We get it — dating can be scary. | Photo via COLAtoday team
We asked and you answered, Columbians. To celebrate Halloween, we’re sharing several of your submitted date night stories that still haunt you to this day. Warning — some of these may send shivers up your spine.
The one about the ex
“I was out on a date with a guy I met on Hinge, and we were talking about where in Columbia we live. As we were chatting, we realized that my date’s ex-girlfriend was my next door neighbor! He then proceeded to spend the rest of the date asking me for updates about her, (i.e. ‘Have you seen her lately?’ ‘Has she seemed busy?’) Talk about being haunted!”
Jack the skipper
“We met in the most promising way; via Hinge. Six grainy pictures and very little information about him later, he decides to surprise me for our second date. Tall, lanky, and very much not the man for me, this Jack-o-lantern type of guy decided he would take me on a tour of USC’s campus. To be clear, this was two years post us graduating from our respective colleges.
So Jack had my 24-year-old self walking up inclines and in blistering heat, giving me a tour of the buildings we couldn’t go inside all while students were on their way to class. Jack showed me places he once ate at, a parking garage he took one class in, and an area by the library where he would cry. After three hours of this and sweating profusely, I wanted to leave.
He takes my hand as we walk towards our cars and starts swinging them. Jack then asks the most horrifying thing, ‘Should we skip the rest of the way?’ I couldn’t control my disgust. I walked to my car and never talked to this man ever again. I should also mention there were red flags you could see from a mile away, like Jack wearing a puka necklace and being a SoundCloud rapper, but I too like a fun story to tell my friends.”
A Pizza Party with Annie DiRusso | 7-10 p.m. | Graduate by Hilton Columbia SC | $35 | Enjoy fresh Paulie Gee’s wood-fired pizza and an intimate concert at this VIP live music series from The Wild Honey Pie.
Friday, Nov. 1
The War and Treaty | 7:30 p.m. | Harbison Theatre, Irmo | $40+ | Sing along to this GRAMMY-nominated duo for only one night at Harbison Theatre.
8th Annual Fall Back Fest | 5:30-9:30 p.m. | 100-300 State St., West Columbia | Free | The free event welcomes the community and visitors to celebrate the fall season with live music, art, food, and drinks.
ReptiCon | Jamil Temple | $10+ | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | See live animals from around the world, and purchase pets and pet products directly from the experts.
Get ready for an art-fueled night of sips and spectacles
Presented by Columbia Museum of Art
Dance the night away as Folk Tech takes over the museum with DJ sets and a silent disco. | Photo provided by Victor Johnson, provided by Columbia Museum of Art
Enjoy a night of sights and sips during Arts & Draughts at the Columbia Museum of Art on Friday, Nov. 8.
From 7 to 11 p.m., celebrate the fall season and “French Moderns” with your favorite museum party, featuring:
A performance of Jeghetto’s Workshop from master builder + puppeteer Jeghetto
Live music from Darby Wilcox, Orange Doors, and Slow Funeral
An AR scavenger hunt through the museum
Bites and sips for purchase from La Dolce Vita Pizza, Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen, Farmers Market Xchange, and Weco Bottle and Biergarten
The Cornbread Cafe — a new southern staple restaurant — opened on Church Street in Elgin. All dishes will be served with, you guessed it, cornbread and guests can expect southern favorites like country fried steak, smoked brisket, fried green tomato BLTs, and more. (The State)
Development
The city of West Columbia approved the Pinecrest subdivision development, meaning 75 new homes will be built alongside the already-under-construction 50 homes. The Post and Courier reported that West Columbia has approved ~500 housing units over the last two years. Read more here. (The Post and Courier)
Sports
The Columbia Fireflies announced the 2025 game times. Weeknight games will start at 7:05 p.m., Saturdays at 6:05 p.m., and Sunday games at 5:05 p.m. Fans can view the Fireflies’ full schedule here.
Award
Historic Columbia announced that it received the Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The award recognizes Historic Columbia’s evolution from a narrowly-focused preservation organization to a leader in preservation.
Listen
Why a freshman may be the biggest key for South Carolina. Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the South Carolina Gamecockswith Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Job
We’re looking for a rising star media seller to be our Sales Executive in charge of National Brand Partnerships with a primary focus on sports newsletters. Apply to join the 6AM City team.
Tech
Don’t let password vulnerabilities put your personal data at risk. Protect your online accounts with Keeper Security. New customers can sign up starting at $1.50 per month.*
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Biz
Open board seats search
An aerial view of the State House | Photo via Trinity Partners
What’s one of the best ways to get involved locally in leadership? Joining local boards + commissions.
The Columbia area is full of different nonprofits, and those nonprofits have leadership boards. The people serving on those leadership boards collectively make an impact locally. Want to make a difference in your city? Maybe consider looking into which local nonprofits have open board seats.
We want to help you with the first step — we want to put together a list of those open positions so they’re all in one place. Whether you work for a local nonprofit looking to expand your board or are already a board member who knows of an open position, share it with us.
The Buy
The Buy
A three-pack of NIVEA’s cocoa butter in-shower body lotion — apply, rinse, and go to moisturize dry skin without adding another step to your routine.
Happy Halloween, y’all! In case you missed it — a few years ago, David and I shared some of our iconic Halloween looks from when we were kids. If you want the ultimate local Halloween experience, head to the Elmwood neighborhood. It will be decked out with decorations + safety measures (like street barricades) so you can focus more on how cute your kids look running in their Halloween costumes than watching for cars.
