A masked luchador hypes up the crowd at Segra Park’s Taco & Margarita Festival. | Photo via Columbia Fireflies
Lucky you. You just found COLAtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events taking place throughout Columbia each month.
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading into March.
T shirts are available at the main desk at the annual arts event. | Photo by COLAtoday
Festivals
Cottontown Art Crawl | Saturday, March 8 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Historic Cottontown Neighborhood | Free | The neighborhood event features nearly 200 artists, live music, and delicious food trucks.
Seasonal events
Midlands Spring Arts and Crafts Market | Saturday, March 22-Sunday, March 23 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | South Carolina State Farmers Market, West Columbia | Free | Browse from 150+ crafters and vendors from all across the Midlands.
Active
Curing Kids Cancer Fire Truck Pull | Saturday, March 22 | 8:30 a.m. | Soda City Market | Free | Join a team to compete in a fire truck pull, with proceeds benefiting Prisma Health Children’s Hospital.
“Six” | Thursday, Feb. 27-Sunday, March 2 | Times vary | Koger Center for the Arts | $32+ | Be there for opening night to see an historic heartbreak told by the six wives of Henry VIII.
Friday, Feb. 28
36th Annual Earlewood Classic | Friday, Feb. 28, Saturday, March 1, Sunday, March 2 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Earlewood Park | Free | Take a spin and join this premier disc golf tournament.
Oscar Shorts 2025: Live Action | Friday, Feb. 28-Sunday, March 2 | Times vary | The Nick | $10 | Check out all five Academy Award-nominated short films in this back-to-back feature.
“Puccini PLUS” featuring Gianni Schicchi | Friday, Feb. 28, Saturday, March 1, Sunday, March 2 | Times vary | Drayton Hall Theatre | $10+ | Be swept away in an operatic tale about a peasant trying to cash in on an old man’s vulnerability.
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Local job boards are a total game-changer — for both job seekers and businesses. Instead of sifting through endless listings, they focus on quality over quantity, connecting employers with candidates who actually want to work in the area. That means fewer relocation headaches and better retention.
For big and small businesses, it’s a smart way to connect with candidates who understand the local community and culture. Plus, hiring locally usually means a faster, smoother hiring process. Whether you’re looking for a job or trying to fill one, COLAtoday Job Board keeps things simple, practical, and close to home.
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is bringing its Philly-style flavor to Five Points. The eatery known for cheesesteaks and fresh pretzels opens across from Food Lion on Saturday, March 8.
Sports
The Bass Pros are reeling in big stakes at Lake Murray from Thursday, March 6, through Sunday, March 9 for Major League Fishing’s PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 event. Sixty-six anglers will battle for a $150,000 prize, with local pro Anthony Gagliardi angling to defend his title.
Transit
Save your change. New parking rates begin in the city of Columbia starting Monday, March 10 for metered on-street parking and surface lots using pay stations. Fire lanes, handicapped spaces, and yellow curbs will remain enforced.
Biz
State exports set sailto a record $38 billion last year — the highest since 2019 in South Carolina. Automotive led the way with completed passenger vehicles topping $10.9 billion in sales. The Port of Charleston, one of the busiest on the East Coast, plays a key role in shipping automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing exports to global markets.
Number
62,000 — that’s the amount of feminine hygiene products collected at the Cola Rosé Shower for Sistercare and The Period Project. Held earlier this month at Williams-Brice Stadium, the event raised awareness of period poverty and women’s health.
Cause
Keep the Midlands Beautiful’s annual shoe drive fundraiser kicks off Saturday, March 1 and runs through Saturday, May 31. Donated shoes help fund litter prevention efforts while also supporting developing nations. You can drop off shoes at 1305 Augusta Rd., West Columbia.
Sports
Could Clemson’s spring game be in danger? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Clemson Tigers with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Number
$4,000 amount. That’s how much we’re looking to raise to support our staff and mission here at COLAtoday — and our fundraising ends tomorrow. If you love the free community resource you’re reading right now (we sure do), support us today with a one-time donation. See how close we are to our goal.
Finance
Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? (It sounds wild, but it’s true.) The secret: Find a credit card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. This one even offers 5% cash back on your purchases, helping you save even more while you pay down your debt.*
Number
$2,101. That’s the record-breaking price that car insurance premiums are projected to reach in 2025. Read: It’s more important than ever to make sure you’re not overpaying. Review Money’s best car insurance list to see if you could save (maybe up to $1,300 a year).*
Category
Biz
📢 Calling all small business owners
Photo by @brittonsofcolumbia
Here at COLAtoday, you may already know we’re big on celebrating local, especially our city’s small businesses. Which is why a week dedicated to highlighting the heart of our communities is right up our alley.
Enter: Small Business Week — a national initiative that acknowledges and celebrates the contributions of small businesses — that we’ll be celebrating from Sunday, May 4 to Saturday, May 10.
We want to join in on the celebrations by highlighting some of the best small businesses in our city, and offer a little something special for our readers, too.
This is where we need your help.
If you own a local small business or know someone who does, celebrate Small Business Week with us by filling out a form about your business. We’ll be featuring some of your suggestions in our newsletter throughout the week.
Bonus: As an optional choice, you can offer a fun deal or discount, a limited-edition menu item, or host a special event during the week for our readers to enjoy.
Complete the form by Sunday, March 16, and we’ll include it in our interactive map and coverage for Small Business Week. Psst: There’s no charge to participate.
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There’s a lot of events included in today’s newsletter. And if you want to make sure your own event gets posted to our calendar, I’ve got your back. Anyone can submit an event to our events page with this handy dandy guide.
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