creation, “Nimona,” come to life on The Nick’s marquee for a special screening. Originally a webcomic turned graphic novel, “Nimona” became a Netflix animated movie with acclaim. Stevenson reflected on the surreal journey with Allen Wallace from Cola Daily.

• The City of Columbia Parking Services will be offering free parking during the holidays. All parking decks will be free beginning Saturday, Dec. 23, through 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 27. For New Year’s, from Saturday, Dec. 30 to 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2, city decks will be free after 4 p.m. Street meters are free on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 — except in Five Points.

• 89,000. That’s the number of Fresh Food Boxes that were packed + distributed to over 23,000 households across SC as part of Foodshare South Carolina’s initiative. Foodshare SC is a USC’s School of Medicine program that aims to provide state-wide food access.

• According to AFAR, these are the 25 places you should visit in 2024. Spoiler alert — a South Carolina city is on the list (looking at you CHStoday.) If a destination catches your eye, book a flight and fly out of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE).

• Stocking stuffers are one of the easiest ways to shop locally — and we’ve made it simple. Though there are hundreds, even thousands of gift options around Cola, we’ve put together a list of ~15 to choose from for those last-minute additions.

• ICYMI, our latest edition of COLA Wellness in partnership with Prisma Health features: top 10 local experience gifts, sweet potato pie, holiday health hacks, local 5Ks + more. Subscribe (and never miss an issue).*

• Garvin Design Group recently received two awards for excellence in interior design for the Rosewood Church redevelopment project + renovation of the second-floor dining room inside the University of South Carolina’s Russell House at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Carolinas’ 2023 DesignWorks awards ceremony on Dec. 8. See the award-winning project.*

• Looking to get the kids active? The YMCA Youth Basketball Program is open now through Dec. 26 for kids 3-15 to learn the game (think: dribble like a pro, shoot like a champ, and build teamwork). Learn more + sign up.*

• Your holiday feast was delicious, but now you’re not feeling so great. Maybe you have a stomach bug — or maybe it’s food poisoning. Here’s how to tell the difference and what to do.*

• Well, this is officially our last News Note of 2023. Thank you to our COLAtoday community for staying connected with us this year. If you want to support us in 2024, consider becoming a member — you’ll support us directly and keep these newsletters coming. Until next year, folks.