09.18.2024

Today’s Forecast

83º | 50% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:09 a.m. | Sunset 7:25 p.m.
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A Message From Our Team

We’re officially two days away from closing votes. Don’t miss out on telling us who your top picks are here for best of the best in COLA. Voting ends this Friday, Sept. 20.

🍁Autumn is in the air

Fall events happening around the Midlands

Throw on your costume and explore Riverbanks Zoo. | Photo provided by Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens

Ready for sweater weather, Columbia? From pumpkin patches and corn mazes to apple picking and German beer celebrations, fall is one of our favorite seasons in the Soda City.

Get ready to come alive — or play dead at a fall-tastic haunted house like Deceased Farm — with this guide featuring 40+ fall events happening now through November.

Festivals

Deceased Farm.jpg — Do you dare get lost in the sheet maze at The Dark Castle?
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Photo by The Dark Castle

Haunted houses

Deceased Farm | Friday, Sept. 13-Saturday, Nov. 2 | 382 Olde Farm Rd., Lexington | $30+ | This haunted attraction features six terrifying buildings, creepy cornfields, and outdoor scare zones.

Halloween happenings

Boo at the Zoo | Friday, Oct. 18-Wednesday, Oct. 30 | Riverbanks Zoo | $18 | Stroll through the animal exhibits at this Halloween event with trick-or-treat stations and haunted carousel rides.

Clinton Sease Farm Cow Train Ride.jpg — After you take a pic in the pumpkin patch, ride the cow train around Clinton Sease Farm.
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Photo by Clinton Sease Farm

Pumpkin patches + mazes

Clinton Sease Farm | Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Nov. 3 | 382 Olde Farm Rd., Lexington | Times vary | Experience the “Home of the Free” corn maze, farm animals, playgrounds, wagon rides, and more.

30+ more events

Asked

The most wonderful time of year to explore the city is…

A. Spring
B. Summer
C. Fall
D. Winter

Leaf this way

Events

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Ask the Gardener Happy Hour | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 4-6 p.m. | Gardener’s Outpost | Free | Bring your questions, share your experiences, and connect with fellow gardening enthusiasts.
Soulful Sounds | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 7-9 p.m. | Busby Street Community Center | $20 | If you like everything from Erykah Badu to Billie Holiday, you’ll love vibing to these soulful sounds.
Barks and Brews: Puppy Yoga | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | Savage Craft Ale Works, West Columbia | Free | Join Moyo Village and Final Victory Animal Rescue at Savage Craft Ale Works for a unique one-hour yoga experience surrounded by rescue puppies.

Thursday, Sept. 19

Columbia’s 37th Annual Greek Festival | Thursday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Sept. 22 | Times vary | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church | Free | Enjoy the music, atmosphere, food + drink, and learn a little about Greece.
Townsend Lecture: Governing the South | Thursday, Sept. 19 | Karen J. Williams Courtroom (Joseph F. Rice School of Law) | Free | The interview will explore former SC Gov. David Beasley’s upbringing in SC, his education, and accomplishments, and provide a glimpse into his life.

Friday, Sept. 20

Tai Chi on Boyd Plaza | Friday, Sept. 20 | 9-10 a.m. | Columbia Museum of Art | Free | Pause and reflect in a drop-in tai chi session led by Bob and Cathy Brookshire.
City of Columbia Food Truck Fridays | Friday, Sept. 20 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | REI Co-Op Parking Lot | Grab lunch from a variety of local food trucks lined up at the REI Co-op parking lot.
Friday Night Laser Lights | Friday, Sept. 20 | 6-10 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum | $10+ | The captivating show returns for cosmically cool fun, featuring the music of Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, and more.

Saturday, Sept. 21

Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site | Free | This one-day festival by Historic Columbia features headliner Sunshine Anderson, live entertainment, artist demos, historic storytelling, and vendors.

100+ more events

Click here to have your event featured.

Asked

🩻 Prisma Health On Call: Ask your questions about radiology

Various people having imaging services performed by Prisma Health specialists.

Prisma Health’s skilled radiologists and technicians keep patients comfortable while they assess physical and functional capabilities for optimum diagnostic readings. | Photos provided by Prisma Health

Prisma Health recently opened a new retail imaging center in West Columbia, improving our community’s access to radiology services with advanced technology, convenience, and affordability. With a doctor’s order, patients can schedule appointments for high-quality MRI and CT scans.

Before you go in for an imaging procedure, you may have some questions. That’s why, in this month’s installment of Prisma Health On Call, we’re connecting readers to Prisma Health specialists to chat all things radiology, including:

When are imaging services necessary?
What is retail imaging and how is it different from hospital imaging?
Is imaging radiation harmful?

Submit your questions below, and we’ll share the experts’ answers in a few weeks.

Ask the pros

News Notes

Sports

The 2024 Ultimate Long Drive (ULD) World Championship returns to Par Tee Golf Center in West Columbia from Wednesday, Sept. 25 to Saturday, Sept. 28. Golf athletes from around the world will compete across various divisions, including youth, military, and adaptive athletes.

Coming Soon

Barnes & Noble will open a new 5,800-sqft store at Columbiana Centre in Harbison on Wednesday, Oct. 9, returning to the area after closing its previous Harbison location in 2013. The store will feature the same design as recent openings. (The State)

Environmental

The EPA awarded the Central Midlands Council of Governments an $8.7 million grant to combat climate pollution. Projects, including a solar farm at Columbia’s Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant, will begin in 2025. (WLTX)

Read

National Book Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward will visit Columbia on Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 6-8 p.m. at USC’s Campus Room. Hosted by Richland Library and USC Libraries, the event includes an author talk, book sale, and signing. Registration is required.

Community

Lexington Police will host a free child seat check today from 8-11 a.m. at the Town of Lexington Municipal Complex for Child Passenger Safety Week. Attendees can learn proper installation, and Sully’s Steamers will offer free breakfast sandwiches.

Sports

Locked On chats about the silver linings from South Carolina’s loss to LSU. Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Gamecocks with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

Coming Soon

Did this catch your eye? That’s because locals (like you) are excited about new happenings in our city. Spread the word about your business, services, big news, or upcoming event with our 54,000+ readers.

Listen

Picture natural sound all around you — from bustling cafes to quiet parks. With advanced directional microphones, these tiny hearing devices focus on what you want to hear, and soften what you don’t. Hear what all the fuss is about.*

Health

It’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and Prisma Health experts are spreading awareness about a new, minimally invasive treatment. Listen to learn more about this exciting therapy.*

Festival

The most brew-tiful time of the year

Fall events happening around the Midlands

Incarnation Lutheran Church on Devine Street hosts the annual Oktoberfest event.
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Photo by COLAtoday

Oktoberfest originated in Munich, Germany in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Louis to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The tradition has continued to grow into the world’s largest Volkfest — read: people festival — filled with beer, traditional Bavarian music, performances, parades, and German outfits.

We gathered nine celebrations to plan for a pitcher-perfect Oktoberfest.

Newberry Oktoberfest | Saturday, Oct. 5 | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Historic Downtown Newberry | Free | Celebrate German heritage with art, entertainment, and children’s activities at Newberry’s largest festival.

Oktoberfest Columbia | Friday–Sunday, Oct. 11–13 | Times vary | Incarnation Lutheran Church | Prices vary | Experience three days of tented biergartens, live entertainment, homemade German food, and family-friendly fun at Columbia’s original Oktoberfest.

WECO Oktoberfest | Friday–Sunday, Oct. 18–20 | Times vary | WECO Bottle & Biergarten | Prices vary | Savor German beers, local food trucks, and the cool October breeze during WECO’s annual three-day Oktoberfest.

6 more fests

The Buy

Decorate your space with this year’s trendiest fall decor. Here are five items we just added to our cart:

🍂 These velvet pumpkins to add festive flair around the house.
🍂 A hand-crafted wreath boasting beautiful autumn hues.
🍂 This welcome mat complete with seasonal adornments.
🍂 A hand-blown glass cup embellished with candy corns.
🍂 This embroidered table runner to elevate your dining space.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

David Stringer wearing a dark button-down shirt

Today’s edition by:
David

From the editor

The City of Columbia offered a peek inside the updates of Finlay Park, and it looks like the stage is coming along. The $24 million revitalization project is on schedule and set to be completed by fall 2025. Hopefully, we’ll have some new fall events there to add to our calendar.

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