There’s a lot to be proud of in the Soda City. | Photo by SC Pride
Mark your calendars for next weekend — OUTfest, hosted by Famously Hot South Carolina Pride, is taking over the 1100 block of Park Street on Saturday, June 14, from 12–8 p.m. The all-day block party will take place in the heart of The Vista. Enjoy performances like OUTfest Idol 2025 + a drag pageant, vendors, food + beverage, community, and more.
Asked
Asked
In what year did Columbia host its first Pride Parade on Main Street?
Pups & Pints Adoption Event and Donation Drive | 12-3 p.m. | Steel Hands Brewing, Cayce | Free | Adoption fees are waived for all animals at the event, and animals come spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.
Sunday, June 8
The Capital City Cocktail Competition | 3-6 p.m. | Expansive Main Street | $55 | Where cocktails meet competition with eight local mixologists, three rounds, and one unforgettable night.
PUNCH’D - Caribbean Rum Punch Day Party | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | The Granary Event Center | $44 | Close out South Carolina Caribbean Festival weekend + sip on five Caribbean rum punches and dance the day away.
Tuesday, June 10
Taste on the River | 5:30-9 p.m. | Stone River, West Columbia | $100 | This culinary event brings together the best chefs, tastemakers, and food lovers in the Midlands, all while supporting the beautification of West Columbia.
Wednesday, June 11
Morning Blend: A Jazz, Soul, and Coffee Series | Wednesday, June 11 | 7:30-10:30 a.m. | Columbia Museum of Art | Free | Relax with jazz music, local coffee from Curiosity Coffee Bar, and vegan breakfast options from Drake’s Duck-in.
What’s your favorite beer? If it’s Guinness, you’re not alone. Data shows that Guinness is the most popular beer in SC. (Visual Capitalist)
Read
Pizza Hut’s Book It summer reading program now has an accompanying app. Parents can download the app to set goals, track progress, and redeem rewards (like pizza) for their kiddos. Adults hoping to take part in some summer reading of their own can check out these books written by local authors.
Listen
Turn up the tunes — Spotify shared its predictions for 2025’s song of the summer, including tracks by Lorde, Lady Gaga, and Morgan Wallen. If you’d like to add some local flair to your playlist, we recommend heading to a local summer concert.
Drink
Here’s the tea. Tuesday, June 10, is National Iced Tea Day, and there’s only one way to celebrate. If you have thoughts of iced tea steeping in your mind right now, we recommend checking out cafes in our coffee guide — because where there’s iced coffee, there’s often iced tea.
The Buy
An oversized beach blanket that has enough room for all your friends and family. We love that it’s made from lightweight cotton to seamlessly double as a cozy throw for the couch.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Just a reminder — Free Times’ Best of Columbia nominees have been chosen + it’s time to vote. Thank you so much for nominating us for Best Local Website, Music/Entertainment, and Best Local Website, News — we love to keep Soda Citizens updated and involved in our local communities. Vote on Free Times’ website until Friday, June 20, at 11:59 p.m.
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