We asked. You answered. Who’s ready for a little holiday lights tour around Columbia? | Photo by Lindsey T.
In case you missed it — we had a reader write in asking for suggestions for places that decorate at level 10 for the holidays. So, we asked you to share your favorite holiday light displays in Cola.
Grab hot cocoa, crank the holiday music + go for a drive to explore festive displays in local neighborhoods.
Reader recommendations
Be Merry And Shine Bright| 1500 State St., Cayce This corner lot features 15+ vignettes from “Land Before Time,” “Under The Sea,” “Mickey and Minnie,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Rudolph and the Misfits of Misfit Island,” plus many more.
Holiday Light Show Synced to Music | Heyward St., Columbia The title says it all. Returning for its fourth year and running from 5:30-11 p.m. every night, this light show consists of over 2,000 individually controllable multicolor LEDs attached to the house and arranged throughout the yard, and I’ve spent a ton of time synchronizing everything to several holiday-themed songs that play in a loop. We get a ton of in-person viewers each night, and I’m coming up on 100,000 views on YouTube, so people seem to really like it!
A Thousand Horses | 7 p.m. | The Senate | $20 | Newberry natives Michael Hobby and Bill Satcher of A Thousand Horses return with their new single “Highway Sound,” blending Southern Rock, Classic Country, and Americana.
Midlands Clay Arts Society 2024 Holiday Sale | Thursday, Dec. 5-Saturday, Dec. 7 | Times vary | Stormwater Studios | Free | Local ceramic artists will showcase their sculptural, functional, and whimsical wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramic art.
Columbia Classical Ballet: “The Nutcracker” | Friday, Dec. 6-Sunday, Dec. 8 | Times vary | Koger Center for the Arts | $10+ | Enjoy this festive ballet performance with friends and family this holiday season.
Saturday, Dec. 7
SC Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibition | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | AIA Columbia | Free | The second annual competition will showcase hand-crafted gingerbread creations from teams in the design/build community and professional bakers.
Making Spirits Bright Holiday Pop-Up Experience | Times vary | Williams-Brice Stadium (Traditions Club) | $10 | Fans can expect new light shows, more decorations, and additional activities for kids that are all included with your ticket.
Sunday, Dec. 8
Fireflies Holiday Lights | Sunday, Dec. 1-Saturday, Jan. 4 | 6-9 p.m. | Segra Park | $12 | Enjoy falling snow, visits with Santa, a scavenger hunt, arts + crafts, and over 1.5 million dazzling holiday lights.
Holiday House Tours | Sunday, Dec. 1-Friday, Dec. 13 | Times vary | Robert Mills House & Gardens | $0+ | Tour guides will provide stories of holidays past in Columbia and discuss how families decorated and entertained during the 19th century.
Celebrate the holiday season in the heart of downtown. | Photo provided by LTC Hospitality Services
Step into the holidays on 1600 Main Street, where the magic of the season fills the air with enchanting snowfalls, delicious bites, and unforgettable festive vibes.
Snow is in the forecast: This winter wonderland comes alive with dreamy snowfalls every weekend, Thursday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — you won’t want to miss the magic.
Feast your way through the fun: Kick off (or wrap up) your evening with a visit to Smoked, The Grand, or Hanabi Hibachi.
As we await the Gamecock’s bowl destination, USA Today announced Shane Beamer — head Gamecock football coach — as the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year. Coach Beamer led the Gamecocks to a 9-3 overall season and a 5-3 SEC record. Edge rusher Kyle Kennard and safety Nick Emmanwori also received accolades. (Gamecocks Online)
Edu
USC will launch a new late-night shuttle in January to ensure students can travel safely at night, stopping at locations on and off campus every 10 minutes. The new shuttle will run Thursday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. (The Daily Gamecock)
Soda Citizen
Melanie Huggins — Richland Library’s executive director for 15 years — is leaving her position and will transition into her new role as CEO of Girl Scouts of the Midlands. One of her accolades is expanding the library’s Library of Things service. Not sure what that is?We’ve got you.
Number
~$13 million — that’s the amount SC received in federal funding for digital equity projects from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The funding is a part of the federal “Internet for All” initiative. (SC Biz News)
History
The SC Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) hosted a grand opening of “Know Your State and Make it Known: The SC Historical Marker Program.” The new historic marker exhibit shares the goals of the agency, which has been in operation since 1936 + helps folks understand the history of SC. See the exhibit at the South Carolina History Center for free through March. (Cola Daily)
Listen
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Finance
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Health
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Finance
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Category
Seasonal
Pop around Uptown
We can hear the sitar Christmas sounds coming from Curiosity Coffee Bar already. | Photo by @curiositycoffeebar
Celebrate the season + local businesses with the Uptown Holiday Hop event, happening on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 4-8 p.m. Neighbors and businesses throughout Elmwood, Earlewood, and Cottontown are hosting a festive evening filled with local art, holiday shopping, a pig pickin’, oyster roast, live music, and the third annual Sitar Christmas.
The AirFly Pro — it’s a nifty gadget that will wirelessly transmit audio from in-flight entertainment to Bluetooth headphones so you can ditch those pesky wired earbuds.
Fun Fact: Almost the majority of South Carolinians are born elsewhere, making the Palmetto State a relocation destination. The Post and Courier reported that in the 1940s, over 90% of the residents in our state were born here, and according to 2023 census data, now only about 50 percent of residents are born in SC.